When is Authenticity at Work Just Oversharing?

Authenticity at Work: Where Does It Cross Into Oversharing?

Half of UK workers find oversharing annoying — but many would leave if they couldn't be themselves. Where's the line? This episode unpacks it. Listen now.

"Bring your whole self to work" sounds positive until you're sitting next to someone describing their UTI in graphic detail. Authenticity at work genuinely matters — research shows workers would consider leaving a company where they couldn't be themselves — but a poll of 1,000 UK workers found half find it annoying when colleagues overshare.

In this episode, Claire and Sarah work through where authenticity ends and oversharing begins, why early-career employees struggle most with the line, how managers face a harder version of the same challenge, and what to do when someone's oversharing is affecting the team.

• Authenticity and oversharing exist on a spectrum. The difference is usually context, relationship depth, and whether the other person has any real choice in receiving the information.
• "Bring your whole self to work" doesn't mean share everything. It means people shouldn't feel they have to hide who they are. There's a meaningful difference between those two things.
• Oversharing tends to involve negativity, not detail. Sharing graphic medical information or divisive political views triggers friction. Describing a holiday in detail, less so.
• Managers face a harder version of this challenge. Oversharing at a senior level — especially about internal debates or strategy — can unsettle the whole team in ways that peer oversharing doesn't.
• The line varies by workplace culture. Someone moving from a start-up to a corporate will feel the shift. Part of starting somewhere new is reading what professional means in this environment.
• If oversharing is affecting the team, address it informally first. Most people aren't aware they're doing it. A direct, empathetic conversation is more effective than any policy.
• Sometimes it's a personality clash, not a conduct issue. Know the difference before escalating to a formal process.

• [00:02] Is "bring your whole self" good advice?
• [01:56] Early-career employees finding the line
• [04:46] Crying at work and personal disclosure
• [06:09] When oversharing affects team dynamics
• [09:33] Medical info, politics and what crosses the line
• [12:09] How workplace culture sets the standard
• [15:22] Leaders oversharing: a different risk
• [17:36] How managers and HR should respond

Resources

1. People Management poll — 50% of UK workers find colleague oversharing annoying: peoplemanagement.co.uk

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