Workplace Etiquette Quick Guide

The everyday habits that make someone easy to work with, written down with the reason behind each one, for office and shop settings alike.

Who it is for

• New hires and people in their first job who want to know what is expected.

• Early-career staff moving between an office and a shop, warehouse, clinic or site.

• Managers and business owners who want a consistent first-week welcome.

• HR and training professionals building onboarding materials.

The problem it solves

Most workplace etiquette is never written down. New employees are expected to learn it by watching, and small mistakes, such as a loud call in a shared space or a message sent to the wrong group, can shape how coworkers see them for months. This guide sets out clear, practical expectations for shared spaces, phones, messages, meetings and visitors, explains why each one matters, and gives managers a checklist to record how their own workplace does things.

What is inside

Workplace Etiquette Quick Guide (PDF, 10 pages)

• Copyright and License (1 page)

• Contents and how to use it (1 page)

• Shared spaces: kitchens, desks, tools, vehicles, restrooms, noise and scent, with office and shop examples (1 page)

• Work phones and personal phones (1 page)

• Email, chat and text, with less effective and more effective examples (1 page)

• Meetings in person, on video and on the floor (1 page)

• Visitors and customers in the workplace, with five settings (1 page)

• Eight situations with recommended responses, and how to raise a concern with a coworker (1 page)

• First-week etiquette checklist with a filled-in example (1 page)

Workplace Etiquette Checklist (Word, 6 pages): the first-week checklist to complete for your workplace, a filled-in example and the eight situations.

How to use it

1. New hires read one section a day in the first week.

2. Work through the eight situations alone or with a manager.

3. Managers complete the checklist once in Word, so every new hire receives the same answers.

4. Review the checklist with each new hire at the end of the first week.

Formats and file types

• PDF (US Letter, print or screen), 10 pages

• Word document (.docx), 6 pages, opens in most word processors

• Licensed for use within your organization

Frequently asked questions