Imagine being stopped by a coworker who offered to give you some advice. Would you listen to their advice with an open mind, or would you immediately put them in their place for trying to give you advice when they’re just a coworker and not a supervisor?

In this story, one employee is in this situation, and she makes it very clear to her coworker that she is not going to take her advice. Now, she’s wondering if she was too harsh.

Keep reading for all the details.

AITA for telling a coworker “are you my supervisor or superior? Then I don’t need your opinion”

I fairly new in a position that I live where I work. I show up on time, leave on time and doing all my tasks I’m supposed.

My office is at most a two minute walk from my apartment. Because of this I can get back from the gym less than an hour before I need to be in office and be ready and in my office at the start time.

I should also note it’s summer where I’m at and I live in place where it’s unbearable hot out at this time. Because of this, when I go home for lunch I change into work out clothes to take my dog out and then change back before I go to work.

A coworker gave some unsolicited advice.

Yesterday, a coworker who is the same position/level as me confronted me and said “hi I just wanted to make some suggestions on how to be more successful here.”

I had no idea where she was going with this but I already was internally rolling my eyes because this person in particular is quite known for not being professional and it is commonly known the only reason she hasn’t been fired is because we are short staffed.

Anyways I asked what she meant and she said, “well you are always wearing plain clothes right before work, right after work and even at lunch. Like I know you aren’t on the clock but, it just doesn’t look appropriate or professional looking that so close to working hours. People might get the wrong Idea.”

She made it clear she was not going to listen to the coworker’s advice.

I asked her. “Are you my supervisor or my superior? No? Then I don’t need your opinion on what I do on my own time.”

She replied. “You don’t need to be a jerk. I’m just trying to help you.”

I said, “I don’t need your help.” And walked away.

Later that day, another coworker mentioned that the co worker in question would be late to the office because they had a traumatic experience earlier and needed to collect themselves.

Am I really the jerk here?

Was what she said the coworker’s “traumatic experience”? If so, the coworker sounds really sensitive. She should’ve minded her own business.

Let’s see how Reddit responded to this story.

Here’s a suggestion to talk to HR before the coworker does.

She should’ve minded her own business.

The coworker is obviously very sensitive.

But one person thinks she needs to learn to be polite.

Nobody likes unsolicited advice.

If you enjoyed that story, read this one about a mom who was forced to bring her three kids with her to apply for government benefits, but ended up getting the job of her dreams.