The primary objective of this paper is to suggest that researchers on workplace learning avoid an isolated learning discourse. The point at issue is that being a learner is just one aspect of people's sometimes complicated lives in the workplace, and that people may sometimes--for good reasons--resist a learning discourse if it is linked excessively to the educational system, management or researcher processes. It is suggested that associating learning excessively to a learner identity is problematic. A more comprehensive situated perspective on workplace learning may assist in understanding the different and sometimes conflicting aspects of learning situations in the workplace. The paper is based on recent literature on situated learning with a particular focus on workplace learning studies.