Even if you’re not contagious, your constant coughing or nose-blowing could distract your coworkers, meaning that the whole office is unproductive and annoyed. Save everyone the trouble, grab some medicine and take the day off.
Even the sound of chewing, crunching or slurping can be annoying to some noise-sensitive coworkers. Respect their preferences and enjoy your meal outside the office.
Pack your own lunch in a bag or container and attach a sticky note with your name on it to avoid confusion. If you do accidentally take someone else’s food, be honest and own up to it. Say, “I’m so sorry that I ate your salad. I thought it was someone’s leftovers they were giving away. Let me go buy you another one. ”[7] X Research source
If it coworkers invite you to gossip, say, “I’ve got to get back to my desk, I’m so swamped right now!” As much as you dislike your boss or coworker now, it’ll be much worse if word gets back to them that you were talking about them behind their backs.
Steer clear of anything political as well as offensive pictures, posters, or slogans. If you’re not sure if something is appropriate or not, ask yourself if you’d be comfortable with the president of the company seeing it in your cubicle. If the answer is no, take it down and use it to decorate your home instead.
Avoid lingering too long at a coworker’s desk, especially if they seem busy. They’d love to hear about your weekend plans at lunch, but not when they’re in the middle of an important email.
If the coworker is clearly on a call, don’t distract them by whispering or using your hands to communicate. Be patient and leave a note or come back later when they’re off the call.
If you need an item immediately, leave a note on their desk saying, “Borrowed the hole-punch for a couple minutes. I’ll return as soon as I’m done!” Sign your name so they know who to find if their hole-punch never makes it back.
If your office uses an online messaging service, you could ping them that way as well, or leave a post-it note on their desk if they seem particularly busy.
