Is it normal that my colleagues are so off with each other and me?
So I started a new job 2 months ago and the place is really odd. Now, we are a small subsidiary office of 15 people but I find the whole atmosphere to be truly bizarre. No one speaks to each other over than to say hi and bye at the end of the day – so 9 hours of virtual silence. No one seems to give a crap about each other either. For example, a lady worked here for 3 years, and although I worked with her for only a month, I got her a small cake. Everyone else just passed a crappy cheap card around. She was so happy to get this crappy cake, I felt awful that this is the kind of place I work in where no one seems to care about each other, or even interact with small talk.
People seem to have a negative impression of me, I tried getting a box of dougnuts one Friday to try and socialise a little, get people geared for the weekend.. but although they are happy to eat them, no one ever repays thanks, or buys anything so I gave up. I even got special nut free ones for someone who I managed to find out from them they have allergies.
I know it sounds like I tried too hard, but I am just trying to make the place more bearable, or at least have SOME rapport. People do not even go to a bar once in a while, or even go for lunch together. These are people 20-40 years old, I just don’t understand it. Is it normal for an office to be like this? I must be the asshole or all people here are just off and weird.