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After throwing out an idea on social media about doing a work post series on Wednesdays, I got some great feedback and wanted to start today. I will be posting about once or twice a month on a Wednesday about all topics that have to do with work. Since I work full time and have my blog on the side, I thought this would be something different than just discussing my typical outfits. A lot of you are also working full time and some of you are also bloggers who work full time, and loved the idea of getting some tips and tricks. Over the past 5 years I have worked at the same company and have recently moved to their headquarters office downtown in February. Before I was about 30 minutes away at another office location. I do enjoy the commute and the lifestyle downtown more. Ever since I started working I have always been working in a cubicle. At first since I was a contractor I was in a more open concept cubicle setting where there was just a little side wall. That lasted about a year and a half, and since then I have been working in a normal cubicle environment. I have learned that many companies have this same structure and even though I wish I had an office (hopefully one day), I have learned to work in this setting. It can have its ups and downs, but the best thing to remember is respect and consideration throughout your day. I think this involves everyone you come in contact with on a daily basis whether it is your friend, family member, co-worker or the janitorial staff. These 2 areas are key for having great etiquette and relationships. In this first work Wednesday post I am sharing my cubicle etiquette tips below that I think are very important.

Cubicle Etiquette

• Eat Sensibly: If you happen to have meetings all day long and must eat at your desk then please do so in a considerate manner. Do not be chomping away at your food and slurping your drink. It is like nails on a chalkboard to those around you and can disrupt them. Also one which I have dealt with lots of times before is be careful with your food smells. No one on the entire floor wants to smell your fish or another strong scent of food. Also some people who are pregnant or have other allergies can get really sick from these smells. I would recommend taking your lunch away from your cubicle and eating in the kitchen or stepping outside. It is nice to get some fresh air just for a little bit during the day too. Another reminder is to please throw away your food trash in the kitchen trash can. Those food smells can linger for a while if they are in your cubicle trash can, and your neighbor might not want to smell them.
• Take Personal Calls Elsewhere: Since we are in cubicles and at work after all if you must make personal calls including doctor appointments or checking up on your kids, please just step away from your cubicle and go to a more private area. It is pretty personal and not everyone around needs to hear about the details. We have all needed to make important calls during work hours or have received calls, but if it is something important, I would step away from your desk for this one. Also this should be obvious but don’t be talking all day long on the phone when it is not work related. That is not appropriate at all and does not make you look good either.
• Keep Your Noise Down: This one I have struggled with because after all we are in cubicles and we don’t have a door to shut. I have been on conference calls before at my cubicle where I have had co-workers tell me to keep it down. This is OK because maybe I was a little loud, but I mean we are in cubicles. If there are conference rooms available I would use those if you happen to have an online meeting. Also I would advise using headphones if you are going to play music or using your headset for a conference call instead of speakerphone. Since it is close quarters this is just respectful for those around you. With noise also comes people visiting your cubicle area and carrying on a loud conversation. Instead go talk to them in the break room where you won’t disrupt those who are working around you. Also please silence your cell phones. No one wants to hear your ringtone every time you get a text message, especially if this is throughout the entire day.
• Personal Grooming Is A No No: I hate having to even explain this one but I find this etiquette faux pas more common in the cubicle world than we think. This to me is a big etiquette no no. I have seen and heard everything from people spraying lots of perfume to clipping their nails! There is a time and place to do personal grooming and the cubicle is not one of them. If you need to swipe a little lipstick on after lunch by all means do it, but that is the only grooming you should be doing at your desk. It would make all of us more sane and easier to work with if you just go to the rest room to do grooming. If it is something like your nails then please just wait until you are home.
• Don’t Barge Into Other Cubicles: Yes there is no real door in a cubicle, but treat this as someone’s office as well. The nice thing to do is lightly tap on your coworker’s wall and stand outside of their cube first. Asking if this is a good time to talk goes a long way. People sometimes just assume you are not busy if you are not in a meeting and will just begin discussing items with you instead of asking first. You wouldn’t just walk inside your neighbors house without asking, so don’t do it at work either. Since this is an open concept this can be a little hard to sometimes think about, but following this little piece of etiquette goes a long way. Also shouting over the cubicles or if you have that coworker that actually leans over your cubicle if they have a question is a no no too. This is worse than barging in, and if you have something to say then have the etiquette to walk over and address it with them at an appropriate time and noise volume.
• Keep Cubicle Clean And Professional: There are days when your work can pile up so much and you have papers everywhere. Take the last 5 minutes of your work day trying to get organized and file all of those papers. This helps when you come into the office the next day and it is tidy for a fresh start. No one wants to see a messy cube and one that has boxes or knick knacks literally everywhere where you can’t even see the desk. This is also not very clean. Keep a set of Clorox wipes at your cubicle and try to wipe down the area every week to keep it clean. We all know how fast germs can spread at the work place. Also feel free to put up pictures of your family and friends in your cubicle, they are an important part of your life. Steer clear of anything that would be offensive or derogatory in any way though. This includes a funny sign or decor item that might be funny to you, but not to someone else. Keep those things for your at home office instead.

I hope you all enjoy these tips for the work place. These are just some of the most common cubicle etiquette rules I wanted to address and see the most often. I work at a pretty conservative environment, but I think the majority of these are universal regardless of your industry. A little common courtesy and respect will go a long way in your career. At the end of the day you are there for a big chunk of your life. I will continue to do these posts and please let me know your thoughts in the comments below. If you have any questions or topics you would like discussed for the next one please let me know 🙂