Office Etiquette 

Having good etiquette at work mostly simply means to be considerate and respectful of everyone around you.

1. If you have a door, close it if you take personal calls. If you don't have a door or are in an open plan space, keep private calls short by saying you'll call the person back on your next break, or walk to an area that is more conducive to personal calls like a lounge area or even outside.

2. Keep your computer and phone muted or on silent, so that every time you get an email or message it does not alert everyone on your floor.

3. Do not use a conference room to take long personal calls or treat it as your personal office.

4. In addition to doing your part to keep the bathroom clean, do not use the restroom to socialize.

5. If you're in a meeting, give your undivided attention to the person speaking.

6. Remember that others need to use the communal kitchen too.

7. If someone is nice enough to bring in food to share with the rest of the office, don't leave the cleanup all to them. If you take the last slice of cake, wash the dish it came on and make sure it gets back to them.

8. If you're sick and contagious, you shouldn't be at work, otherwise you risk getting the entire office ill.

9. Think before you hit reply-all. Does everyone need to take the time out of their day to read your note?

10. Email tone is very hard to read, so be sure you're using language that helps the recipient understand it.

11. Don't block the elevator door. If the elevator's full when someone tries to get out, and you're in the way, simply exit the elevator altogether and then re-enter.

12. When it comes to opening doors, only go in front of someone who opened the door if they motion you through. Same rules apply to whoever swiped their card to access the door—wait until the first person has walked through before you follow.

13. Etiquette in general is becoming more gender neutral, so when it comes to opening doors and getting in and out of elevators, what matters more is showing respect to people who are more senior to you in your office. If you're entering your floor or the elevator at the same time as your boss—or your boss's boss—be sure to hold the door open for them and let them enter first.

14. While it's impossible to always be on time, it's important to let people know you're running late.

15. If you choose to put on fragrance, remember it's meant to go on pulse points only and not clothing.

16. When it comes to throwing out trash and recycling, be considerate of everyone's space as much as possible.

17. In the age of social media, remember that nothing is "private" anymore. Don't complain about your colleagues or work on Facebook or Twitter. Even if your account is private, it could get back to them.

Facebook Etiquette 

1. Always show respect, especially when discussing or posting about politics.

2. Quit complaining.

3. Avoid the "humblebrag." 

4. Always reveal big news to friends and family first. Engagements, pregnancies, new jobs, births, divorces, deaths, and any other major life event or news should be shared in person or over the phone before it's shared publicly online. It's both impersonal and insensitive to skip this step and may offend loved ones.

5. Find and evaluate the original source before you share. You may think that popular story is worth a share, but it could be insensitive or deliberately inaccurate. Avoid spreading fake news.

6. Never post photos of someone else's children. Privacy is very important to some parents and families, which is why you should always ask for permission before posting.

7. Turn off automatic posting from other social media platforms. Your friends likely follow you on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, in addition to Facebook, so be sure not to overwhelm them with posts they've already seen or liked by making this quick fix.

8. Never share unflattering photos. Let's remember the golden rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. You wouldn't like it if someone shared an embarrassing or unattractive image of you, right?

9. Never "like" bad news. Hitting the "like" button just doesn't make sense when someone announces the death of a loved one, a divorce, health problems, or any sort of sad or somber post. Use the proper reaction button, or even better, leave a thoughtful comment on the post.

10. Acknowledge tragedies with a simple, empathic message. If you want to share your sympathies after terrorist attack, weather disaster, or death, go for it, but keep in mind this is not the time to inject your political views, judgements, or complaints.

Dating Etiquette

How To Ask

·         Be specific to the event and date of the invitation. (Ex.  "Would you like to go to dinner and a movie on Saturday night?")

·         Issue the invitation at least 3 days in advance of the date.

Who Pays

·         On a first date, the person who issued the invitation is the one that pays for the date.  However, it is polite of the invitee to offer to pay his/her share of the bill when it arrives, if they so desire.

·         If the invitation is worded "May I take you Out?” -  This indicates the person asking intends to pay. 

·         If the invitation is worded "Let's go out!" - This indicates that both partners will be paying for the date.

·         In an on-going dating relationship, the couple can split the cost of the dates in whatever manner they choose.

  Behaviour (DO’s):

·         Open doors

·         Compliment

·         Appear happy and upbeat

·         Make your date feel welcomed and special

·         Show affection, but don’t be clingy

Behaviour (DON’Ts):

·         Check out other people

·         Constantly talk about yourself

·         Talk about your exes

·         Leave your date alone

·         Show tiredness, boredom or unhappiness

·         Talk about your problems

·         Do any rude gestures or behaviour

·         Do inappropriate things in public to make your date feel uncomfortable

 If One is Not Interested

·         If you are not interested in a relationship with that person, say so. 

·         If you have not yet dated that person, you may simply say, “No, thank you.  I am not available”.