5 Rules of Office Etiquette

1. MINIMIZE HALLWAY NOISE: The hallway in an office building is meant to be used only as a corridor between offices and common spaces.  

• You should never carry on conversations in the hallway but if you must be quick and speak quietly.
• Do not drag your feet.
• No unnecessary noises; such as whistling, singing, snapping or tapping

2. RESPECT THE OFFICE MACHINES: Most offices now have a common area for paper processing; printing, copying, mail, etc.

• Always leave this common area the way you found it. Don't assume it is the job of the cleaning crew to pick up all the small hole punch droppings you just left.
• If you must send a large print job, schedule a less active time of the day or at the very least warn others that you may be monopolizing a machine for an extended amount of time.

3. KNOW YOUR DECIBELS: Be aware of how loud you are and your surroundings.

• When using a speaker phone from your office, close the door.  If you work in a cubicle, the speaker phone is off limits.
• DO NOT yell from your office to another or over a cubicle wall.
• Does your laugh annoy your co-workers? Likely! Try to maintain any obscene laughter. And obscene language for that matter!
• Not everyone is enjoys the same genre of music...remember that.

4. BREAK AREA: The break area should be an area of comfort for all employees.

• The Refrigerator is a big area of pain for most office staff. The rules should be obvious. Don't eat other's food. Don't leave food for more than a day. Don't take up more than your share of the real estate.
• Coffee: If you take all the coffee, replace it. And don't leave an empty coffee pot on a hot burner.
• Clean up any mess you might make.

5. NO IMPROMPTU OFFICE MEETINGS: Meetings should be scheduled.

• Just showing up at someone's office door and expecting discussion is not acceptable.  You should always schedule a convenient time for discussion.
• Be respectful of a co-workers time and attention.  If you do schedule a meeting be precise. Come to the meeting with an agenda.  Listen attentively to all opinions.

The "Golden Rule" applies.  Do unto others as you would have them do to you.