A worker went viral on TikTok after revealing that her boss tried to force her to have dinner with a co-worker.
Samantha Clarke (@samanthaclarke29), who works at a doctor’s office part-time, said she primarily handles “billing and… claims” for the practice. In a nearly six-minute video, however, Clarke recounted an instance where she felt pressured to socialize with a colleague outside of work hours. As of Wednesday morning, her video had over one million views.
Clarke said that, one day, after arriving at work, one of her co-workers followed her into the building. As the two were in the elevator, Clarke said that the co-worker asked her to get dinner.
@samanthaclarke29 Its the fact that people think just cause someone is in the same office with you 8/9 hours a day they are required to be your friend is silly
♬ original sound – Samantha Clarke
Clarke recalled the co-worker explaining that the two would be “great friends outside of work.” In response, Clarke said that she harbored no ill-will toward the woman, but ultimately declined her invitation.
“One thing I do not do is socialize with my co-workers outside of work,” Clarke said.
Clarke reassured her co-worker, though, that the decision had nothing to do with her, and that she thought she was a nice person. “And I left it at that,” Clarke said.
But, the following day, the doctor who owns the practice approached Clarke. That’s when he revealed that the employee who wanted to hang out with Clarke had visited his office “hysterically crying.” The doctor said that the worker felt like Clarke shot her “nasty looks” and was “short with her.”
After some prodding, the doctor admitted that he approached Clarke because he wanted to see the two workers connect. “I was wondering, maybe, if you [could] entertain her and go out with her. It will put all this to bed and she can finally get past this,” Clarke recalled him saying.
Giggling, Clarke said that she nicely explained to the employee why she declined the offer, and told her she didn’t have any problems with her. “But hanging out with co-workers is just something I don’t do,” she said.
Then, she expressed frustration with the doctor for entertaining the other worker’s so-called concerns. Clarke asked, for instance, why he didn’t tell the aggrieved employee that he’s “not by law required to force any employee to hangout with any other employee outside of the office.”
Ultimately, Clarke said that she quit.
“See, what you failed to understand is that I like this job, I don’t need this job,” she said. Clarke went on to explain that she shouldn’t be in a position where she feels forced to “hangout with someone that I don’t want to hangout with.”
In closing, Clarke told viewers that they don’t need to be friends with their co-worker; workers are also under no obligation to share personal information with their colleagues. “Do better,” she said.
In the comments, viewers agreed that not being friends with your co-workers should be more normalized.
“Clock in and clock out boundaries,” one said.
“You are right!!! We go to work to work & not make friends,” another added.
“I block my co-workers on social media too,” a third person admitted.
To be sure, this is not the first time Clarke has gone viral for her takes on workplace etiquette. In April, she raked in views after calling out people who expect front-desk workers to watch their children. In another instance, she told a story about a patient who told her that braids are inappropriate in the workplace.
The Daily Dot has reached out to Clarke via TikTok direct message.
