Whether you’re in a cubicle or on your couch, think about it a few things differently in meetings, in messages, and with all your other tech tools.
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“People get into the habit of working from home and then they go to the office … and there are different rules and preferences,” said Kendra Losey, who co-authored Digital Etiquette for Dummies.
Here are six things you and your coworkers (feel free to send this to them) should keep in mind while at work.
Gossip more, but the right way
Gossip gets a bad rap, but it’s a useful tool for navigating the modern workplace. It can spread useful information, help teams build rapport, and sometimes steer people away from uncomfortable or dangerous situations. But you have to do it ethically and in the right applications.
Use gossip and private conversations to share your salaries with colleagues and find out if you’re underpaid. Use it to talk about the problems you’re having – you might find that other people are dealing with the same problems and decide to take action. If your company is in turmoil, gossip is a way to keep up with the latest drama and find out if you should be worried about your position.
Avoid talking about people’s private lives behind their backs, don’t engage in personal attacks, and know when to keep a secret.
Don’t use a work communication app like Teams or Slack — anything you type there could end up in the hands of HR or even the legal team if there’s a lawsuit. Use apps like Signal, WhatsApp, or the end-to-end encrypted messaging tool of your choice. Remember that no private chat is completely safe – after all, gossipers like to spread gossip.
Don’t be a met tyrant
Scheduling meetings incorrectly is surprisingly busy and a good way to alienate people.
Never send a meeting request without context or schedule a meeting when someone is unavailable. Sending invitations without details can cause some people unnecessary anxiety, especially if you are their manager.
“Say, ‘Here’s what I’m covering and why it’s important,'” said Molly West Duffy, co-author of No Bad Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work. “It’s perfectly reasonable for the person to decline” if you don’t provide context.
Create an agenda in advance and include it in the invitation or send a separate message, Losee said. If you can’t come up with an agenda or a goal, you may not need this meeting at all. Schedule appointments regularly without a clear point it can give your colleagues the impression that none of your meetings are important.
Before you invite people, consider the value of each participant’s time, said Liz Voslien, Duffy’s co-author. “Would you be willing to throw two laptops out the window to have them there?”
Respect the chunks of time people have set aside to focus on work or avoid meetings, Voslien said. Microsoft Outlook and Google Calendar let you see if someone has a schedule conflict.
“You want people to be excited to come to your meeting,” she said. “They don’t freak out before they walk through the door or turn on Zoom.”
Shhh, your keyboard (and voice) is too loud
Your voice is louder and carries farther than you think. Hold your meetings or make phone calls in private areas when available. If you’re having a meeting in a public place, don’t forget to turn off the sound. There is no point in annoying both your in-person and remote colleagues.
The same rules apply to playing your favorite tunes or watching TikToks in the office. Go somewhere alone or put on headphones.
Hungry during Zoom? Try not to eat during meetings, but if you must, turn off your camera and microphone, Lozzi said. If you’re in a conference room with table microphones, take your crumpled sandwich wrapper as far away as possible.
“There’s still an element of professionalism and respect that needs to be present, even in a casual setting,” Lozzi said.
Your voice, videos, and chewing aren’t the only annoying sounds you might be making. The clicking and rattling sound of your keyboard can also ring the office if you’re hitting your keys. Choose a quiet keyboard when possible and type with a light touch. (My help desk colleague Chris Velasco recommends this quiet Logitech keyboard.)
Share information in the right places
Ask people how they like to receive information. Some people still, shockingly, prefer email. Some like Slack or Teams, while others want that face-to-face, whether it’s in person or via video chat. Wherever you respond or communicate with your coworkers, make sure they’re checking in, Duffy said.
In the case of Slack and Teams, if you don’t reply to someone’s message in a thread and instead reply in the larger channel, it can get lost in other discussions. Tag or direct message colleagues to make sure they see your messages, Lozzi said. Avoid excessive chatter or jokes in these channels as well, as they cause real work to be lost in the noise.
The faster and more clearly you can communicate and work with your team, the less likely you are to waste time cleaning up the mess.
“Just remember this could turn out to be a date,” Lozzi said. “Nobody wants that.”
Stop multitasking: You’re terrible at it
Unless you’re taking notes during a meeting, don’t get distracted by your laptop or smartphone, experts say.
Personally, you can bring your laptop to write highlights, download relevant meeting information, or project a presentation on a larger screen. Otherwise, it’s best to keep devices closed to reduce the temptation to reply to a message or get distracted, Lozzi said.
In virtual meetings, try to reduce background distractions on your computer, Voslien said. This might mean minimizing other windows and muting your Teams or Slack. People can tell when you’re not engaged and doing other tasks instead of paying attention. And for people who wear glasses, make sure your glasses reflect what you’re actually looking at, Foslien added.
Understand people’s troubles
To avoid inadvertently annoying your colleagues, work with your team to determine their preferences. Do people like a little background music in the break room or kitchen? Do they want to use text, Slack, or email? Are they into casual conversation or does it distract them from work?
“We often jump, ‘Let’s just start a project,'” Duffy said. “But what emerges later are differences in how we want to communicate or work together.”
Talk about norms early and often. This can mean juggling favorites when it comes to digital communication and tools.
At the end of the day, just be considerate of the person you work with. They don’t have to be your best friends, and you should at least be comfortable with each other from 9 to 5.
