http://www.bakotopia.com/home/Blog/CubicleDweller/1561 Office Etiquette   If you have to eat at your desk, choose “quiet” foods. Cut back on the crunchy stuff. Stirring anything with a vengeance is also hard on group peace. If you will be eating at your desk, make sure you're not disruptive to others. Watch noises such as loud chewing and swallowing, crunching and smacking lips. Willy Wonka put it best “Chewing gum is really gross, chewing gum I hate the most” especially if you are snapping and smacking it while on the phone or talking to a co-worker.  Just because you have some visual privacy, don’t assume your annoying habits are a secret. Yes, you are in your side of the room; however, the partition offers very little privacy, so your neighbor will be forced to listen to all the crunchy noises your apple makes. Chewing ice and clipping nails are not ways to make friends in open plans. Attempt to be quiet in areas where people are on the phone or need concentration. This applies to activities such as using listening to music, eating, and conversations with other coworkers.  Respect others’ privacy. Don’t borrow items from other peoples’ workstations or hover over their shoulder while they finish a phone call. Never open drawers or cabinets in other peoples’ stations without permission. Never use a computer without permission. “PC” stands for “Personal Computer,” surprise visitors are rarely welcome. If you do have permission to use someone’s PC, remember that settings should not be changed without the owner’s knowledge. Music should be played so that it doesn’t leave your cubicle—tastes in music vary too much for anyone to choose for a whole group. When using a shared printer, reload paper when it’s your turn and save huge print jobs for times when your work group will not be in a hurry for printed documents. If you have your cell phone at work, it shouldn't ring. If you don't want to turn off your cell phone completely, at least set it to vibrate or single beep. The sounds of different ring tones going off all the time can be very annoying to others. Don’t wear too much perfume or aftershave: you may think that it smells wonderfully, while your neighbor chokes on it!  Attempt to limit introducing strong smells into the work area. Strong perfume, excessive body odor, and very fragrant flowers can offend others. Be sensitive to scents and smells surrounding you.   Use shared areas with respect and courtesy. Workplace kitchens can be the biggest source of co-worker tension. Wash and return all kitchen items to their proper place, clean spills, and wipe countertops and tables as needed. Help maintain supplies as needed. When leaving food items in a shared refrigerator, mark all items with your name. Remove items before they expire and rot.   Nobody wants to have to come to work and be welcomed by the smell of food rotting in the kitchen. It’s not a fun task cleaning it either. Simply make it a habit to check your items each Friday and remove if they have become funky.   Office Etiquette   If you have to eat at your desk, choose “quiet” foods. Cut back on the crunchy stuff. Stirring anything with a vengeance is also hard on group peace. If you will be eating at your desk, make sure you're not disruptive to others. Watch noises such as loud chewing and swallowing, crunching and smacking lips. Willy Wonka put it best “Chewing gum is really gross, chewing gum I hate the most” especially if you are snapping and smacking it while on the phone or talking to a co-worker.  Just because you have some visual privacy, don’t assume your annoying habits are a secret. Yes, you are in your side of the room; however, the partition offers very little privacy, so your neighbor will be forced to listen to all the crunchy noises your apple makes. Chewing ice and clipping nails are not ways to make friends in open plans. Attempt to be quiet in areas where people are on the phone or need concentration. This applies to activities such as using listening to music, eating, and conversations with other coworkers.  Respect others’ privacy. Don’t borrow items from other peoples’ workstations or hover over their shoulder while they finish a phone call. Never open drawers or cabinets in other peoples’ stations without permission. Never use a computer without permission. “PC” stands for “Personal Computer,” surprise visitors are rarely welcome. If you do have permission to use someone’s PC, remember that settings should not be changed without the owner’s knowledge. Music should be played so that it doesn’t leave your cubicle—tastes in music vary too much for anyone to choose for a whole group. When using a shared printer, reload paper when it’s your turn and save huge print jobs for times when your work group will not be in a hurry for printed documents. If you have your cell phone at work, it shouldn't ring. If you don't want to turn off your cell phone completely, at least set it to vibrate or single beep. The sounds of different ring tones going off all the time can be very annoying to others. Don’t wear too much perfume or aftershave: you may think that it smells wonderfully, while your neighbor chokes on it!  Attempt to limit introducing strong smells into the work area. Strong perfume, excessive body odor, and very fragrant flowers can offend others. Be sensitive to scents and smells surrounding you.   Use shared areas with respect and courtesy. Workplace kitchens can be the biggest source of co-worker tension. Wash and return all kitchen items to their proper place, clean spills, and wipe countertops and tables as needed. Help maintain supplies as needed. When leaving food items in a shared refrigerator, mark all items with your name. Remove items before they expire and rot.   Nobody wants to have to come to work and be welcomed by the smell of food rotting in the kitchen. It’s not a fun task cleaning it either. Simply make it a habit to check your items each Friday and remove if they have become funky.   en-us