Russians were told about the "red flags" of office etiquette

A workspace is not only a place to perform tasks, but also an environment where a culture of interaction between people is formed. Violations of the unspoken rules of office behavior can cause irritation and reduce efficiency. According to a survey conducted by Level Group among more than 1300 respondents from 20 regions of Russia, the most sensitive moments affecting the atmosphere in the team were identified. The study was reviewed by Izvestia on August 28.

Ignoring personal space was in the first place (39%). Employees complain about the habit of some colleagues approaching the table without warning, touching other people's things, or sitting too close. Such actions are perceived as a violation of boundaries and cause tension. This is followed by noise and excessive discussion of personal topics (35%). In an open space environment, loud calls, conversations throughout the office, and endless stories about personal life turn into a source of background noise. Many people note that it is noise that makes it harder to concentrate and more annoying than even an inconvenient schedule.

Kitchen culture turned out to be no less important (28%). Dirty dishes in the sink, forgotten food in the fridge and smells after lunch — all this is symbolically perceived as negligence and disrespect for colleagues. The smell of heated food, which spreads throughout the office and interferes with work, is especially annoying. Most often, respondents noted the smell of fish and garlic.

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The fourth "red flag" is lateness and non—compliance with time (24%). Regular delays in meetings, rescheduling deadlines, and protracted discussions are perceived as disrespectful of other people's time and efforts. Incorrect communication is no less annoying (15%). Rude letters, lack of minimal business subordination, ignoring messages, or passive aggression create a toxic atmosphere even where tasks are being handled effectively.

The sixth most important thing is the unwillingness of colleagues to greet each other (13%). The absence of elementary "good afternoon" or "goodbye" is perceived as coldness and indifference, which undermines the sense of unity of the team. Frequent absences for a five-minute smoke break, other people's chairs occupied with bags, photographs and toys at workplaces and clutter on tables were also considered undesirable. However, all these factors were not so annoying.

"Today, companies are increasingly thinking about the fact that the office is an environment where a productive atmosphere is formed. <...> Therefore, it is so important to create offices that meet these needs.: from comfortable work areas to functional kitchens and places to relax. The trend towards open layouts continues to gain popularity, with more and more companies abandoning the cabinet model. But the main task at the same time is to maintain a balance between openness of space and respect for personal boundaries, so that the atmosphere in the team remains comfortable," concluded Alexandra Zakharova, Director of commercial real estate at Level Group.

On June 21, Anna Kulysova, Brand Director of the TDI group of communication agencies, told how to identify toxic people at work and gave advice on how to interact with them competently. Kulysova noted that the main task of toxic people in the professional environment is the desire to undermine the positions of their colleagues through provocations. At the same time, as the expert explained, there are several types of toxic behavior.

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