Pet names aren’t for the office, love.

The widespread use of pet names in this country has always puzzled me. You just don’t hear Americans calling each other ‘babe’ and ‘dearie’ – outside of Texas or a seedy bar, that is.

The occasional ‘love’ and ‘darlin’’ still catch me off guard here, even though I’ve almost come to expect them sometimes. Cabbies and shouting market stall owners rarely disappoint with their “Where to then, love?” and “A punnet of strawberries, darlin’?”.

But one place I don’t expect to hear pet names is in the office. And it turns out a lot of working women agree. A recent survey by Onepoll.com found that female office employees hate the use of pet names in the office, more than 75 per cent saying they’re ‘unacceptable’ at work. Office pet names conjured up feelings of anger and degradation amongst the women, as they’re thought to be patronising, overly friendly and condescending.

Women aren’t the only ones who dislike pet names. It drives one of my male colleagues up the wall when someone calls him ‘mate’, for example. He wholeheartedly agrees that pet names are unprofessional and have no place in the office.

So we’d like to know what you think. Should pet names ever be used in the office? Or are they only acceptable in certain situations?

Top 10 hated office pet names from Onepoll.com’s survey

1.    Babe
2.    Love
3.    Hun
4.    Mate
5.    Chick / chicken
6.    Kiddo
7.    Darlin'
8.    Pet
9.    Poppet
10. My Dear

Comment

Comments

trish
(04 January 2010)

I think if someone calls any of the above, it is a term of endearment especially if that person is someone who you have worked with for a few years, it shows that they are comfortable around you.

Helena
(28 January 2010)

I used to work with someone who used to call me kiddo, but only if he was in a great mood, or by way of a subtle apology if he knew he was in the wrong but wouldn't admit it, so I really apprecited the informality. I appreciate consistent use of some of the above is irritating but only when people use them indiscriminately regardless of the relationship level. Some people can call me e.g. kiddo and I'll find it reassuring that we are comfortable around each other, but someone else might call me the same thing and it might drive me nuts because perhaps we don't get on so/very/at all well! You have to use your judgment with pet names, and if in doubt don't use them at all!

Martin
(25 March 2011)

I work in an office environment where the GM's PA calls everyone lovey, baby, honey, etc... We have no family connection, we have no relationship other than professional! As a man in a stable relationship with a woman that has the right call me by pet names I find the use in the work place by a "stranger" degrading and intrusive. Unless one has a history of social interaction outside of the office and uses discretion I consider the use of pet names to be inapropriate and unprofessional.

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