12 Practices To Ensure Proper Work Etiquette in the Workplace

Work environments are a melting pot of various personalities, habits, and preferences. The topic of work etiquette can be very polarizing as employees have different preferences, ways of interacting, and individual work habits. Here are some of the most common etiquette rules that people in the workplace tend to follow.

1. Protected Time

Some corporations have implemented what they call protected time. This can vary drastically from one company to the next, but the general idea is the same – to provide employees with uninterrupted time to complete their work tasks. Some companies have done this by instituting specific hours that are chat and meeting free. Others pick full days, such as no-meeting Fridays. This helps employees power through and be as productive as possible without any distractions.

2. Stay Home When You’re Sick

Ever since the pandemic, there has been a shift towards staying home when you’re sick. Whether that means working remotely or taking your PTO sick days, no one should be forced to come into work when they’re under the weather. This benefits others too – there is nothing worse than being stuck at work sitting beside someone hacking away wondering if you’re going to catch whatever bug they have. Working when you’re sick is not some act of heroism – we are all humans and deserve time to rest & recuperate without infecting others.

3. Stop Wearing Perfume or Cologne at Work

Most companies have a scent-free policy which states you shouldn’t wear perfume or cologne. Unfortunately, many completely ignore the existence of these types of policies. Some people end up applying too much and walk around in a cloud of scent all day, while their coworkers suffer nausea, headaches, blocked noses, watery eyes, and respiratory problems. If you’re going to wear a scent at work, be mindful of how much you’re applying. No one needs to be able to smell your perfume or cologne from the other side of the building.

4. Wear Headphones

If you’re watching something on your phone, it’s best to make sure you have headphones or earbuds in. No one else wants to listen to the Facebook or TikTok videos you’re watching, so be courteous of others around you. This goes for taking work calls, as well. Offices are usually open spaces where sound can really travel. If you’re taking a call, consider putting in headphones or heading into a meeting room so you don’t disrupt others who are trying to work.

5. Stop Obsessively Sharing About Your Personal Life

The truth is, nobody wants to listen to you brag and share photos of your kids or your pets non-stop. Be mindful of how much you are sharing with your colleagues – you don’t want to annoy them. And if you are talking about things from your personal life, make sure you’re engaging your coworkers about what’s going on in their lives too. There’s nothing worse than listening to a coworker talk non-stop and them having no interest in hearing what you have to say.

6. Start Using Proper Bathroom Hygiene

You would think that in a civilized corporate environment, you could expect to enter a clean bathroom. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Far too often you will walk into a bathroom and find papertowels on the floor, toilets that haven’t been flushed, or water all over the floor and counters. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to make sure you’re cleaning up after yourself when you use the restroom, so don’t be the one to leave it a mess.

7. Stop Mandating Social Gatherings

Many companies create opportunities to encourage socializing, but these events can be a source of anxiety for some. There’s a general expectation in corporate environments that employees attend these events whether they want to or not. It’s completely unnecessary and there is no reason for office gatherings to feel like mandated socializing. While lots of us are friendly with our coworkers and have even made friends at work, it’s rare to feel that your workplace is your primary social group.

8. Start Talking About Salaries

In the past talking about salaries with your coworkers was considered taboo, but not in today’s corporate world. As younger generations like Millennials and Gen Z have entered the workplace, it has encouraged more transparent discussions around pay. This is great because it exposes inequalities and enables people to fight for what they deserve to be paid. Keeping salaries a secret only helps the employer continue to underpay people – being open provides so many more benefits.

9. Stop Gossiping

Gossip in workplaces is wild – it spreads like crazy and it never seems to stop. A lot of people find it annoying, though. It’s one thing to gossip about when bonuses might be paid out, but it’s another to talk about specific people. Just because someone showed up late or screwed something up shouldn’t make them the talk of the office. We’re living in the adult world now, it’s time we grow up and start minding our own business – we’re not in high school anymore.

10. Schedule Meetings Only When Necessary

In the corporate world, the reality is that most meetings could have just been an email, and it can be incredibly frustrating. If people took just 5 minutes to think about what they’re trying to accomplish before scheduling a meeting to discuss something, the number of meetings on our calendars would decrease drastically. Especially when you consider how much time we waste in virtual meetings telling people they’re still on mute, or asking if they can hear us. So before you schedule your next meeting, consider whether it’s necessary or if it can be resolved via email – your colleagues will thank you.

11. Stop Discussing Work on Breaks

Lunch breaks or coffee breaks are meant to be just that – a break from work. We should not take them as an opportunity to approach our coworkers to talk to them more about work. People deserve to have their own uninterrupted time away from their work, and as colleagues, we need to respect that. It’s one thing if there’s an urgent issue to deal with, but it should be the exception, not the rule. What people want to do on their break is up to them and no one else.

12. Don’t Criticize Something Without Proposing a Solution

Criticism in the workplace can be beneficial as it allows us to refine processes and procedures to make them more efficient. However, it can be incredibly frustrating when someone criticizes things non-stop without offering any potential suggestions for improvement. Remember that you want to be seen as part of the solution, not part of the problem. So when providing feedback, ensure you’re also coming forward with an alternative for your team to consider.

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