by Gloria Ezeh
As someone who has been through many jobs, and all the while carrying along a big mouth, I believe I should know more about this topic.
Office chitchat is probably top on the list of reasons why employees get fired — in a very sudden manner.
So, unless you are the CEO of the company where you work, or are about to marry him or her, you might want to finish and digest this article.
Here is a list of top 7 things you should never to say at work:
1. ‘I am bored’
Work hours can get very boring, meetings are even worse, but no matter how jaded you are feeling, you must never voice it out. Not even when you are talking with your so-called work bestie!
2. ‘You look sexy today,’ to a colleague or your boss
It’s a nice thing to compliment the people you work with but that does not mean you could tell them anything. Telling your colleague or boss they look sexy could be interpreted as flirting and almost every establishment forbids that. If you really must comment on a coworker’s appearance, you might just want to say — “Nice shirt!”
3. Talking in detail about how you spent your weekend
It’s professional wisdom to learn to always disassociate your private life from your work life. Nobody needs to know the name of the club you went to on Saturday and the drama with your ex that went down at the beach on Sunday.
4. ‘It’s not my fault’
When your boss comes to you with a concern they have about a project you contributed to, not taking responsibility is a big no-no. Blaming other members of your team for anything that went wrong on a group project instantly informs your boss or manager how poor a team player you are.
5. ‘That’s not part of my job’
Let’s be honest—many times at work, you’ll be asked to do something that is completely outside of your job description. But instead of blurting out an immediate ‘That’s not part of my job’, you should try to be tactful in your reaction.
6. Using harsh words on a colleague or customer
Some people you run into at your workplace can be outright annoying, but maintaining your composure at all times is part of the things that make you qualified to be hired in the first place.
7. Asking your boss for money
You may think getting very friendly with your boss is a good thing, but I will tell you it’s often a bad idea.
Before I joined DNB Stories (I can say we do things a little differently here), I thought getting very close to my boss would ensure I get easy passes, but nope–it only ended up getting me fired.
Learn from my mistake and leave your relationship with your boss as professional as possible.
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Gloria Ezeh is a senior editor at DNB Stories.
This article was edited by Daniel Nkado.
