Office Manners Discussion in Detail

The folllowing sample essay on Office Manners discusses it in detail, offering basic facts and pros and cons associated with it. To read the essay’s introduction, body and conclusion, scroll down.

Office Etiquette People are always required to know proper etiquette whether they are at home, in school, in public places, or in the office. Working with other people in an organization or company requires necessary conduct or behavior so that people can work in a friendly environment and be able to do their job well.

Office etiquette is very essential so that a workplace will be organized, disciplined, and comfortable for the employees. Respecting others and being well-mannered in the office make a solid relationship between people in the workplace. It is important to build trust and respect among people in the office since most workers spend most of their time at work or in the office. ” (Menon, 2008) This paper will provide guidelines and what to do and what not to do in a workplace in order to maintain a pleasant environment office.

Cell Phone Etiquette Cellular phones are regarded as a necessity nowadays. It is very handy but can also create disturbance in people especially at work when everybody’s quiet and busy working. It is important to be discreet when inside the workplace; there are people who do not have any consideration at all when it comes to using their mobile phones.

One should be aware on the proper use of cellular phones at workplace. It is important to turn the ringer off or turn it to silent or vibrate mode so that when somebody calls, the other people in the workplace will not be disturbed with the loud ring.

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Moreover, sounds or ringing tone from the phone can be annoying for some people. Another point to remember is to use the cell phone only during emergencies or important calls, such as when there is a family emergency and any other situation that is really serious and urgent.

In many cases, it is also a rule not to bring cellular phones to meetings as it can disturb not only the people in the meeting but also the owner of the phone itself. When someone calls or sends messages to his or her cell phone, this could shift the owner’s attention from the meeting to the call or text message. Email Etiquette In emailing clients, business partners, and co-workers, one should take into account the proper and ethical way of sending messages and letters through email. Emails should be written in a form of letter. They should not appear s a simple note or text message that people send to their friends or family. It is important to be courteous and formal in writing an email. “The sender should also check the grammar and spelling of the letter as it can give a very bad impression on the sender if he or she does not know such simple things. ” (Montandon, 2008) Emailing non-work related emails is not ethical and can make a bad impression on a person. “Sending these kinds of emails can also make other people in the office feel that this person is not working hard enough because he or she has the time to send and forward emails that are not relevant to work”. Reid, 2008) Clothes and Appearance A lot of offices require their workers to wear business attire clothes or casual wear when coming to work. Dress codes are usually different and depend on the company’s rules. Nevertheless, no matter what the dress code is, one should be aware of the proper clothes to wear when going to work. It is important to always make an effort to appear clean and tidy at work. One should be neat in whatever style of dress or clothes he or she wears. “Clothes do reflect on an individual’s personality as well, so it is essential for people to always look neat. (Office Etiquette, 2008). For women, it is necessary to wear decent clothes and to avoid clothing that may cause distractions or problems in the workplace. On the other hand, “men should wear something that is presentable and neat such as polo shirts, slacks, and neck tie. They should make sure that their clothes are neatly pressed” (Reid, 2008). Grooming Good grooming and hygiene are also very important. It makes a person look professional when he or she looks neat and smells fresh when coming to work. Thus, taking a bath everyday before coming to work is imperative for everybody.

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Employees should also practice personal hygiene such as ensuring that their nails and hair are clean and well groomed. They should also wash hands frequently, take care of body odor and bad breath, and cover their mouths before yawning, coughing, and sneezing. “One should be very careful also in using perfumes and colognes since it can cause allergic reactions to some people. ” (Menon, 2008). Physical and Verbal behavior Individuals should take into consideration every act that they do and words that they say.

The way somebody talks and behaves represents their personality and character, so it is important for employees to be very careful with their actions and the things that they say inside the office. They should always try to be courteous not only with the bosses but as well as with the co-workers. They should also use language that is appropriate and not too causal when talking to somebody. They should avoid making jokes and comments that may not be likable and even offensive. It is very important to think first before saying and doing something (Office Etiquette, 2008).

Gossiping Gossiping is common among people especially people in the workplace during lunch or break times. If a co-worker starts to gossip around, it is advised to refuse courteously into the person who wants to gossip. It is very important to just “mind your own business. ” People should know that the personal life of individuals in the workplace should be respected (Reid, 2008). Relationships It is possible to have workplace romance in the office. Therefore, people who are in a romantic relationship should be professional enough to know what to do.

There should be no favoritism, personal chats, or fights inside the office. They should be courteous enough to know their limitations and be able to work professionally. (Reid, 2008). Greeting/Common Courtesy “It is essential for the workers to greet people in the workplace such as saying hi, hello, or good morning whenever they see their co-workers in the hallway, restroom, or wherever”. (Montandon, 2008) It is expected that some people will have a hard time to get along with others, and there are some people who may be annoying. Nevertheless, it is still important for them to greet each other.

