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MIND YOUR
(WORKPLACE)
MANNERS
Business Etiquette 101

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© 2018 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Workplace Etiquette Offenses
From senior managers: Most common breaches of
workplace etiquette committed by staff or coworkers:
2
Source: Accountemps survey of more than 300 senior managers
Running late to or missing meetings
Not responding to calls
or emails in a timely way
Gossiping about others in the office
Being distracted during meetings such
as checking a smartphone or writing emails
Not crediting others when appropriate
Criticizing others publicly
Staff and coworkers do not
commit etiquette breaches
6%
26%
23%
7%
34%
2%
2%

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© 2018 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Workplace Etiquette Offenses
From workers: Most common breaches of workplace
etiquette committed by colleagues:
3
Source: Accountemps survey of more than 1,000 workers in the United States
7%
18%
17%
12%
24%
5%
3%
Running late to or missing meetings
Not responding to calls
or emails in a timely way
Gossiping about others in the office
Being distracted during meetings such
as checking a smartphone or writing emails
Not crediting others when appropriate
Criticizing others publicly
Coworkers do not
commit etiquette breaches
Something else
14%

4.
© 2018 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Politeness Accelerates Career
Advancement
Managers cited how being courteous to coworkers
positively impacts a person’s career prospects:
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Source: Accountemps survey of more than 300 senior managers
33%
2%
65%
No impact at all, it’s who or what you know
Greatly, it can accelerate advancement
Somewhat, but skills play a bigger role

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© 2018 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Politeness Accelerates Career
Advancement
In a similar survey, professionals tend to agree that
courtesy positively impacts career prospects:
5
Source: Accountemps survey of more than 1,000 workers in the United States
45%
7%
46%
No impact at all, it’s who or what you know
Greatly, it can accelerate advancement
Somewhat, but skills play a bigger role
2%Don’t know

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© 2018 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Managers and workers were both asked, “In your opinion,
do people become more or less courteous as they climb
the corporate ladder?” Their responses:
Courtesy and
Climbing the Corporate Ladder
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Source: Accountemps survey of more than 300 managers and 1,000 workers in the United States
26%
13%
61%
No difference
More courteous
Less courteous
0%Don’t know
48%
23%
22%
7%
Senior Managers
Workers

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© 2018 Accountemps. A Robert Half Company. An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Veterans.
All registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Display Proper Etiquette
Accountemps offers four tips for demonstrating proper workplace etiquette:
1. Give your undivided attention. Everyone has looming deadlines, but
make sure to give your full attention during meetings. You’ll be surprised
how much more effective you are in discussions when focusing on the
topic at hand.
2. Avoid dishing the dirt. It’s best to stay away from office gossip; it can be
a distraction that can reflect poorly on your reputation and damage others’
career prospects.
3. Get back to others. Don’t let your emails or voice mails go unanswered.
Carve out time each day to reply to messages so you’re not holding
colleagues up from getting work done.
4. Credit your colleagues. Don’t take all the fame and glory for yourself.
Acknowledge coworkers who helped you out, and they’ll likely do the same
for you.
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For more etiquette advice and
career and workplace trends,
visit our blog.