My Boss Wanted To Know If The Picture On My Desk Was My Boyfriend

[Treacle71]

I have a small picture of a firefighter cut out from a newspaper on my desk and my boss asked me the above. A little forward or what?

[barry1010]

Perfectly normal office chitchat

[Sinead_O]

I would say it's highly unusual in a workplace to have small cut-out news photo of a firefighter placed on a desk, and likely to attract questions from others, wanted or unwanted.  Would have you thought it as 'forward' if he'd asked, 'Is that your grandson'?  Sounds like friendly conversation to me.

[Cloverjo]

To be honest, Treacle, it's a little strange to have a framed newspaper clipping of some random man on your desk. 

[naomi24]

Not at all.  Just chat.  Just out of interest why do you have a picture of a stranger on your desk?

[douglas9401]

If he was a little forward he'd be a footballer.

[Ken4155]

^

Possibly on the wing, Doug, small 'uns are quite nippy.

[douglas9401]

On the 'ead mate!

[johnk]

This is something they did, maybe still do, in the US to ward off unwanted advances from male colleagues

[Treacle71]

I think this is partly why I did it, johnk.  Plus, the picture was in no way framed.  I just cut it out of a newspaper and stuck it on the wall where I sit, so my boss obviously saw it.  The pic is only 9cm x 6cm.  He obviously had a sharp eye and our office is full of people's pictures anyway.

[rockyracoon]

Putting a picture up at work is going to invite questions. If you don't want to be asked about something don't encourage it.

[newmodarmy]

So you want people to see it (as per johnk's post) but you don't want people to ask or comment on it?

Maybe put a post-it on it saying 'please don't ask'

[rowanwitch]

Put a post-it saying it's just a fireman... I like fireman.... 

[Treacle71]

Good one, rowanwitch.

 

[smurfchops]

Why have the photo up in the first place?  Of course it will encourage questions.