5 Shared Office Etiquette Rules
January 16, 2020
When you’re working in an office with other people, there are a number of shared office etiquette rules you need to follow to make sure everyone stays happy.
When you’re working in a coworking space, it’s important to consider all the other people in the office by following a number of shared office etiquette rules. From always clearing up after yourself in the kitchen, to making sure you keep the noise down when you’re having a chat with your colleagues - there are a number of different things you can do to make sure everybody in the shared office remains happy, can get their head down and get their work done.
One of the most important rules to follow when you’re working in a shared office is to always, always clear up after yourself.
Whether you and your colleagues have had coffees in a meeting room, or you’ve just made your lunch in the kitchen - keeping the office clean and tidy for the next person will go a long way towards keeping everyone happy. After all, you wouldn’t like to have to clean the microwave or wash up dishes before using them, would you?
When it comes to shared office etiquette, it’s important to keep the noise to a minimum when you’re at your desk.
From ensuring that the music you’re playing through your headphones isn’t too loud, to keeping the noise levels to a minimum when you’re having a quick chat with your colleagues - you want to make sure you’re not distracting other people from their work by being too noisy!
However, if you and your colleagues struggle to keep the noise down, or need a longer chat about a project you’re working on, then you should be considerate to other people in your coworking space and book a private meeting room for an hour or two to make sure you’re not being distracting.
Whether you’re heading to a client meeting and you’ve forgotten a pen, or you’ve left your mug at home and there are no clean ones in the kitchen - it’s important not to use other people’s things in your coworking space.
Obviously if you’ve built a rapport with someone in the office and they let you borrow something of theirs, then that’s absolutely fine. However, you should never be tempted to just borrow a pen from someone's desk - you don’t want to be branded the office thief, after all!
There’s nothing worse than when you’re working at your desk and someone walks past you with really smelly food that lingers in the air - or worse - in the office microwave!
When you’re sharing an office with other people, it’s super important to consider how the food you’re eating for lunch might affect other people. From fish to broccoli and cabbage, there are a number of different foods which will not only stink out the microwave, but linger in the air long after you’ve eaten them. So as tempting as it might be to heat up last night’s fish pie for lunch, it’s best to leave it at home.
But it’s not just smelly food that can cause an issue for other people in your office - super crunchy food can be a nightmare too!
From crisps and pretzels to nuts and seeds - there are a number of snacks that can be a bit of a nuisance to other people when you’re eating them. So either try and make a conscious effort to eat them quietly at your desk, or save them for after work - your coworkers will thank you for it!
When you’re sharing an office with a number of other people, it’s important to make sure you’re being courteous with the shared meeting spaces.
From trying to avoid block-bookings at the same time each week, to making sure you leave it clean and tidy for the next person - it’s one of the number one shared office etiquette rules. After all, you wouldn’t want to take your client into a messy meeting room, or have to reschedule a meeting because someone hasn’t stuck to their allotted time, so other people shouldn’t have to either.
By following these shared office etiquette rules, you’ll make sure everyone in your coworking space is happy and able to get on with their work - not to mention making a few friends along the way! Check out our blog for more tips and tricks about working at a coworking space to help you to get the most out of your membership.
