The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject.(May 2022) |
Work etiquette is a code that governs the expectations of social behavior in a workplace. This code is put in place to "respect and protect time, people, and processes." [1] There is no universal agreement about a standard work etiquette, which may vary from one environment to another. Work etiquette includes a wide range of aspects such as body language, good behavior, appropriate use of technology, etc. Part of office etiquette is working well with others and communicating effectively.
Dress codes are often enforced in the workplace to "dress in a manner appropriate to their responsibilities." [2] They also allow for a "aesthetical recognition" between members and non-members. [3] Commonly, employers won't specifically have a dress code, rather the dress code is regulated through norms and perpetuated through its employees. [4] Business casual is a commonly used term when describing what kind of clothing is appropriate for the workplace. However, specific clothing regulations varies from profession to profession. [4] An example would be how in an office workplace, it is not appropriate for employees to wear denim jeans and a T-shirt.
Clothing is not the only thing that dress codes may regulate. Oftentimes, dress codes regulate accessories such as jewelry and hats. For instance, with the exception of religious headgear, [5] most dress codes deem it inappropriate to wear hats in the workplace. Casual Fridays are sometimes allowed in certain workplaces, which allows the employee to wear jeans or a casual shirt that is inoffensive to others.
Proper "business etiquette and manners" are a very key role in building relationships in the workplace. [6] In order to maintain healthy work relationships, employees must be team players, this means having "transparency, [being] caring and empathetic understanding." [7] Also, using proper body language is important in the workplace. An employee presenting themselves in a manner that shows respect demonstrates to those above them that they always maintain professionalism. Something as simple as a handshake speaks volumes about a person. "Good handshakes" have been found to be integral for maintaining professionalism and demonstrating respect. Guides emphasize to "grip the other person's hand firmly, shake three times, and let go." [6] Maintaining eye contact is a good skill to always remember as eye contact shows interest in the person speaking. Being civil is also very crucial, so as to avoid "negative workplace communication." [8] One should avoid using foul language, especially if it is a continuous problem. People should also be aware of their health and be considerate of others, by not coming into work sick; this can affect everyone else's health as well. People shouldn't boast about their salaries, or on the contrary, complain all of the time. Treating others the way you would like to be treated in the workplace includes respecting and encouraging your coworkers by doing things like and congratulating them on milestones, a job well done or on a promotion. It is important to be aware of your very own actions. [9] Getting into a heated argument or even physical violence in the workplace is not only inappropriate, but can result in getting fired as most workplaces have a "zero-tolerance" policy on workplace violence of any kind. [10]
Technology also is an important and emerging resource the workplace. However, since it is a more recent development in the workplace, not many rules have been implemented regarding its limits. In terms of cell phones, it is up to the company to regulate cell phone usage. However, in certain professions like construction, it is against Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations to "engage in any practice or activity that diverts his/her attention while actually engaged in operating the equipment, such as the use of cellular phones" and using it could lead to suspension or termination. [11]
In terms of other technology, such as computers, online etiquette is just as vital to maintaining healthy relationships and professionalism. It is important to make sure when writing emails, memos, or using any form of communication that isn't face-to-face to be clear and concise so there will be no confusion between coworkers. [6] However, many workplaces consider it unsuitable for the workplace to use technology at work in order to use social media platforms or play games. Many employers use disciplinary action to prevent employees from using technology inappropriately. Inappropriate use of technology can be but is not limited to, blogging, instant messaging (IM), using your email for anything not work related, or texting. [12]
According to Borae Jin and Namakee Park (n.d.), greater cell phone usage is linked to poorer social skills and more loneliness. Communicating via messaging, emails or phone calls should be the same as communicating in person, only, it’s not. Via instant messaging and emails people are able to think about a response. They are able to write out, analyze, and decide what they are going to say, taking as long as necessary, not forcing people to learn to think quick on their feet. In person communication is one of the most important parts of professional careers, especially with meetings and networking. [13]
Remote work is the practice of working from one's home or another space rather than from an office.
Professional ethics encompass the personal and corporate standards of behavior expected of professionals.
A dress code is a set of rules, often written, with regard to what clothing groups of people must wear. Dress codes are created out of social perceptions and norms, and vary based on purpose, circumstances, and occasions. Different societies and cultures are likely to have different dress codes, Western dress codes being a prominent example.
