Three of the Worst Modern Office Taboos

The list of modern office taboos varies greatly depending on the workplace, and every member of a company is expected to follow them without being told. However, committing some of the worst office taboos can make employees feel especially uncomfortable, or even unsafe.

Using Offensive Slurs

Using derogatory or offensive slurs is a modern office taboo that creates an inharmonious work environment for everyone. Bouncing racial slurs off of one’s tongue is crude, unprofessional and highly offensive, but using racial slurs in the office is one of the worst modern office taboos ever. Making ill reference to one’s sexual orientation is also considered taboo and is totally disrespectful in a diverse work zone. Less than a hundred years ago, degrading an employee because of their race, ethnicity or sexual orientation may have gone unreported, but not anymore. The United States has made leaps and bounds in offering people of all backgrounds an equal amount of respect and opportunities, and professional office behavior is expected to reflect the positive change. Employees and managers who make racial slurs or engage in any type of discriminatory action against others in the workplace are unwelcome, and their actions are punishable by law.

Inappropriate Conversations and Advances

When an employee is open to sharing too much information that is inappropriate at work, they commit a modern office taboo. Employees who are not familiar with the rules of office etiquette in speech may find themselves shunned and isolated in the workplace. Speaking on subjects concerning religion, political views and sex is also unadvised in ethical, neutral work zones to maintain a level of tolerance. Speaking in a sexual manner to other employees is completely inappropriate, and it can get you fired. If the advances are particularly unwelcome, you can be charged with sexual harassment. Sexual harassment claims have increased over the years as more women and men are coming forward to confess their unpleasant experiences with coworkers and managers. To this day, sexual harassment is widely considered one of the worst office taboos.

Drunk or High at Work

Employees who come to work drunk or high off of illegal substances are committing a modern office taboo. People on drugs of any kind at work may start arguments and even engage in physical fights with fellow employees. Company employees who interact with clients in an altered state damage the company’s reputation, and they can scare away loyal customers. An employee may even place themselves, coworkers and clients at risk in the process, and the employee is far more likely to make significant errors under the influence. Due to the rise in workers who foolishly come to work under the influence, drug testing is becoming a commonplace tool to catch employees abusing alcohol or drugs and remove them from the workplace.

As the rules of office etiquette change to align with concerns of the times, office professionals can still expect disrespect and lack of proper treatment of others to remain at the top of the list of the worst modern office taboos. Individuals who commit some modern office taboos can fall from grace and lose their jobs if they are seen or heard engaging in unacceptable forms of behavior.

Photo courtesy of imagerymajestic at FreeDigitalPhotos.net