Follow Appropriate Workplace Office Etiquette Guidelines

To run a professional and healthy workplace etiquettes are important. It maintains and improves the consistency of the employees. Moreover, it raises productivity and quality. Etiquettes are necessary. It helps employees do their work as per the norms of the organisation. Given below are some appropriate workplace office etiquette guidelines:

1.    Be on time - arrive in the office on time or a few minutes early but never late. You can time yourself from home to office. Try to avoid the early morning rush. If possible, take a route which doesn't have much traffic. It will get you to the office on time.

2.    Appearance - it's good if organisations have a uniform for its employees. If not, then you have to dress appropriately. Avoid wearing tight and revealing clothes. It makes you as well as others uncomfortable. Always dress professionally.

3.    Avoid using too much or heavy perfume - It's best to keep it to a minimum. Don't splash yourself with perfume. You never know that one of your colleagues could be allergic to perfume.

4.    Organization - keep your cubicle or working space neat and tidy. Stack the papers nicely and put the files in the cupboard or cabinet. Always maintain the desk clean.

5.    Break - when you go for short breaks, take a few minutes out to talk to the colleagues. Be courteous and ask how their day is going. Be friendly and smile often.

6.    Inform - if you are too sick and would be able to make it to the office, inform the senior colleague. Let them know about your condition. And avoid going to office when you are too sick. It will prevent whatever you are suffering from, spreading to the rest of employees.

7.    Coffee pot - when you use the coffee pot, and it runs out, take the initiative to fill it up. Everyone needs a good cuppa in the office.

8.    Bathroom - use the bathroom well and always keep it clean. We all find dirty bathrooms a turnoff. Don't spoil someone's day by keeping the bathroom dirty.

9.    Avoid gossip - as bad as it is to talk behind someone's back, it is equally bad to gossip and spread rumours about a colleague. Put yourself in their shoes and think how you would feel.

10.    Privacy - don't give ear to other people's conversations, especially phone conversations. Respect their privacy. If you want your privacy to be respected, respect other people's privacy too.

11.    Share - if there's a particular holiday or festival coming up and you want to share it everyone, for example, you have baked cookies and wanted to distribute it to everyone in the office, do so equally. If you are giving two cookies, then everyone should get two cookies.

12.    Lunch time - avoid eating lunch at the workstation. If there is a common lunch room, care to have it there with the colleagues. Then help clean up the table afterwards. Don't leave food particles lying around.

13.    Social Media - Don't use personal social media sites during work hours. Time is money. The organisation pays you for it; be loyal.

14.    Mobile Phone - either keep it on silent mode or vibrator. It's best not to take personal calls during work hours. But if you do take it, keep it short.

15.    In meetings - avoid playing with your hair and cracking the knuckles. It is very distracting and unprofessionalism.

By following etiquettes in a work environment, you are promoting unity and professionalism. Every organisation has the same objective, that of quality and efficient work. It can only be achieved if everyone is following the rules and regulations. Etiquettes keep the employees and the organisation stable and presentable. If everyone did what they liked, then it would be a proficient working space. It would be followed by poor work quality, losses and failure. The organisation would suffer. To be efficient and productive, etiquettes must be maintained at all times. Moreover, organisations can take feedback from its employees to see what they think and feel. Sometimes, etiquettes are too constraining and get in the way of how work is done. Some staff are not comfortable with it. They feel that it limits their individuality. They are not able to give their best. While applying etiquettes, there should be consistency to it. It should be maintained at all times. Overall, the bad manners should be pushed out. Employees should be encouraged time and again. They should be praised to get the quality and productivity flowing. There should be open communication and area for change.