Email privacy is a broad topic dealing with issues of unauthorized access to, and inspection of, electronic mail, or unauthorized tracking when a user reads an email. This unauthorized access can happen while an email is in transit, as well as when it is stored on email servers or on a user's computer, or when the user reads the message. In countries with a constitutional guarantee of the secrecy of correspondence, whether email can be equated with letters—therefore having legal protection from all forms of eavesdropping—is disputed because of the very nature of email.
Professional writing is writing for reward or as a profession; as a product or object, professional writing is any form of written communication produced in a workplace environment or context that enables employees to, for example, communicate effectively among themselves, help leadership make informed decisions, advise clients, comply with federal, state, or local regulatory bodies, bid for contracts, etc. Professional writing is widely understood to be mediated by the social, rhetorical, and material contexts within which it is produced. For example, in a business office, a memorandum can be used to provide a solution to a problem, make a suggestion, or convey information. Other forms of professional writing commonly generated in the workplace include email, letters, reports, and instructions. In seeking to inform, persuade, instruct, stimulate debate, or encourage action from recipients, skilled professional writers make adjustments to different degrees of shared context, e.g., from a relatively accessible style useful for unsolicited contact letter to prospective clients to a technical report that relies on a highly specialized in-house vocabulary.
Workplace bullying is a persistent pattern of mistreatment from others in the workplace that causes either physical or emotional harm. It can include such tactics as verbal, nonverbal, psychological, and physical abuse, as well as humiliation. This type of workplace aggression is particularly difficult because, unlike the typical school bully, workplace bullies often operate within the established rules and policies of their organization and their society. In the majority of cases, bullying in the workplace is reported as having been done by someone who has authority over the victim. However, bullies can also be peers, and subordinates. When subordinates participate in bullying this phenomenon is known as upwards bullying. The least visible segment of workplace bullying involves upwards bullying where bullying tactics are manipulated and applied against "the boss," usually for strategically designed outcomes.
In computing, a private message, personal message, or direct message refers to a private communication sent or received by a user of a private communication channel on any given platform. Unlike public posts, PMs are only viewable by the participants. Though long a function present on IRCs and Internet forums, private channels for PMs have recently grown in popularity due to the increasing demand for privacy and private collaboration on social media.
Professionalization or professionalisation is a social process by which any trade or occupation transforms itself into a true "profession of the highest integrity and competence." The definition of what constitutes a profession is often contested. Professionalization tends to result in establishing acceptable qualifications, one or more professional associations to recommend best practice and to oversee the conduct of members of the profession, and some degree of demarcation of the qualified from unqualified amateurs. It is also likely to create "occupational closure", closing the profession to entry from outsiders, amateurs and the unqualified.
Legal advertising is advertising by lawyers (attorneys), solicitors and law firms. Legal marketing is a broader term referring to advertising and other practices, including client relations, social media, and public relations. It's a type of marketing undertaken by law firms, lawyers (attorneys) and solicitors that aims to promote the services of law firms and increase their brand awareness.
Quality of working life (QWL) describes a person's broader employment-related experience. Various authors and researchers have proposed models of quality of working life – also referred to as quality of worklife – which include a wide range of factors, sometimes classified as "motivator factors" which if present can make the job experience a positive one, and "hygiene factors" which if lacking are more associated with dissatisfaction. A number of rating scales have been developed aiming to measure overall quality of working life or certain aspects thereof. Some publications have drawn attention to the importance of QWL for both employees and employers, and also for national economic performance.
Workplace privacy is related with various ways of accessing, controlling, and monitoring employees' information in a working environment. Employees typically must relinquish some of their privacy while in the workplace, but how much they must do can be a contentious issue. The debate rages on as to whether it is moral, ethical and legal for employers to monitor the actions of their employees. Employers believe that monitoring is necessary both to discourage illicit activity and to limit liability. With this problem of monitoring employees, many are experiencing a negative effect on emotional and physical stress including fatigue, lowered employee morale and lack of motivation within the workplace. Employers might choose to monitor employee activities using surveillance cameras, or may wish to record employees activities while using company-owned computers or telephones. Courts are finding that disputes between workplace privacy and freedom are being complicated with the advancement of technology as traditional rules that govern areas of privacy law are debatable and becoming less important.
