Everyone makes mistakes, but office blunders can be costly in terms of time, money, and your personal reputation. But you can avoid many of the most common office mistakes by checking out the following tips.
1. Missing Deadlines
Every employee has deadlines to follow. No matter if you are a salesperson or an accountant, it’s essential to get work done when you say you will. If you don’t, it can make you look bad in the workplace, affecting your professional future.
However, if you do miss a deadline, all isn’t lost. Experts say you can fix some of the damage by addressing the issue directly with those most affected. Also, if you respond quickly to the issue and get the project done quickly, things will usually work out.
Note that sending an email or text about the missed deadline may not be enough. Talking to the person by phone or in-person allows you to apologize for missing the deadline sincerely. Some of this is lost when you communicate the slip-up in text only.
It’s possible to avoid missing many project deadlines by using an expert IT team to implement the latest productivity and reminder software.
2. Taking Office Supplies
What’s the big deal about taking a few pens or paper clips from the office? Everyone does it, right? Office managers know office supplies tend to disappear. So it’s always best to only use office supplies for work.
On a few occasions, employees have been fired for stealing on the job. That’s something that won’t look good on your resume.
3. Coming To Work When You’re Sick
There was a time when people were expected to go to work no matter what, even when they were sick. But in the era of COVID-19, times have changed.
It’s essential to keep everyone safe, so you should stay home when you’re sick. However, with all the advances in technology, you can often work from home in a pinch.
Some workers like to hoard their sick days and use them as personal days, but this shouldn’t be done.
4. Forgetting Your Resume In The Office Printer
Using office supplies at work is indeed more convenient and less expensive than driving to Officemax. However, it’s often against company rules. Also, there always is a risk that you will forget your resume in the printer or elsewhere in the office.
When looking for a new job, be sure that you do it on your own and not on work time. Remember, it always pays to be honest, and it’s best to pay a company to print your resume and not use your employer.
5. Leaving The Office Printer Jammed
Not only is it not cool to print your resume at work, but using the office printer and then leaving it with a paper jam will cause frustration in the workplace. It doesn’t usually take long to fix a paper jam, so address the issue.
If the problem gets bad enough, someone may even need to call the IT department to fix it. You don’t need that.
Those are the biggest mistakes people make in the office. But let’s also review some blunders made when employees work remotely:
6. Working In PJs
The most productive employees don’t jump out of bed and start working in their PJs or underwear. Instead, they prepare for the workday the same as when they go to the office. This means going into your home office in professional clothing.
Working in your pajamas has appeal, and it’s convenient, but it isn’t what a professional wears. A recent study found that workers always work more efficiently in professional work clothes.
7. Working From Your Bed
If you work from home often, it’s essential to have a designated workspace. Most employees can’t work productively from bed or the couch.
First, have a proper work desk and office chair. The desk should be big enough for your monitor, printer, keyboard, and office supplies.
Also, make sure your home office has proper lighting. Studies suggest that cooler office lighting will make you more productive in the office and at home. Plus, move your workspace close to a window because sunlight enhances your mood and prevents depression.
8. Not Caring For Your Health
One possible downside of working from home is it can affect your health. When you aren’t working in the office, you usually don’t need to move around as much. For example, you don’t need to go to lunch or coffee with coworkers.
Sitting for too long at home can lead to health problems, even if you work out daily. On the other hand, research shows that people who sit for less than 30 minutes per work session have the lowest risk of early death.
We’re all human, and mistakes happen. But making mistakes at work can lead to problems. So try to avoid as many as you can so you have the best professional future.
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