Office Break Room Etiquette

 

If you work in an office with a break room, you’ve probably taken advantage of it at some point. As with any shared space, it’s important that you and your colleagues don’t forget some common courtesies, intentionally or not. Here’s a quick list of things to remember about office break room etiquette.

Clean up after yourself. It always surprises me when I sit down to eat at a dirty table in a shared space. Crumbs, napkins, straw wrappers – strewn on the surface, left by the previous occupant. I wonder if they do the same in their own homes, assuming someone else will pick up after them. Here’s a word of advice: the office break room is not your home. Your co-workers should not spend part of their break cleaning up your mess. Be considerate and do it yourself!

This piece of office break room etiquette also applies to common areas such as the kitchen sink, the refrigerator, and the coffee station. If it’s your mess, take care of it!

Keep your hands off! Speaking of the refrigerator… If someone has gone through the trouble of bringing food to work, packing it and labeling it carefully with their name, that usually means they plan on eating it. Unless something is labeled “help yourself,” don’t!

Speak softly. The more people that fill a room, the louder it gets. Remember lunchtime in the school cafeteria? Ever been to a concert or sporting event before the main attraction starts? It’s great that co-workers can get together for a meal or a snack to catch up, but that doesn’t mean the rest of the room cares to hear their conversations. If you are a loud talker, try to watch your levels – there’s nothing less relaxing than hearing a conversation from across the room! Granted, the office break room isn’t the library – but there is a happy medium.

Feet off the furniture. So you timed your break perfectly and you have a whole table to yourself. Great! Do you know what’s not great? Your feet on the empty chair next to you. Someone has to sit there after you, and I can guarantee you they don’t want to sit where your feet have been. Break room chairs are not footrests. Again – be considerate!

Do not disturb. For many people, breaks and lunch times are the rare moment in a day to unwind and decompress. Don’t interrupt your co-worker’s lunch with a work question – that’s what email is for. And if someone has on a pair of headphones and their nose is in a book, take the hint: they can’t hear you because they’ve focused elsewhere, so catch them some other time.

People are different. We work differently, so of course, we play differently, too. The bottom line is, try to be considerate of your co-workers and follow common courtesies in shared spaces. In the long run, it will make for a happier work environment.

Is it Too Late to Say Sorry – Tips on What to Write in an Apology Card

Is it every too late to say you are sorry? What kind of question is that? Of course it isn’t ever too late to say you are sorry. However, if you wait too long your apology may not get the same results as if you apologize more quickly. So my very first tip is to apologize as soon as you realize you made a mistake or hurt someone’s feelings.

The most important thing no matter when you make that I’m sorry is to make sure it is genuine. Don’t say, “I’m sorry” just because you are trying to move past whatever the bad situation is. If you are not truly sorry than don’t say it. You will regret it and will probably do the same thing that got you in this position again.

When you say, “I’m sorry,” you should make a point of repeating what it is you are apologizing for. This way, the person you are speaking to knows that you understand exactly what it is that you did wrong. Taking ownership of the error of your ways is important.

Although it is never too late to say you are sorry, it is imperative to apologize and correct any wrongdoing on your part at some point.