This is why I can’t work in an office. The last one I worked in, people kept waking up to chat “for a sec”, when it took at least 10 minutes regardless of the inquiry.
Just as I’m starting to get myself back into my workflow… “Hey, you got a sec?”
Sure, looks like I’m not going to get anything fucking done today, so why the fuck not. The only people I’m disappointing is the employer. I can have a chat. It’s fine. Not like this will negatively affect my ongoing employment.
The shitty part to those workplaces is that chitchat often helps your employment more than actually doing work. Likeable people get promoted, effective workers stay where they’re at.
That’s a terrible workplace culture, but it’s fairly common.
I will say that the support I got from co-workers when I was no longer working there. I got a number of messages about how disappointed they were about losing me from the team, etc.
None of that helped me find new employment, nor did it help me move up while I was there, but I was well liked.