15 Things you should never say in the Office
From 3arf
Office politics can be confusing and even frustrating to employees. It can be difficult to know what is appropriate office conversation and what is taboo. You can put your job in jeopardy, easier than you might think, just by saying the wrong thing to the right person.
- Admitting to being family friends with the boss. You may think that by knowing the boss or manager, doors will open for you at work, but can actually cause you problems. The last thing your co-workers want to hear about is you being the boss's favorite, or friend. It can make them resent you and therefore not work very well with you.
- Only working to cure boredom. Avoid talking about your job as if it is not necessary to you. Do not talk about how you do not really need the money, or how the job is just something to keep you from being bored at home. This is especially important today, where there are so many people fighting just to make ends meet somehow.
- Gossip/rumors. Avoid engaging in the office rumor mill. You will not gain alliances or friends by being a gossip. Rumors and gossip only succeed in hurting the ones being talked about. Another reason to avoid office gossip, is that you can eventually become the next target.
- Personal information. Your co-workers do not want or need to hear about your weekend warrior activities. They do not really care who, or how many people, you are sleeping with or where the big party was last night. You are not making yourself look cool, you are giving yourself a poor reputation. You are also feeding the office gossip mongers.
- Client/customer personal information. Not only is talking about client personal information illegal, it is immoral and tacky. It also proves you are not a trustworthy employee or person. It does not matter how the client dresses, speaks, acts or lives; you do not have the right to discuss clients in the office with co-workers.
- Financial information. Do not discuss your salary, paycheck, or your bank accounts while in the office. Avoid flashing cash, credit/debit cards while at the office, or anywhere in public. The only thing you can hope to accomplish by bragging about your good financial status is to be robbed. Identity theft is a big problem these days, all thieves need is a couple of numbers and your name. Aside from theft, bragging about your finances only makes you look like you think you are worth more than your co-workers. You could also open yourself up to be asked for loans that you cannot afford to give out.
- Shun people. Talking badly to, or about your co-workers or other people, does not make you look good at all. It can make you sound like a bully. Bullies in the workplace are a problem that most businesses will not tolerate for any amount of time. Shunning people makes them feel bad, effects office productivity, and can possibly get your fired.
- Threats. Do not make threats of bodily harm to anyone in your office. Not even as jokes are threats acceptable in a public place these days. Someone can overhear the threat and tell your boss, or even worse, call the police. Threats out of anger can be especially dangerous in light of terrorist activities over the last few years.
- Admit to office affair. First and foremost: avoid office romances! If you do happen to develop an office romance, do not talk about it at the office. This type of drama can disrupt office productivity, spark jealousy and even cause resentment among co-workers. Office romances can turn into rumors and lots of gossip that can get back to the boss and cause both of you to get fired. Another thing to consider regarding office romances, is what will happen if things end? What if they end badly? You will still have to see that person every time you go to work.
- Crimes/unsavory behavior. If you have a "bad boy/girl" past, do not bring it to work with you. The workplace is not the ideal forum to discuss the mistakes of your past. This is especially true if your past criminal escapades have to do with theft, fraud or physically harming someone. Let that one soak in a minute. To reiterate, the workplace is not the ideal forum to fondly discuss your crime sprees of the past. While your co-workers may actually be a little impressed (or disgusted), your supervisor may not be so happy to hear about it.
- Past jobs. Avoid making the mistake of bragging or complaining about past jobs while at your current place of employment. This is just bad business in general. You never know who is listening to you. Bad press travels fast. Even if a job you had in the past was a horrible experience, show some professional courtesy and keep it to yourself. Not everyone will share your opinions. If a past job was so great, curious listeners may want to know why you are not there.
- Boasting that you have authority or privileges. The workplace is supposed to be full of team players, not people who are trying to "one up" each other. If you do have authority that some others do not, there is a good chance they already know about it. There is no need to be tacky and brag about yourself.
- Admitting to disliking/hating the job. It is common knowledge that many people do not like their job. Talking about it only causes other people to either follow the negative thought train, or not want to talk to you anymore. If co-workers follow your negative thought train, office morale can suffer, productivity can slow and your workplace can become a hostile environment. This does not help anyone, least of all you.
- Announcing you dislike/hate of certain co-workers. Not everyone in the workplace will get along and be best friends. You do not have to voice your opinions out loud about co-workers that you do not like. This can cause tension and hostility that will not do you or your place of business, any good.
- Admit to looking for another job. Whatever you do, do not talk about looking for another job. The other employees do not need to hear about it, and your supervisor sure does not want to hear about it. By letting that proverbial cat out of the bag, you could lose the job you currently have, and make customers wonder if there is something wrong with your current employer.
It is not easy to know what to say, when to say it, or who to say it to, in the modern workplace. Simpleconversationsduring break time are not always as simple as they seem to be at the time. The lesson here is to be careful of what you say, and to whom you say it.
