About This Quiz
If you've been in the working world for a while, you might think you have office etiquette down pat. But maybe you should take this quiz to make sure you're not unwittingly offending everyone.Of course you want to keep sick days to a minimum, but it's much worse to infect everyone else by coming to the office sick.
There's not too much that will inspire the enmity of your co-workers more than a stinky bag of popcorn in the office kitchen.
Even though your team has only a few people, book a conference room to avoid making too much noise at your cubicle.
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Of course you should shake his hand! Show respect to everyone, even if you're a bigwig and he's entry level.
Always stand (if you can) when meeting someone.
The person who's higher-ranking or has been at the office longer is the handshake initiator.
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Whatever you do, use a light hand with the perfume spritzer.
Same goes for cologne — if you feel the need for fragrance, don't douse it.
It's perfectly fine to do your hair and makeup in the office restroom — just don't break out the cosmetics at your desk, even if it'll save you a few minutes.
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Right on time will suffice, of course, but a few minutes early is even better.
Your habit of leaving at 5 on the dot will quickly become well-known. There's no harm in staying just a few minutes later every day.
Unless your boss dresses totally inappropriately, definitely follow his or her lead in the wardrobe department.
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Most people don't mind the chance to buy Girl Scout cookies, but check first with your higher-ups to see if it's allowed. And definitely don't give the hard sell.
Business emails should be as formal and businesslike as possible. Fully spell out words and use proper capitalization.
Please, no! There might not be a faster way to lose the respect of your coworkers.
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Flip-flops would probably be a no-go at most offices, but don't try it yourself until you've seen multiple people wearing them.
Unless you are suddenly physically incapacitated when you need to start cleaning up, no, there's no excuse.
If everyone else in the meeting has a beer, go for it, but in general, midday work functions should be nonalcoholic. (Tell that to Don Draper.)
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Are you noticing a trend, here? Yes, call in a few minutes early. You might have to wait on hold for a bit, but at least you won't be the one beeping in when things have just gotten started.
Sure, you could try to contribute something, but if there's truly nothing to do but listen, put your phone on mute. That way no one will hear you breathing, eating, mouse-clicking or whatever you're doing.
You need to say your name before you suddenly start talking so people know who the new voice belongs to.
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Seriously? No, do not take your dog for a walk, do dishes or do any other distracting activities. If you suddenly have to unmute your phone, you don't want it to be glaringly obvious that you are not sitting in a quiet room.
There's nothing worse than a meandering, aimless conference call. Email an agenda and stick to it.
Neither of the appropriate answers involves leaving the food in the microwave, even for a few minutes.
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Not only did your food make a mess, but leaving it unattended for 30 minutes during the lunch rush was another terrible no-no. Cleaning it up is the least you can do!
Unless you work in an extremely odd office, all-day Beyonce blasting from your cube will not go over well. Grab some headphones.
If you don't have all night to give the email the full response it warrants, at least write a quick reply and let them know you'll be on it in the morning.
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It's definitely better to be safe than sorry with personal emails. You never know who's monitoring what, so leave your work account strictly for work.
The answer is technically "never," but let's be realistic. Just try to keep it as far from the office as possible.
You might think it's a polite gesture, but it could be seen as condescending.
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