We have to admit, sometimes the workplace and the office can be a very strange place. There are so many different personalities meshing with each other, or clashing with each other, that the office environment is different than almost any other place. There’s people of all different ages, races, religions and sex interacting with one another every day with roughly the same goals. This alone can make the workplace odd, but there are certain things that some people do in the workplace that can make us feel uncomfortable, angry, vulnerable and less productive. In order to avoid being one of those people, perhaps you should check out this list of things you should absolutely never do in the office.
Picking your nose or playing music on your computer loudly is gross and annoying, respectively, but those are things that can be rectified quick. First off you really shouldn’t be picking your nose period, but please, if you do it just do it in the bathroom where no one else can see you. We’re adults here, not in preschool. Playing music loudly is not only annoying, it’s completely rude. Others are trying to get their work done too and they may not want to do it whilst listening to LMFAO. These are small things that can be easily taken care of. The following are things you should just NEVER do no matter what.
Stealing
It’s not as if all laws and everyday rules are suspended in the workplace. It may be super easy for you to snag a couple packs of pens from the supplies closet and a few pads of paper too. Why not some white out for home? No. This is stealing and even though those supplies are there for your use, they are there for your use in the office. They are not there for you to take home for free. Stealing anything from your workplace is a big no-no and, if you are caught, has serious implications. You can get fired, but you can also get arrested. Now, is that pack of pens or that wireless mouse really that important?
Getting Personal
Of course, everyone has a different work atmosphere and you can’t say what works for one will work for the other. However, no matter what kind of work atmosphere you have you really shouldn’t be sharing your personal issues with the people you work with. That’s not to say that you can’t talk about how annoying your significant other can be at times or that things are a bit rocky here and there, but sharing intimate details about your personal life is never a good idea in the workplace. For one, the person you’re talking to might not even want to hear what you have to say about it. Secondly, whatever you share can come back to bite you in the behind, so keep your personal matters personal.
Blaming Others For Your Mistakes
If you goofed something up on a report and decide to tell your boss that it was so-and-so that did it and not you, you better think again. Doing this is not only immature, but you can lose your job over it as well. On top of that, if your boss finds out that you were lying, which is very likely since the other person will probably be reprimanded for your mistake, you’ll never live it down. You’ll be dubbed a liar, untrustworthy and you probably won’t have many friends in the office.
PDA
Spark News touched on this briefly in our article on how to handle an office romance, but let’s touch on it again. There’s absolutely no reason for you to be kissing in the office or getting touchy-feely with your significant other. It makes others uncomfortable and the office is just not the place for these kinds of interactions. I like to think of the office as a sterile environment where lovey-dovey interactions and intimacy just don’t fit. Save it for outside the office, kids.
Gossip
This is a given, but of course most offices don’t adhere to this unwritten rule. For all intensive purposes, gossip is just a seed for bad feelings and evil in the office. Hearing what so-and-so did to the other so-and-so is tiring and just sparks conflict in the office. Stay out of the gossip and you’ll be free and clear of the issues it sprouts.
Call in Sick Multiple Times When, Ahem, You’re Not Sick
Not only does this give you a really bad reputation as an employee and/or coworker that is unreliable, but it’s really unprofessional. Take a look at our article on when to know when you’re missing too much work and decide whether or not you are really using your “sick” days for the right reasons.
Being Overly Confident
It’s really great if you are the best at what you do- and if you know it. However, when you start to walk around the office like your you-know-what doesn’t stink, it won’t fly so well for others. Be the best at what you do, but be humble about it. Others will start to dislike you and even resent you if you become overly confident in the workplace and undermine their abilities by overpowering your own. Take it easy and revel in your greatness on your own.
Yelling Across the Office
In the office, everyone hates the loud one. Well, not hate but highly dislikes. They’re the annoying centerpiece of the office and most try to avoid being around them. That said, try not to be this person. Everyone has work to do and no one wants to hear everything you are saying or doing. Remember your indoor voice from kindergarten and harness it in the office.
IMAGE: Courtesy of Liquid Television
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