Office etiquette: the good, the bad and the ‘did they just do that?’

Opinion

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This article was published 14/12/2024 (269 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Ah, the office. That magical realm where the scent of freshly brewed coffee mingles with the faint whiff of someone’s overly ambitious microwave lunch experiment.

It’s a place where diverse personalities collide, deadlines loom like ominous clouds and people form strong opinions about the most trivial matters. Should pineapple be allowed on pizza in the break room? Why does every office have one person who thinks tuna salad is an acceptable desk lunch?

These mysteries may never be solved, but there is one thing we can tackle: office etiquette.

Office life is full of unspoken rules and while some are universally acknowledged, others teeter on the edge of absurdity.

Take, for example, the phenomenon of toenail clipping at one’s desk. Yes, it happens. No, it is not okay. Clipping your nails, whether they be hands or feet, should be reserved for the sanctity of your home bathroom or, at the very least, a place where no one else can see or hear it. There’s no quicker way to derail a productive morning than the sudden, horrifying click of a nail clipper.

On the flip side, the office is also home to moments of quiet brilliance — like the person who keeps an extra stash of communal snacks or the co-worker who always knows how to fix the temperamental printer. These individuals are the unsung heroes of the workplace and their acts of kindness deserve to be celebrated.

However, for every office angel, there’s someone who seems to delight in pushing the boundaries of acceptable behaviour. They’re the ones who leave dirty dishes in the sink for days, perpetually forget to restock the coffee pods or— and this is a special kind of villainy — microwave fish.

Then, there’s the matter of personal space. In theory, we all agree respecting boundaries is vital, but in practice, there’s always that one person who doesn’t quite get it.

Maybe they’re a chronic “over-the-shoulder reader,” leaning in too close as you type an email. Or perhaps they’re an aggressive hand-talker whose enthusiasm poses a genuine risk to your coffee cup. While we’re all for lively discussions, let’s try to keep gesticulations within a reasonable radius. Speaking of personal space, if you’re going to borrow someone’s desk supplies, at least return them. There’s nothing more infuriating than hunting for your favourite stapler only to find it two cubicles over, abandoned and empty.

Some behaviours skirt the line between eccentricity and outright sabotage.

For example, the co-worker who insists on holding personal phone calls at full volume, discussing topics no one wants to hear about. Or the one who sends “urgent” emails at 4:57 p.m. on a Friday. These actions go beyond mere lapses in judgment; they’re declarations of war on office harmony. If you’re guilty of any of these offenses, consider this your wake-up call: the office is not your living room, your therapist’s office or your personal battlefield. Act accordingly.

But not all unconventional office behaviours should be condemned outright. Take chair stretching, for instance.

Let’s face it: the modern office environment is not designed with human physiology in mind. We’re expected to sit for hours on end, hunched over screens, while our spines silently curse us. Enter the humble chair stretch — a simple, ergonomic solution to a sedentary lifestyle. Yet, despite its obvious health benefits, chair stretching often draws sidelong glances and whispered commentary. Why? Is it because we’re afraid of looking silly? Or is it because we’ve been conditioned to believe that professionalism and physical comfort are mutually exclusive?

Imagine a world where chair stretching is not only accepted but actively encouraged. Picture an office where employees gather for mid-morning stretch breaks, their movements synchronized like a well-rehearsed flash mob. It’s a vision of workplace utopia and, frankly, it’s time we made it a reality. Let’s normalize the act of standing up, twisting and reaching for the ceiling without fear of judgment. After all, a limber employee is a happy employee and a happy employee is far less likely to snap when the printer jams.

Ultimately, the key to navigating office etiquette lies in balance. It’s about knowing when to let loose and when to rein it in, when to advocate for change and when to accept the status quo. It’s about recognizing while some rules are made to be bent — like the one that says you can’t wear sneakers with business casual — others are sacrosanct.

No one will judge you for sneaking an extra doughnut from the break room, but they will judge you for smacking while eating your food. Some things are just non-negotiable.

So, the next time you find yourself contemplating an unorthodox office activity, ask yourself this: will it improve the workplace or cause HR to summon you for a stern talking-to?

If it’s the former, go for it. Embrace the chair stretch. Advocate for the mid-meeting dance-off. Bring a little whimsy to the world of work.

But if it’s the latter, maybe think twice. After all, there’s a fine line between quirky and catastrophic, and it’s best not to test it — especially if toenail clippers are involved.

Tory McNally, CPHR, BSc., vice-president, HR consulting, is a human resource professional, radio personality, speaker and problem solver. She can be reached at tory@legacybowes.com