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“HR Looked Just As Confused”: Woman’s Complaint About Not Receiving Wedding Invite Goes Nowhere
Young woman reporting coworker to HR in office setting, discussing a workplace conflict involving a wedding invitation.

“HR Looked Just As Confused”: Woman’s Complaint About Not Receiving Wedding Invite Goes Nowhere

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People don’t invite every single person they know to a wedding. The average wedding usually consists of 100-150 people, according to Wedgwood Weddings. Considering there are two sides of the family, some people usually get left behind the line, extended family and coworkers included.

Yet this particular coworker got so offended when her colleague didn’t invite her to her wedding that she cried discrimination. In an absurd twist of events, HR was involved, and the bride-to-be was forced to explain her reasoning in an official meeting. But do coworkers really qualify to attend one’s wedding if they’re not that much of a close friend?

RELATED:

    A woman faced the wrath of her colleague for not inviting her to her wedding

    Two coworkers engaged in a tense discussion at a desk with laptops, illustrating workplace conflict and HR concerns.

    Image credits: LightFieldStudios / envato (not the actual photo)

    The colleague crossed the line when she went to HR about it

    Text excerpt about coworker reporting to HR for not inviting them to a wedding, highlighting workplace social boundaries.

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    Text excerpt about a wedding invitation misunderstanding leading to a coworker reporting the person to HR.

    Text excerpt discussing a person feeling awkward and later receiving a meeting invite from HR about a coworker issue.

    Text from a report to HR over not inviting a barely known coworker to a paid wedding, causing claims of hostility.

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    Couple kissing at a beach wedding ceremony while guests applaud, illustrating social dynamics and coworker relationships.

    Image credits: Curated Lifestyle / unsplash (not the actual photo)

    Text excerpt about an employee explaining to HR that inviting coworkers to a wedding is not required.

    Text excerpt describing passive-aggressive behavior following a coworker not invited to a wedding, reported to HR.

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    Text on white background showing a person’s reaction to being reported to HR for not inviting a coworker to a wedding.

    Image credits: TraditionalGurSign

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    This is who you should really invite to your wedding

    Bride and groom releasing white balloons at outdoor wedding, guests holding red balloons by the pool during celebration event.

    Image credits: Álvaro CvG / unsplash (not the actual photo)

    Deciding who to invite to your wedding and who to leave out of the picture can be difficult. You don’t want anyone to feel slighted, but, at the same time, you may only want those closest to you to witness your special day.

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    The rules may seem simple: invite who you want. But wedding planners can offer some pointers to make that decision easier. Laetitia “LT” Townson of House of BASH in Atlanta told The Knot that you can judge by how the person makes you feel. “It’s not worth inviting people whom you don’t know well or those who will cause you stress.”

    When it comes to colleagues, consider whether you hang out outside of work. If you only see these people on Zoom or engage in water cooler talk only, they’re probably not worth inviting to your wedding.

    According to Hitched, “unless you’ve known them a long time and they’re super close pals that you spend time with in and out of the workplace, you can scratch colleagues off the invite list and it’s highly likely that no one will bat an eye.” Well, that last part might not be true for everyone – it certainly wasn’t for this woman.

    If you decide not to invite a colleague and they confront you, it’s best to give them a direct answer and explanation. The wedding planners at Cotton & Bow recommend the following scripts: “While I’d love to have you there, we had to make some difficult cuts. It is unfortunately out of my budget to have more than 100 guests.” Or say something like: “My venue doesn’t allow more than 100 guests so we had to keep the guest list small.”

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    If you can’t get along with a coworker, the best strategy is to remain distant

    Two women working on laptops at a wooden table in a modern office, one looks thoughtful while the other types.

    Image credits: Getty Images / unspalsh (not the actual photo)

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    Workplace relationships are a lot like high school: we don’t choose the people we spend the bigger portion of our days with. Luckily, since we’re adults, we can handle difficult workplace relationships with more grace and emotional maturity than we did during our years of high school drama.

    • First, experts recommend trying to empathize with your workplace nemesis. Try to understand the motives and reasons behind their behavior. Maybe they’re just craving friendship and community, and that’s why they want to be invited to your wedding. It doesn’t mean you have to invite them—maybe just engage in conversation every now and again.
    • If they still act passive-aggressively towards you, set firm boundaries. Let them know you’re not interested in friendship if that’s too hard for you. Diane Barth from QZ suggests saying something like: “I’m afraid that I have to get some of my own work done, though, so I can’t stop and talk about it with you right now.”
    • The experts at Walden University recommend bringing awareness to the problem by involving other coworkers or managers. “Often, mistreatment can come from a lack of awareness,” they note. “Your feedback can give your boss or leadership the opportunity to show the rude colleague how they are perceived and possibly motivate them to change their attitude and behavior.”
    • If everything else fails, just focus on yourself. Practice self-care, decompress, and essentially mind your own business. Sometimes, problematic people just aren’t going to change, and we have to accept that.

    The woman invited other coworkers with whom she was close for way longer

    Screenshot of a discussion about reporting a coworker to HR over not inviting them to a wedding.

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    Screenshot of a Reddit conversation discussing a coworker not invited to a wedding, highlighting delusion and HR involvement.

    Most people agreed that the coworker was acting really weird

    Text screenshot of a social media comment questioning the behavior of a coworker reported to HR for a wedding invite issue.

    Screenshot of a Reddit comment describing a rude wedding guest who causes discomfort and takes leftover food and a centerpiece.

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    Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing HR issues related to not inviting a coworker to a wedding and workplace conflicts.

