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Business and Social Etiquette Expert: Syndi Seid
Does inviting some co-workers to dinner exclude others?
Q: I love to entertain at home. I have a new job and want to invite my boss and a couple of others to dinner. Do I try to keep this a secret from the other employees so they don't feel left out?
A: What you do after work and in the privacy of your own home is not anything you need to tell anyone. Naturally you will want to be discreet about it, especially since you are choosing not to invite the entire staff. You may also want to alert your other guests to be discreet as well.
Being discreet doesn't mean you are keeping secrets or should lie about anything. It is a form of modesty not to broadcast your personal activities throughout the company. Should anyone ask afterwards, you could say, "Please forgive me, my intentions were never to exclude anyone, but the truth is my apartment and table only seats a limited number of guests. I wish I had a bigger apartment to accommodate the entire staff."
Being discreet doesn't mean you are keeping secrets or should lie about anything. It is a form of modesty not to broadcast your personal activities throughout the company. Should anyone ask afterwards, you could say, "Please forgive me, my intentions were never to exclude anyone, but the truth is my apartment and table only seats a limited number of guests. I wish I had a bigger apartment to accommodate the entire staff."
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