General Office Conduct Standards

Having general office conduct standards lets all employees know the rules.

General office conduct standards are put into place to help the employer and the employees. By having a set of guidelines and rules in place, it is possible to remove some of the negative emotions that might arise from conflict.

Purpose

The purpose of having general office conduct standards is to clearly define appropriate workplace behavior and inappropriate workplace behavior. By having standards in place, employees will have a firm foundation upon which to base their behavior.

Features

According to etiquette experts Debrett's, some of the common features of general office conduct standards include practicing discretion, being courteous to both juniors and seniors, and maintaining a professional demeanor at all times. In matters of sexual harassment, the safest course of action is to simply refrain from engaging in risque or offensive behavior while at the office and to remember that many companies have policies against interoffice dating.

Benefits

By having general office conduct standards in place, workplaces can function more efficiently by removing some of the personal conflicts that might arise. In addition, having office conduct standards will help pinpoint problem areas where employees consistently "cross the line" and remove the option of claiming ignorance that any standards were being violated.

References

• Department of Human Resources Management for State of Virginia: Standards of Conduct
• Code of Conduct: The Refinement of Emotions Through Office Conduct
• Debrett's: Office Conduct