Although telecommuting is highly valued by some employees, it has led to a lowering of the etiquette standards that should be respected when entering the office.
Although it can be very comfortable to work from home in your pajamas, showing up to work in slippers and a bathrobe could attract disapproving looks from your colleagues and even reprimands from your employer.
Now that health measures have been lifted and the majority of workers must return to work, some believe it is important to review these unwritten rules that promote cohesion in the workplace.
According to a survey of online conversations published by the New York Post, office workers seem to agree on four unofficial rules that everyone who shows up to work should follow.
Don't bring smelly food
Everyone's diet and preferences for the meals we eat are different, but according to comments from several netizens on Reddit, dishes that smell too strong should be avoided in the office.
“Don’t heat up fish porridge for lunch at work. This should be a real law,” one person wrote.
This rule should include all “strong-smelling foods,” adds another.
“I don’t care what your diet is. “Keep your grilled salmon crust away from the conventional microwave,” criticizes one last person.
Maintain good personal hygiene
However, a reheated dish does not always have unpleasant smells. Sometimes it's those who cook them who are the source.
“Be clean. Pay attention to your smell. Armpits, feet, your butt, your breath,” writes one user. It's amazing what losing your sense of smell can do. Even if you think you don't smell, take a shower and clean your clothes.”
Having to mention to a colleague that their personal hygiene is poor can lead to a “disturbing” conversation and be hard to forget, another points out.
“The employee is injured. You will be hurt. This conversation will never be forgotten, he says. It is uncomfortable. When you go to work you need clean clothes and a shower. If you worked yesterday and go back today, you must wash without exception, never.”
Don't be negative
Everyone agrees that some moments in our lives are more difficult than others, but the office isn't necessarily the place to get rid of everything that's weighing on our hearts.
“Avoid gossiping with or about your colleagues, even if everyone else is doing it – and especially if everyone else is doing it,” advises one user on Reddit.
Some actually believe that the ability to not complain is “a superpower.”
“Nothing makes you more unpopular than constantly complaining, even when it's justified,” wrote one Reddit user.
“In any office there will be enemies and alliances, and you don't want to have a reputation as someone who talks behind people's backs. “Basically like Switzerland,” suggests another.
Finally, try to avoid topics that may cause controversy.
“Don’t talk about religion or politics with your colleagues, either in the office or outside,” advises a final internet user.
“Instead, talk about temperature and exercise,” he suggests.
Wear a mask when you are sick
Many are happy that the requirement to wear a mask in public has been lifted, but doctors still strongly recommend wearing a mask if you are sick and need to come into the office.
The cold season is the time of year when viruses spread most often. In addition to the risk of ending up in the hospital, whose emergency rooms are overcrowded these days, it's rare that we're happy to miss a day of work because we're sick.
Wearing a mask or cleaning surfaces you've touched in public areas – these small touches could allow other employees to avoid contracting your virus. Your colleagues will be grateful to you for this effort.