Have you ever shared your opinion about something you saw someone write online and had the person you were talking to get really defensive?

That’s what happened in this story, and it’s odd that the coworker is taking this so personally when it really has nothing to do with her.

The problem is that her feelings are impacting the workflow.

Let’s read the whole story.

AITA after I expressed my negative opinion on a small local businesses pity-party social media post, and now its affecting our workspace and friendship.

AITA for having this opinion…

(Before I start: Vinnies is a charity op-shop in Australia.)

I can’t show the screenshot, but here’s what the post said:

“I love donating to local raffles, especially schools. However, it’s come to my attention that one of my hats was donated to Vinnies and sold for $6. I have nothing against Vinnies, I shop there myself, but it’s disheartening that someone didn’t appreciate my hat, especially as a small local business. The cost price is much more than $6. Please re-gift or give it to a friend if you don’t like it. I put my heart and soul into my work. I’m glad it was a friend who got the bargain!”

Coworkers debated the post.

I thought the post was an overreaction and that putting something like that on a business page looked unprofessional. Giving shouldn’t be conditional, and at least the raffle winner donated the hat to charity rather than flipping it online for profit.

At work, we were talking about it (we all live locally and follow the same small businesses, but none of us know this owner personally).

My friend/co-worker got really defensive, saying I was the one overreacting and that the business owner had every right to feel hurt and should still have a say how her product is used. She said it must sting to see your handmade product treated like trash.

I replied, “Honestly, they could’ve just thrown it out. Isn’t donating it better?”

The coworker is taking this really personally.

She got flustered and said people are so disrespectful these days, you see handmade blankets and inscribed books dumped at op-shops, and it’s disgusting.

Since then, she hasn’t spoken to me, not in person, text, or our group chat, for almost 24 hours.

Another co-worker asked if something was wrong, and she apparently said she’s “working on keeping toxic people out of her life”

If she wants to end the friendship over something this trivial, fine.

But it’s not just the end of a friendship.

But it’s already affecting work.

We have a workflow chain: her section handles files before they come to me or one other staff member for finalisation. Because the files are medical/legal, they’re assigned via one-time codes only accessible to the designated person.

Usually, assignments are split evenly based on workload. Everyone can see how many open files we each have. I currently have fewer, yet since our disagreement she hasn’t assigned me a single file.

The other co-worker has spoken to her about it today, and she brushed them off, so we may have to bring it to our manager or HR, since it’s already affecting workflow.

The coworker is being ridiculous. Was it her custom made hat? I don’t see why she’s taking this so personally and letting it affect the workflow.

Let’s see how Reddit reacted to this story.

It really is ridiculous.

I was wondering the same thing.

She is being very unprofessional.

This is probably why the coworker is upset.

She needs to get over it.

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