SavvySugar

Your Two Cents: Do You Invite Co-Workers to Your Parties?

SavvySugar — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 14:45:33 -0700

Including co-workers and your boss in your wedding day can be a sensitive subject. Inviting friends you've made at work who also serve as friends outside of the workplace seems like the right choice, but it can still be dicey and cause hurt feelings. On this week's The Office, the entire branch road trips to Niagara Falls to attend Pam and Jim's nuptials. It's sweet and fitting, considering the crew has watched the lovebirds go from co-workers to an expectant couple, but plenty of awkward scenes ensue (including a particularly uncomfortable scene when boss Michael Scott riffs about safe sex at the rehearsal dinner).

Do your office mates make your party guest lists, or do you keep your personal and professional party lives completely separate?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Relating to the Office: Raise Talk Isn't Easy For Anyone

SavvySugar — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:00:26 -0700

On this week's episode of The Office corporate alerts Jim and Michael that there won't be funds to give everyone a raise and the co-managers are tasked with telling the team the crushing news.

Jim makes his first big call by announcing only the salespeople will receive raises. This immediately insights panic and questions from the ranks. While Jim and Michael feel the pressure to make everyone happy, the crew is understandably upset by the news and quick to jump on Dwight's revolt train. They even snoop in on Jim and Michael's bizarre promotion based on photos and beans project in the conference room.

It's a whole mess of silliness, but an unorthodox reminder that talking about raises with co-workers can get hairy, and isn't easy for employers or employees. Do you discuss raises openly with people at your workplace, or is money talk kept behind closed doors?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Would You Scratch Your Wedding Plans For City Hall?

SavvySugar — Fri, 08 May 2009 12:00:22 -0700

Pam and Jim nearly got married on last night's episode of The Office. The headache of wedding planning, not to mention the expense of having a big wedding, caused them to seriously consider heading to the courthouse to get married after work. In the end, the adorable couple decides to proceed with a "real wedding" - they couldn't actually rob us of witnessing their wedding magic, after all. Watch giddy Jim and Pam talk about their plans for a spontaneous city-hall wedding, and then tell me, would you scratch a big wedding for an intimate one at city hall?

I'm Asking: What Do You Wear to Work on Fridays?

SavvySugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 10:40:16 -0700

Casual Friday is reinstituted at Dunder-Mifflin on last night's episode of The Office, now that Michael is back in charge. Angela hates it because she thinks everyone looks inappropriate, and is especially bent out of shape about Oscar's sandals. Michael's interpretation of casual Friday is a hoodie, t-shirt, and jeans, Pam and Phyllis show up in the same khaki pants and purple plaid shirt, Meredith rocks a skimpy tube dress (with no underwear), and Kelly shows off her street style in overalls, metallic boots, and a hat.

What's your typical work attire on Fridays?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Have You Tried Getting a Part-Time Job Like Pam Beesly?

SavvySugar — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 10:30:52 -0700

The Michael Scott Paper Company comes to terms with its goose-egg finances on last night's episode of The Office, but Pam is worried about her personal finances, too. She looks at Michael and says, "Want to hear something sad? So, Jim and I are getting married, and the wedding is really expensive, so I tried to get a job on the weekend to earn extra money. I applied to Old Navy, Target, and Wal-Mart, and none of them called me back. Not even for an interview." Have you been looking for part-time work like Pam?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Did You Ever Have to Follow a Dress Code You Despised?

SavvySugar — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:30:00 -0700

Dwight calls Dunder-Mifflin's new dress code a death sentence on last night's episode of The Office. He can no longer wear the short-sleeved button-downs that he wore with a tie every day, and he can't stop tugging at the long sleeves he's now forced to wear. Check out the clip below of Dwight having a fit and then tell me, was there ever a dress code that you despised?

Do You Make Personal Calls in Your Co-Workers' Presence?

SavvySugar — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:30:58 -0700

The Michael Scott Paper Company moved into its 165-square-foot headquarters on last night's episode of The Office, leaving Michael, Pam, and Comeback Ryan without any personal space. With no doors to close for privacy, the three colleagues adopt different corners of the office and have plenty of time to make calls because there's no work to do. Quarters are so close that Pam blatantly hears Micheal tell his mom, "P is being a B," and Ryan tells his friend, "Pam would be a six in New York, but she's a seven because it's Scranton."

I sincerely hope none of you have similar office conditions, but I know square footage doesn't matter much when everyone is sitting so close to each other, anyway. Do you make personal calls in your co-workers' presence? Do your co-workers make them in front of you?

Have You Ever Met Your Replacement?

SavvySugar — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 09:30:06 -0700

In last night's episode of The Office Michael faces the repercussions of giving his two weeks notice. Namely, realizing other local paper suppliers have shut down, the job market is terrible, he has no idea what websites to use to look for listings and no concept of what it takes to start his own company.

At the very beginning of the episode, Michael chit chats with a man applying for his job, which reminded me how awkward it is to meet the person who is hired to fill your shoes. I had the fortune of leaving my last job on a good note and actually spent a week training the new hire, but there was something uncomfortable about passing a job I had decided to move on from to another person. Have you ever met the person who took your position?

Photo courtesy of NBC

I'm Asking: Do You Eat in the Lunchroom?

SavvySugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 04:30:51 -0700

Just as the kitchen is the natural epicenter of a dinner party, the lunchroom is a common bonding place in the office. It's a neutral locale to chitchat with co-workers you don't know well about real world topics - such as your March Madness pool or last night's TV lineup.

Even if you don't have time to take an hour long break, sitting down in the lunchroom allows you to remove yourself from your workload, keep salad spills off your desk and open yourself up to conversations with your colleagues. Do you ever eat in a common area at work?

Photo courtesy of NBC

Does Your Office Celebrate Employee Anniversaries?

SavvySugar — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 09:30:07 -0700

In last night's episode of the The Office the Party Planning Committee plots a 15-year anniversary celebration for Michael, while he sweats having the new vice president, Charles, in his hair.

After Charles suggests the committee and the idea for Michael's party are a colossal waste of office time, Michael heads to corporate to complain about the being managed and the loss of his figs (a crucial part of his fete, naturally).

As always, Michael is out of touch with what he has earned, but the tradition of celebrating employee anniversaries isn't reserved to the wacky antics at Dunder Mifflin - it's a common morale booster in many offices. Does your workplace celebrate or acknowledge your commitment to the company yearly on your big day?

Photo courtesy of NBC