Is Crying at Work Ever Okay?
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It's emotions, especially in a workplace setting where you're expected to bottle up everything and present this cardboard, 2-dimensional version of yourself. Sometimes people crack under whatever mounting pressures they're facing and that's perfectly normal. I've seen a 60+-year old man, who was a kind, gentle 40-year company loyal stalwart, sobbing one evening because the new 30-something director was a complete jackass. It was one of the most heartbreaking things i've seen.
A couple years ago, i was having a nervous breakdown due to marriage and other stuff going on and was pretty deep into a depression. A coworker noticed it, because he went through it before and saw all the tell-tale signs. This is a macho, man's man type guy and when he pulled me aside in a conference room to talk it out with me. I eventually told him I contemplated suicide a few days ago and was down by the subway station at lunch just summing up the courage to jump. He had tears in his eyes, as did I.
That said, don't cry everyday and don't make a spectacle out of it.
A couple years ago, i was having a nervous breakdown due to marriage and other stuff going on and was pretty deep into a depression. A coworker noticed it, because he went through it before and saw all the tell-tale signs. This is a macho, man's man type guy and when he pulled me aside in a conference room to talk it out with me. I eventually told him I contemplated suicide a few days ago and was down by the subway station at lunch just summing up the courage to jump. He had tears in his eyes, as did I.
That said, don't cry everyday and don't make a spectacle out of it.
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awfulwaffle
Registered User
Someone came up to me and told me a friend of mine that I was desperately trying to get ahold as she was off the grid for 2 weeks told me she was in a car accident and was in the hospital. She was paralyzed from the waist down and was basically in a full body cast.
So yes, I started to cry.
So yes, I started to cry.
Sweetpotato
Registered User
I had an associate of mine cry because she had to sweep the floor, and promptly quit because she thought she would be watering plants and not helping customers or sweeping. (Yes we were thorough setting expectations during interviews)
I've had other employees cry because they got the news by phone call that a loved one had suddenly died.
It depends.
I can't say I've ever been pushed that far or gotten that news to elicit that response personally.
I've had other employees cry because they got the news by phone call that a loved one had suddenly died.
It depends.
I can't say I've ever been pushed that far or gotten that news to elicit that response personally.
Nathaniel Skywalker
DIG IN!!! RiGHT NOW!!!
- Oct 18, 2013
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One time when I was getting a burger the girl at the drive-thru broke down and started crying just as I was about to pay. That was really awkward.
WeWantTacos
they said aw-reety an' they was aw-righty
crying at work is the best place to cry. you get to deal with your existential crisis while still getting paid. 
I have cried at work. I work in an emergency department at a hospital. It would have been five years ago now and we had a four year old boy get rushed in by ambulance because his parents found him downed in their pool. I did CPR on him for 45 minutes. My son was four at the time as well. When the doctor was going to pronounce them as dead they brought the parents in the room to see. Once they broke down we all broke down crying.
Toughest part about that all is you have to move on to the next patient and attempt to act as if everything is ok. They don’t know what else is happening in the emergency department.
Toughest part about that all is you have to move on to the next patient and attempt to act as if everything is ok. They don’t know what else is happening in the emergency department.