They should always make an effort to smile and be cheerful, thoughtful, and cooperative with everybody at work (Scheneider, 2006) Work Space An office worker should have his own corner, table, or desk to work with. It is very important for employees to maintain cleanliness and orderliness in the said area. Like physical appearance, the environment also reflects the personality of a person. Having a clean environment or surroundings makes the place conducive to work at. One should always try to keep his or her space or working stations orderly and organized.

It is advisable to have all the files and papers be placed in a box or folders so that they will not be scattered all over the table. Simple cleaning is necessary and important for employees to do in their own work stations. After all, they are not required to clean the whole office area since there is somebody assigned to do that job, which is the job of a janitor (Office Etiquette, 2008). Security There will be important papers, files, and documents in a workplace, and it is important to always keep them private and confidential.

It is important not to leave these documents and papers out in the open. These files should be kept in some safe place where nobody can see and take a look at them. People at work should also respect their co-workers belongings. “They should not to touch or get something from their co-employee’s belongings without asking permission. This is a sign of respect for other people’s things; if somebody wants his or her possessions to be respected, he or she should also do the same thing to other people”. (Menon, 2008) Habits People have their own habits that sometimes are very hard to stop.

Some habits could be annoying for people such as tapping a pencil on the table, singing loudly, and tapping one’s foot on the floor, burping, chatting, interrupting somebody when talking and others which create disturbing sounds that can annoy and bother people in the workplace. Hence, employees should be mindful of their habits, and they should be sensitive enough to know whether they are affecting other people with their personal habits. Manners/ Behavior Proper behavior is needed in any place, most importantly in the office.

People should learn how to respect each other in the workplace and should always be polite. They should say please when asking a favor, and they should always say “thank you” and “you are welcome” when necessary. One act of respect in the workplace is respecting the time. One should always be punctual when coming to work or to a meeting. When running late, they should always give an advance notice. Still, it will be much better not to be late at all. Another factor under manner and behavior is learning how to apologize and admit mistakes. One should say “sorry” if he or she knows something was not done correctly.

An individual should be humble enough to do this; it shows that a person has great sense of respect for other people in the workplace. Blaming is never an option; people should not blame other people when something goes wrong at work (Schneider, 2006). Phone Manner There is said to be a correct manner of answering the phone at workplace. In answering a phone one should say hello and say the name, title, and department where they are working. Always be polite and be careful with the tone of the voice while talking to somebody on the phone, since this will make an impression.

Another important aspect of using the office phone is to use it only for business or work purposes and not for personal calls like calling friends or family members for own personal reasons. In addition, the use of speakerphones is only advisable to use if people are in a conference call. It is not sensible to use speakerphones when talking to one person on the phone since it may distract others inside the office when they hear the loud conversation over the telephone. It is also considered to be rude (Reid, 2008). Sickness/Illnesses

It is part of the human nature to get sick and become ill. In cases such as fever, flu, colds, and other illnesses, one should be considerate of others as some illnesses are highly contagious. It is unadvisable to come to work; instead, the sick employees should take a leave of absence for a few days and wait until they feel better and have fully recovered from sickness. It is important for employees to inform co-workers and superiors about their condition so that people in the office will know what happened in the case that an employee does not show up at work (McKay, 1997).

Eating/Dining There are a lot of etiquette issues when it comes to eating and dining. If people in the office are in a lunch meeting or in a work-related occasion, it is very important to observe proper manners during meals. When ordering food, one should make sure that the food is not very expensive, unless everybody orders the same menu like lobsters and other pricey foods. Employees should be sure that the food ordered is just enough, and they can finish it all without leftovers. In buffets, there are some people who take too much then leave it unfinished later.

This creates a very bad impression on them and can be considered rude as well. The proper way of eating is also important; chewing the food silently and not talking while eating are table manners that should also be observed while eating with co-workers (Schneider, 2006). Understanding and following all the ethical standards in the office will make the workplace comfortable and a good place for people to stay and work. If all of the said office etiquettes will be followed by all workers, then companies and businesses will have fewer problems.

They will be able to work productively and efficiently and make the working environment happy, peaceful, and favorable for everybody who is working in the office. Business or office etiquette builds a good relationship with people in the workplace. It just takes discipline and hard work to achieve this goal.

References

About. com. (2008). Office Etiquette. Retrieved March 7, 2011 from

McKay, D. R. (1997).Calling in sick to work. About. com Retrieved March 7, 2011 from