Seeking Advice: Navigating a Delicate Workplace Situation

Dear Society Members,

I hope this message finds you well. I am writing to seek your advice on a situation that has recently developed at my workplace, which I find both confusing and potentially problematic.

A new colleague, Victoria, joined our team last week. We had a few casual conversations which I believed were typical introductory talks. However, during one of these conversations, Victoria made a surprising comment about my personal life. She mentioned that she believes my wife, Gianna, does not appreciate me enough. This comment was unexpected and made me quite uncomfortable, as my personal relationships are something I consider private and prefer not to discuss at work.

Following this, Victoria invited me to go for a walk after work. I was taken aback but decided to accept her invitation, thinking it might be an opportunity to clarify my boundaries and understand her intentions better. The walk was pleasant, but I remained cautious about sharing personal details.

I am now unsure how to proceed. I value maintaining professionalism at my workplace and do not want to encourage personal discussions that make me uncomfortable. However, I also do not want to create tension or discomfort with a new colleague.

Could you please share your thoughts on how I should handle this situation? Should I address Victoria’s comment and my discomfort directly, or should I try to subtly steer our future interactions towards more professional topics? Any advice on maintaining a healthy boundary in this scenario would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your time and guidance.

Warm regards,

Bruce