    Screenshot of a Reddit comment about a person reported to HR for not inviting a coworker to a personal event.

    Screenshot of a social media comment discussing a delusional complaint about not inviting a coworker to a wedding.

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    Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing workplace conflict over not inviting a coworker to a wedding.

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    Text post describing a person not offended about not being invited to a coworker’s wedding, related to HR and workplace issues.

    Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a person reported to HR for not inviting a coworker to a wedding.

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    Comment warning about privacy concerns regarding sharing personal life, related to coworker and wedding invitation dispute reported to HR.

    Screenshot of an online comment about HR involvement and delusion in a coworker wedding invitation dispute.

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    Comment discussing reporting unprofessional coworker behavior to human resources in a workplace setting.

    Screenshot of a Reddit comment questioning why HR was involved in a coworker wedding invitation dispute.

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    Screenshot of an online comment discussing a coworker being reported to HR for not inviting another to a wedding.

    Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing HR involvement in not inviting a coworker to a wedding dispute.

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    Screenshot of a comment about HR addressing a coworker not invited to a wedding, highlighting workplace boundaries.

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    Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing workplace entitlement and HR involvement over a social invitation dispute.

    Screenshot of a forum comment advising to document passive-aggressive behavior and report it to HR for unresolved issues.

    Online comment about reporting a coworker to HR over not inviting them to a wedding, workplace conflict.

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    Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing a complaint to HR about not inviting a coworker to a wedding.

    Comment about a hostile working environment after not inviting a coworker to a personal event like a wedding.

    Screenshot of a Reddit comment discussing reporting a coworker to HR over workplace conflicts and microaggressions.

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    Comment on a forum suggesting to report a coworker to HR for creating a hostile work environment with passive aggressive behavior.

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    Screenshot of a forum comment discussing reporting a person to HR for not inviting a coworker to a wedding.

    Text excerpt from a work story about a coworker not invited to a wedding and being reported to HR.

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    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

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    Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

    Read less »
    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Kornelija Viečaitė

    Writer, BoredPanda staff

    Hi there, fellow pandas! As a person (over)educated both in social sciences and literature, I'm most interested in how we connect and behave online (and sometimes in real life too.) The human experience is weird, so I try my best to put its peculiarities in writing. As a person who grew up chronically online, I now try to marry two sides of myself: the one who knows too much about MySpace, and the one who can't settle and needs to see every corner of the world.

    Gabija Palšytė

    Gabija Palšytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

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    Gabija is a photo editor at Bored Panda. Before joining the team, she achieved a Professional Bachelor degree in Photography and has been working as a freelance photographer since. She also has a special place in her heart for film photography, movies and nature.

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    Gabija Palšytė

    Gabija Palšytė

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    Gabija is a photo editor at Bored Panda. Before joining the team, she achieved a Professional Bachelor degree in Photography and has been working as a freelance photographer since. She also has a special place in her heart for film photography, movies and nature.

    Jonas Žvilius

    Jonas Žvilius

    Author, BoredPanda staff

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    In my spare time, I enjoy creating art - both in traditional and digital form, mainly in the form of painting and animation. Other interests include gaming and music. Favorite bands include Swans, The Strokes, The Beatles.

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    Jonas Žvilius

    Jonas Žvilius

    Author, BoredPanda staff

    In my spare time, I enjoy creating art - both in traditional and digital form, mainly in the form of painting and animation. Other interests include gaming and music. Favorite bands include Swans, The Strokes, The Beatles.

    What do you think ?
    Nils Skirnir
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was always happy when I wasn’t invited to weddings. They generally suck.

    Mike F
    Community Member
    4 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unless they're Polish or Italian. 😋

    Load More Replies...
    Emilu
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I could understand her being a bit hurt if she was the only one if the office that wasn't invited or something, but to involve HR? For 'discrimination'? Just... no. And the added sniping and whatnot by the coworker afterward just confirms OP made the right choice.

    WindySwede
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe this is similar to how some men divorce theis wifes, just because some girl at gym talks to him? And then it turns out not that way...?

    Load More Replies...
    Sarah
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She has issues which will become even more apparent. HR , I trust has already seen It from her complaint. People like her will dig themselves into a hole . I’d hold back going back to HR to soon- look like tittle tattle. Keep notes and dates because that’s what you’ll be asked when you or others complain later

    arthbach
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sarah, I wouldn't raise a complaint with HR. However, I'd might well pop in for a little chat, and ask their advice on how to handle such a situation (no names given). :oD

    Load More Replies...
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    Nils Skirnir
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was always happy when I wasn’t invited to weddings. They generally suck.

    Mike F
    Community Member
    4 months ago (edited) Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Unless they're Polish or Italian. 😋

    Load More Replies...
    Emilu
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I could understand her being a bit hurt if she was the only one if the office that wasn't invited or something, but to involve HR? For 'discrimination'? Just... no. And the added sniping and whatnot by the coworker afterward just confirms OP made the right choice.

    WindySwede
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Maybe this is similar to how some men divorce theis wifes, just because some girl at gym talks to him? And then it turns out not that way...?

    Load More Replies...
    Sarah
    Community Member
    4 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    She has issues which will become even more apparent. HR , I trust has already seen It from her complaint. People like her will dig themselves into a hole . I’d hold back going back to HR to soon- look like tittle tattle. Keep notes and dates because that’s what you’ll be asked when you or others complain later

    arthbach
    Community Member
    3 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sarah, I wouldn't raise a complaint with HR. However, I'd might well pop in for a little chat, and ask their advice on how to handle such a situation (no names given). :oD

    Load More Replies...
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