Three Topics You Should Never Bring up at Work
Though your office culture may be laid back, it’s still a professional environment. This means you should conduct yourself as if you’re in a public place with other professionals—rather than home with your family and friends. A certain level of decorum is essential. Always remember, you’re surrounded by people with different beliefs and world views, and you’d never want to offend or alienate any of your co-workers. This could make your work environment an uncomfortable one.
Never discuss these topics at work
- All’s fair in love, war … and compensation. This being said, you have no idea what parameters your leadership has constructed to determine the salaries employees earn—and what conversations have happened behind closed doors. Never discuss numbers with your fellow employees. It can lead to negative consequences that may even include termination.
- Ours is a lively political climate with viewpoints that are quite frequently polarizing. Still, everyone is entitled to their own political beliefs, and making yours clear is almost certain to lead to an argument at some point. The best choice is to leave politics at your polling place, and keep work conversations light.
- One of the fastest ways to make enemies and lose people’s trust is through gossip. It creates hurt feelings and negative energy. Try to maintain a sunny outlook and keep your opinions of others to yourself. If you find yourself in a group of employees attempting to gossip, simply excuse yourself and walk away.
Keep it professional
That’s the best rule when you’re considering whether to say something at work. If you wouldn’t say it during an interview or feel comfortable sharing it in public, it’s probably a topic best not discussed in the office. In general, movies, books, a new restaurant you’ve tried or a class at the gym you enjoyed (and similar topics) are all safe for office chat.
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