Why does my coworker try to include me?

[Anonymous]

I’ve been an outcast at work from the very beginning. No one made an effort to talk to me and most people seemed to dislike me from the very beginning. Recently however a few coworkers suggested I should join them for lunch etc. Why do they all of a sudden want to see me? I’ve been there for over a year now and no one cared until now. I don’t do an excellent job, in fact my current tasks are super boring and not challenging so it’s not that I impressed someone

[Oliverlogan263]

That's a really weird situation, I don't know what's up with your coworkers all of a sudden wanting to include you. I have a couple guesses though:

1. Maybe your boss or someone higher up said they want everyone to get along better as a team. So the others are trying harder just to look good, not because they actually like you.

2. Possibly they realized how rude they were being by ignoring you for so long. Now they feel bad and want to make up for it, even if they don't really see you as a friend.

3. It could be they need a favor from you for something work-related coming up. So they're buttering you up so you'll agree to help them out later on.

4. One of the more popular coworkers may have said something to the others about not leaving you out anymore. Now they're all following their lead to seem nice.

I'd be reluctant to trust them fully since they've been so cold before. But going to lunch might give you a chance to see what's really up. Just play it cool and don't get your hopes up until you know their motives. Maybe they'll surprise you - but stay guarded for now. Let me know if anything weird happens!

[Anonymous]

Because inclusion is very important in the work force they want to include you. Maybe they see you're lonely also and don't think you're terrible. I'll warn you tho don't get sloppy drunk around them they will talk about you

[Opinion Owner]

But I also could be wrong if it's been a year then they might want to be nosy

[Asker]

Yeah. I mean they were excluding me for a year and now one of them wants to make me part do the team? I don’t know

[Opinion Owner]

It could be fishy. It's up to you