Last Updated on 7 months by EasyCowork Team
Open office etiquette is something all modern day workers should know. Here are 10 Open Office Etiquette & Rules You Should Know.
Before you look at Open office etiquette, it will be helpful to go through our guide on Ultimate Guide on Coworking: Benefits, Advantages & Disadvantages. This guide will give you unbiased information about advantages & disadvantages of coworking and help you decide whether a coworking space is essential for your business.
You can also check out our post Difference Between Hot Desk & Fixed Desk: Everything You Need to Know so that you can choose the right type of coworking package for your business.
We have also written a very detailed post on Coworking Benefits, Advantages & Perks You Should Know Before Moving into A Regular Office Space–you can quickly go through this post too.
Coworking spaces have lots of challenging management tasks to be accomplished by the employees.
For keeping everybody in the team on track along with minimizing distractions, there must be a set of ground rules for a smooth flow of meetings.
The coworkers and the employees of the coworking space must follow a code of conduct so that everybody can accomplish their work tasks efficiently. Every employee and member of the office space want to work without any distractions.
The ground rules help to build a healthy environment as well as enhance the productivity of the employees. Check out the open office etiquette & rules mentioned below:
10 Open Office Etiquette & Rules You Should Know
Table of Contents
Open Office Etiquette & Rule 1
Every person in the coworking space wants to accomplish their work tasks. Do not start having conversations if you think that the other person might be busy with work.
The best way to know if the other co-worker is free for a conversation is just by simply asking a question if you could interrupt or not.
Open Office Etiquette & Rule 2
All your co-workers are busy working to get their work done in the coworking space or open office space.
If you wish to listen to music, podcasts or videos, then you must prefer using headphones rather than loudspeakers of your mobile.
In case you have to take important calls, try to shift some other area so that your co-worker does not get distracted. Try to avoid having very loud conversations when you are in the common area of the coworking space.
Open Office Etiquette & Rule 3
Make sure that you have your meetings in conference rooms, meeting rooms or private office space so that other co-workers don’t get distracted.
Prefer booking a designated area if you are planning to organize meetings with your clients in the coworking space.
If you go unplanned and organize meetings in the open plan seating arrangement, then you might end up as the major source of distraction for your co-workers at the open office space.
Open Office Etiquette & Rule 4
Try to keep your work desk clean and mess-free. Since you will be working with people sitting just beside your work desk in the common area, it’s best if you keep your working space as much clean and tidy as possible.
There’s a high possibility of spilling your work desk’s mess on the co-worker’s desk who is sitting beside your chair. Maintain and customize your work desk to leave a strong and positive impression on your co-workers in the open office space.
Open Office Etiquette & Rule 5
One of the major ground rules is respecting your co-worker’s space. Even if you are working beside a lot of people in the coworking space, don’t try to indulge in their matters and respect their space.
Make sure that you have all the necessary items needed to accomplish your work tasks so that you do not have to borrow from co-workers. If you need to borrow any item, first take permission from the co-worker.
Open Office Etiquette & Rule 6
Along with respecting the space of your co-workers, you must also respect their privacy. You must not evade their privacy by eavesdropping on calls or checking out co-worker’s desk.
If you have completed your work tasks of the day, you can take a walk or go to the relaxing zones of the coworking space. If you wish to talk to a coworker, then you must first take permission.
Open Office Etiquette & Rule 7
A coworking space has an open plan seating arrangement in the common area. Most people are working together in the common area on their hot desks or dedicated desks.
Make sure that you do not carry any strong-smelling perfumes, deodorants, lotions or food. Any strong-smelling item can easily spread in the common area of the coworking space and distract coworkers.
Open Office Etiquette & Rule 8
In case you are sick, then you must avoid going to work in the open office space. There will be a high risk of spreading germs if you work in a common area of the workspace.
Moreover, if you are suffering from cold, then your sneezing and coughing might a major distraction in the workspace. So, the best option is to stay at home if you feel sick. But if it’s an emergency and you can’t take a day off, then you must maintain good hygiene and sanitize your work desk.
Open Office Etiquette & Rule 9
There might be a possibility that you might be getting distracted due to another coworker in the open office space.
In this case, try to approach the coworker politely and address your concern. If you feel uncomfortable approaching the person directly, you can talk to the manager of the coworking space to look into the matter.
Try to avoid engaging in arguments and fights due to such matters and handle them calmly.
Open Office Etiquette & Rule 10
If a coworker approaches you regarding a problem, try to avoid having arguments and manage the matter calmly. Try to solve the matter or take the help of the manager of the coworking space.
You must keep yourself aware of the perks which are available to the members of the coworking space. You can even approach a manager to know if you are permitted to access the wireless network, free coffee or any other amenity at the coworking space.
Frequently Asked Questions about Open Office Etiquette Rules
How should you behave in an open-plan office?
You can read this post on 10 Open Office Etiquette Rules You Should Know
What is proper office etiquette?
Wear proper attire, speak softly yet confidently and be direct in your communication. You can read this post on 10 Open Office Etiquette Rules You Should Know
What is Open office policy?
Employees should avoid strong scents, loud conversations and try to keep thier workplace clean.
How do you survive in open office?
You can read this post on 10 Open Office Etiquette Rules You Should Know
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