Employee monitoring is the surveillance of workers' activity. Organizations engage in employee monitoring for different reasons such as to track performance, to avoid legal liability, to protect trade secrets, and to address other security concerns. This practice may impact employee satisfaction due to its impact on the employee's privacy. Among organizations, the extent and methods of employee monitoring differ.
Workplace aggression is a specific type of aggression which occurs in the workplace. Workplace aggression is any type of hostile behavior that occurs in the workplace. It can range from verbal insults and threats to physical violence, and it can occur between coworkers, supervisors, and subordinates. Common examples of workplace aggression include gossiping, bullying, intimidation, sabotage, sexual harassment, and physical violence. These behaviors can have serious consequences, including reduced productivity, increased stress, and decreased morale.
Etiquette in technology, colloquially referred to as netiquette, is a term used to refer to the unofficial code of policies that encourage good behavior on the Internet which is used to regulate respect and polite behavior on social media platforms, online chatting sites, web forums, and other online engagement websites. The rules of etiquette that apply when communicating over the Internet are different from these applied when communicating in person or by audio or video call. It is a social code that is used in all places where one can interact with other human beings via the Internet, including text messaging, email, online games, Internet forums, chat rooms, and many more. Although social etiquette in real life is ingrained into our social life, netiquette is a fairly recent concept.
A “toxic workplace” is a colloquial metaphor used to describe a place of work, usually an office environment, that is marked by significant personal conflicts between those who work there. A toxic work environment has a negative impact on an organization's productivity and viability. This type of environment can be detrimental to both the effectiveness of the workplace and the well-being of its employees.
Workplace communication is the process of exchanging information and wisdom, both verbal and non-verbal between one person/group and another person/group within an organization. It includes e-mails, text messages, notes, calls, etc. Effective communication is critical in getting the job done, as well as building a sense of trust and increasing the productivity of employees. These may have different cultures and backgrounds, and can be used to different norms. To unite activities of all employees and restrain from any missed deadline or activity that could affect the company negatively, communication is crucial. Effective workplace communication ensures that all the organizational objectives are achieved. Workplace communication is tremendously important to organizations because it increases productivity and efficiency. Ineffective workplace communication leads to communication gaps between employees, which causes confusion, wastes time, and reduces productivity. Misunderstandings that cause friction between people can be avoided by effective workplace communication. Effective communication, also called open communication, prevents barriers from forming among individuals within companies that might impede progress in striving to reach a common goal. For businesses to function as desired, managers and lower-level employees must be able to interact clearly and effectively with each other through verbal communication and non-verbal communication to achieve specific business goals. Effective communication with clients plays a vital role in development of an organization and success of any business. When communicating, nonverbal communication must also be taken into consideration. How a person delivers a message has a lot of influence on the meaning of this one.
Workplace relationships are unique interpersonal relationships with important implications for the individuals in those relationships, and the organizations in which the relationships exist and develop.
Multi-communicating is the act of managing multiple conversations simultaneously. The term was coined by Reinsch, Turner, and Tinsley, who proposed that simultaneous conversations can be conducted using an array of media, including face-to-face, phone, and email tools for communication. The practice allows individuals to utilize two or more technologies to interact with each other.
The Microsoft Garage is a Microsoft program that encourages employees to work on projects about which they are passionate, despite having no relation to their primary function within the company. Employees from all divisions of Microsoft are free to take part in Microsoft Garage activities and small-scale innovation projects. The Microsoft Garage is a global program with locations on the main campus in Redmond, Washington, and several others spread all over the world, and a website that launched in October 2014 to share experimental projects with customers.
Indiscriminate monitoring is the mass monitoring of individuals or groups without the careful judgement of wrong-doing. This form of monitoring could be done by government agencies, employers, and retailers. Indiscriminate monitoring uses tools such as email monitoring, telephone tapping, geo-locations, health monitoring to monitor private lives. Organizations that conduct indiscriminate monitoring may also use surveillance technologies to collect large amounts of data that could violate privacy laws or regulations. These practices could impact individuals emotionally, mentally, and globally. The government has also issued various protections to protect against indiscriminate monitoring.