Coworker reports colleague to HR for 'being too quiet,' complains they don't make enough small talk: 'So this is about me not chatting enough?'

Should you get reprimanded for not talking enough at work?

Every workplace has different expectations. In some cases, socializing is a huge part of the job. This is true in positions like sales, where your relationships with clients are the most important part of your role. If you're not chopping it up with everyone on a daily basis, then you're doing it wrong. But in other jobs, talking too much can be seen as a distraction. If you have an independent job that requires a lot of focus and attention, then spending too much time socializing might be seen as slacking off. It depends on the role, and it depends on the environment. No one should be punished for their personality, though. Hopefully, you've found a job that suits your natural personality, and you can shine in it. But what if your boss called you out for being who you are? 

There are some things that are fundamentally hard to change about ourselves. If you're someone with a big personality, you probably don't take kindly to someone telling you that you're "too much." If you're someone who tends to keep to yourself and doesn't go out of your way to make small talk, then you probably hate when people call you "quiet." In either case, you're just being you and you don't need anyone to make you feel bad about it. That's what this HR rep did, though, in what must have been a slow week for HR issues.