Every year, more and more people are getting their first office jobs. And every year, those who have worked in offices are finding that these new employees don’t necessarily have the best office etiquette.
So what are some of the things these new employees do? And why shouldn’t they do it? Here are ten things you should never do in an office setting.
1) Eating food that smells
Your leftover fish from last night’s dinner may taste wonderful, but it smells like fish. In an office setting, no one wants to smell your fish.
2) Using speaker phone in an open plan office
Your cubicle is your cubicle, this is true. But if you’re right next to a coworker who can hear both sides of the conversation with ease, you should probably not be on speaker phone.
3) Whistling/singing at their desk
Yes, we all love “Bohemian Rhapsody,” but Queen sings that song, not you. Let’s keep it that way.
4) Organizing pointless meetings
There is nothing worse than pointless meetings. If there is nothing important to say in a meeting, don’t organize one. We all have better things to do with our time than come to a meeting where nothing is discussed.
5) Hit on your boss/coworker/employee
Office romance is never a good thing. If a breakup goes badly or there is trouble at home, it’s awkward for everyone at the office. Your coworker may be a Greek god, but your relationship will be awkward for everyone.
6) Being late to meetings so everything has to be discussed again
Not only is this very inconsiderate to the meeting organizer and everyone who was on time, this shows a lack of responsibility. If you are running late to a meeting, let someone know ahead of time.
7) Scheduling meetings at lunchtime and not providing food
Lunchtime is when people’s energy levels start to dip. If this is literally the only time you can have this meeting, order sandwiches for everyone. Otherwise you’ll have a pointless meeting on your hands because everyone has checked out.
8) Leaving a mess at their desk or in the lunch room
If you are a naturally messy person, that’s OK! But leave your messes to your home. Your desk and office space are not just yours. They are a reflection of your company. Keep your area clean. The same goes for the lunch room. You may keep your kitchen messy at home, but other people do not. Be considerate and clean up your mess in the lunch room.
9) Take loud personal calls at their desk
No one wants you to be loud at your desk if you can avoid it because it disrupts your coworkers. In general, it is frowned upon to take personal calls during work hours, but sometimes it can’t be avoided. If this is the case, take the call away from your desk.
10) Spend hours on social media
Unless your job title or description involves social media, you should not spend hours on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. There is no reason to be checking your news feed all day when you should be working hard to help make your company grow.
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This is only a small sample of the things people shouldn’t do at work. What else would you add?
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