Family & Friends
1 mo

How do I distance myself from a coworker friend without seeming rude?

Basically, I’ve been keeping my distance from this women because there have been quite a few things over time that have changed how I feel about her. It isn’t one particular incident, it’s a build-up of things, especially things involving her relationships and the way she’s handled certain situations with her children. I’ve also come to feel that she can be quite a user. I often feel like she looks for sympathy, attention or help from people when it suits her, but doesn’t always give the same back. I also find her quite lazy and feel like she expects other people to pick up the slack for her. She’s also constantly off sick from work, which has added to my frustration with her.

I’m on maternity leave at the moment, but we work together, so I’ll inevitably have to see her again when I go back, and I sometimes see her around town too. I’m happy to be civil and say hello, but I don’t want to be close friends anymore or have her heavily involved in my life or around my daughter.

I don’t want a massive confrontation or falling out because I know that would just create more stress. I’d rather quietly step back and keep her at arm’s length. She’s started messaging me again recently, but I don’t feel any need to rush to reply or go back to how things were. I’m not trying to be nasty; I just don’t want to pretend everything is fine when I don’t feel that way anymore.
Updates
1 mo
she's done a lot of shitty things to people but manages to come out the victim everytime. Now she's done something thats so against my values and I don’t want her around me and especially my daughter
Updates
1 mo
I waited two days to reply as she's never in a rush to reply to me. She text saying "Hey how's it going " I've just said "good thanks super busy with felicity, hope your well" just keeping it civil. Hope she doesn't ask to meet up
How do I distance myself from a coworker friend without seeming rude?
Post Opinion