As more people head back into the office, it appears their workplace etiquette has changed after spending time working remotely, a new poll says.
According to recruitment firm Robert Half, after a significant amount of time spent working remotely, employees are returning to the office with new outlooks on how to behave.
For example, while 19 per cent of respondents said being dispersed from their colleagues made no difference on whether or not they would buy them christmas presents, 21 per cent said working in a remote environment meant they were less likely to exchange gifts with co-workers.
Almost 50 per cent of respondents said they never buy their coworkers gifts in the first place, and 11 per cent said they would only give gifts in an exchange.
Moreover, according to Robert Half, office etiquette blunders are becoming increasingly frustrating for fellow employees.
The survey found that 37 per cent of participants said loud talkers were their biggest pet peeve, while 35 per cent said office gossip bothered them the most.
There also appears to be confusion over appropriate workplace attire. Sixty-eight per cent of hybrid and in-office workers agreed that expectations of business attire have become more casual, but one in four don’t have a clear understanding of what business casual means.
Showing up late to meetings was also high on the list of work-place blunders that irritate employees, with 35 per cent of hybrid and in-office workers expressing frustration when colleagues arrive late to meetings, dominate conversations, or show up to work unprepared.
Furthermore, 68 per cent of workers said they’d take advantage of office etiquette training resources if offered – including 88 per cent of Gen Zers, who’ve had the least exposure to an office setting, according to the survey.
In regards to the office etiquette data, Robert Half surveyed 596 professionals aged 18 and over working in finance and accounting, HR, technology and IT and administrative and customer support from across Canada.
