I'm at a small company, and as you know, salaries are what they are, so I do freelance work on weekends. I shared this with a colleague I trust a lot, but I found out that they told my boss. Now my boss won't look me in the face and is subtly throwing shade. Should I confront my colleague, or just handle the situation without making it a big deal? Honestly, I don't know what to do.
I can say I experienced the same situation. A colleague at my workplace told our boss that I was not making enough money and tried to explain that I was trying to grow my own job. I confronted him directly and never trusted him again. I think you should also talk openly, otherwise it will just grow in your head.
I would say talk directly to your friend. But take it easy, first learn why they said it. Maybe their intentions weren't bad, but the result turned out poorly. You can continue based on that, but let it out, you know.
I don't think you should feel so bad now. Some people do things like this to impress the boss, but maybe the boss was already looking for something in you, and this was just an excuse. Still, I would say to solve it openly.
As you said, I talked to my friend yesterday. He said, 'Boss, it seems like you know about your tasks; I didn't say it outright, but I hinted at it.' He didn't directly confess, of course, but I had a pointless glimmer of hope. Patience 🫢
The boss's attitude could cause problems if it affects your workplace performance by implying that you should "take on extra work." But the real issue is that it breaks your coworker's trust. In such cases, distrust complicates the work environment; it would be beneficial to maintain your distance from that person.
But why did you share it from the start? The workplace is not an area for that, especially not during this time. Unfortunately, people think about their own interests. Now you’re upset, but let this be a lesson; is there anything we can say that will make a difference now...
