Employee Was Reprimanded By Her Boss For Not Voting In A Teams Poll About Pie Flavors
She admitted to having no interest in participating in team-building activities.
Prostock-studio / Shutterstock An employee shared that even though she works remotely, she simply can't escape the antics of the corporate world.
In a TikTok video, a content creator named Tanya revealed that her boss chastised her just because she chose not to participate in an activity that all of her other co-workers were involved in.
Tanya was reprimanded for not voting in a poll about pie flavors.
Tanya said that she logged into work one morning, and everything started off as normal until she received a message on Microsoft Teams that said, "Choose which pie you think we should throw at each other." Explaining what that meant, she said everyone had received their metrics and was found to have met their goal.
To reward everyone for meeting expectations, Tanya's managers agreed that everyone should participate in a pie-throwing video, which she was seemingly unimpressed by.
Unfortunately, quite a few workers feel dissatisfied with how they are recognized for the hard work they put in.
Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report found that, along with dissatisfaction, workers are experiencing staggering rates of disengagement and unhappiness. 60% of people reported being emotionally detached at work, 19% miserable, and only 33% feeling engaged.
Tanya claimed that since pie-throwing would be everyone's reward, their managers were trying to run a poll to determine which pie they should "throw." The poll was posted to their Teams work chat, and everyone was encouraged to vote. However, Tanya admitted that she couldn't have cared less about the entire thing.
Instead of hosting a metaphorical pie-throwing event, the company's managers and CEO should've realized that the only things employees desire after putting in hours for a project are a raise, promotion, or complimentary time off.
Photo: Scukrov / Canva Pro
"Long story short, later on in the day, calls kinda slow down, and a message pops up," Tanya said. She'd been asked if she had a moment to spare to hop into a meeting. Once in the meeting, Tanya was questioned why she hadn't voted in the pie flavor poll. They claimed that it was "really important" and needed her input.
They informed her that she had until the end of the day to vote in the poll.
Tanya candidly admitted that outside of work, she doesn't have any sort of friendship or relationship in general with any of her co-workers. It's strictly professional, which is why she felt that it shouldn't matter if she chose not to participate in the pie-throwing or the accompanying poll.
"I've been at this job almost three years. I don't even know what most of the people look like. I come to work. I clock in, I do my job, and I get off and I go home. I still haven't voted. I'm not going to vote," she said. "This is the most purposeless thing I've ever experienced from any position I've ever worked. It's just pretty pathetic."
Tanya's assertion that she maintains strict lines between her professional and personal life proves that not every employee wants to be friends with their colleagues, and it shouldn't be an important or mandatory aspect of work culture.
For some, work is just a means to an end. Still, as long as they're getting their work done efficiently, a person's boundaries should be respected without pressure to conform to the social dynamic that exists in the workplace.
Nonetheless, employers should be able to recognize that their employees just want to be treated with respect and understand that while team-building activities and exercises can be beneficial for some, they shouldn't be imposed as a substitute for meaningful recognition and fair compensation.
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.