Staff Member V Colleague

[MWG14]

Have you noticed how colleague has become in new ‘in’ word. What happened to good old fashioned staff member or member of staff?

[fourteen85]

I think they are trying to give the impression of matey matey rather than you work for me and Im in charge

[fiction-factory]

Where I worked 20 years ago term used the term colleague. It was away of saying we value you as a member of our organisation, everyone plays an important part, we are all in it together- before they outsourced your job to India or cut back your Ts&Cs while the senior execs gave themselves huge bonuses. I think ASDA were using the term then as well.

[bhg481]

I always felt that renaming "Personnel" to "Human Resources" de-humanised the workforce; maybe they're trying to reverse that.

[dannyk13]

Staff member works for some professions, e.g teachers, but for most blue collar jobs the more apt expression is work colleague.

[Old_Geezer]

Don't mind that so much when used correctly, but I do object to signs telling me to, for example, speak to a colleague. I don't work for your company, I don't have any colleagues here !

[barry1010]

Always been colleagues for me - I started work in the 70s. I work with my colleagues, my employers have staff.

[hellywelly4]

Team member is another one.

[woofgang]

I have been retired for almost 13 years now and we used colleague and team member well before I retired. Staff member or member of staff was reserved for formal use...ie documents, formal meetings and so on. For me as a manager, I would use colleague when I wanted to imply equality and team member when I was speaking as the leader of the team.

[zebo]

I detest seeing 'coworker', I expect them to moo, at least write it as co-worker!

[Peter Pedant]

colleague is same grade

I wdnt say to a Tesco mgr - your colleague and point at the Rwandan sweeping the floor .....

[woofgang]

oh I would.....

[bhg481]

Oh, I would. You've got no sense of mischief, Peter.

[ummmm]

Colleague to me is someone I work with. They're not my friend except at work.

[MWG14]

I just think that 'this is a colleague announcement' doesn't sound quite right over the tannoy.