It is important to be conscious of your behavior in the workplace to remain professional. However, as the workplace becomes more casual, these lines can become blurred. As long as you remember the following 19 things you should never do at work, you should be just fine.
Take angry, personal phone calls
There is a time and place for important personal phone calls, particularly if you have a family, but they should be limited and civil. Your work colleagues should not be subject to any family disagreements you may have, so if you do have a negative phone call to make, take it elsewhere.
Send emails you wouldn’t want your boss to see
Always assume that your boss can read your emails, as sending offensive or gossipy emails could easily go wrong. Never assume your email is private because there is always a risk that the email may be forwarded. You could even make a Freudian slip and accidentally email it directly to your boss!
Gossip about coworkers
Although coworkers can be frustrating at times, they can’t be avoided and are the individuals we spend the most time with. Gossiping about coworkers could not only get back to them, but it typically makes you look bad. Remember, you never know who you can trust.
Spend hours on social media
We’re all guilty of an occasional secret scroll during work; in fact, Legalo discovered that 40% of employees check social media throughout the day. However, spending hours doing so dramatically reduces productivity. You are paid to work, so focusing your time elsewhere is a fast-track way to get fired.
Lie
It’s usually harmless to tell a little white lie, but lying on the job causes your boss and colleagues to lose trust in you. While a lie may make you look better in the short term, it will have a negative impact on your reputation in the long term if you’re found out.
Work when sick
It’s always difficult to take a sick day, particularly when we don’t get paid for it. However, if you’re sick, you should really stay away from work. In addition to needing the time to recover, it’s also important not to infect the rest of your workplace.
Respond when you’re angry
When you are angry, it is always important to take some time to cool off and reflect on the situation before you respond. This is especially important at work, as not being able to control your anger in the workplace could have serious repercussions.
Hit on your boss
Office romances are extremely common, with Forbes finding that over 60% of adults have had a workplace romance. It’s a gray area, but you should definitely not hit on your boss. This is typically a recipe for disaster and will drastically impact your professional relationship.
Interrupt colleagues
When you disagree with someone or are excited about a situation, it can be difficult not to interrupt other people. However, it is crucial that you don’t do this in the workplace, as interrupting looks extremely unprofessional and can leave both employers and colleagues with a negative impression of you.
Get too comfortable
After a few years at the job, it’s easy to get complacent, but don’t get too comfortable. Remember that you are replaceable; if employers notice you’re not pulling your weight, you can be let go. It can also be detrimental to your professional growth, as you’ll stop looking for opportunities to progress.
Go in drunk
Going to work drunk is never a good idea. Arriving at work drunk will give your coworkers a negative opinion of you, and you may receive serious consequences from your employer. There is no situation in which going to work drunk is acceptable, and it is just not worth the backlash.
Wear too much perfume
Our senses are heightened in the compact environment of an office, and that includes our sense of smell. This means that wearing too much perfume can be extremely overpowering in the workplace. It can also trigger allergies and cause headaches, so it’s considerate to keep the scents subtle.
Listening to audio without headphones
Sounds from your computer or smartphone can be seriously irritating to your colleagues. No one else wants to hear your music, video chats, or the videos you’re watching, so do your neighbors a favor and use headphones. Not bringing headphones to work is no excuse!
Make your personal life office business
When we spend so much of our lives with our coworkers, it is natural to learn a lot about each other’s lives. However, there is a certain limit to how much you should share because the whole office does not need to know about your sticky relationship dramas.
Microwave stinky lunches
Taking in lunches with a strong odor to work is a big no-no. Many find it rude if you inflict the smell of your lunch onto everyone else, with the New York Post concluding that the worst food you could take into the office is fish.
Bully
Every workplace has one, but no one likes the office bully. The workplace is an environment of respect, and if your workplace is not a space where you can be polite and kind, you shouldn’t be in that position. Your coworkers should always be treated with respect–this isn’t a school playground!
Isolation
While some jobs require you to work alone, many positions involve contribution and collaboration. You are working alongside your colleagues towards a similar goal, so it is important not to isolate yourself. Not only is it important to show you’re a contributor, but it’s also important for your mental health.
Share sensitive information
Data protection is extremely important, and you should never share sensitive information. This includes sharing information about the company, your coworkers, and any clients outside of the workplace. Not only is it respectful to keep this information private, but sharing it could also be illegal.
Constantly complain
We all have moments when our job is frustrating, but our final suggestion is not to constantly complain to colleagues. Harvard Business Review says that chronic complainers are extremely difficult to work with and can negatively affect the morale of the whole team. So, suck it up, and get on with it!