The document provides guidance on establishing new workplace etiquette for an office that has moved to an activity-based working environment called 1WS. It outlines key features of 1WS like equality of access to spaces and facilities, health-promoting design, and social consciousness. New etiquette is needed to take advantage of 1WS and establish a collaborative culture. Leaders are encouraged to model the desired behaviors around collaboration, flexibility, and sustainability.

1. OFFICE ETIQUETTE GUIDE
Paving the way toward better health and efficiency

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One William Street has been designed to support a new way of working –
activity based working. This design ethos helps us be healthier and more
productive by providing opportunities to move, connect and collaborate
throughout our working day.
To make the most out of 1WS, teams and individuals may need to redesign
their workplace behaviours (etiquette).
This guide has been designed to assist executives, directors, managers and
team leaders to establish a healthy productive culture in 1WS. It outlines a
new direction in workplace culture that 1WS supports and associated team
behavioural shifts.
HOW THIS GUIDE WAS DEVELOPED
This guide was developed in consultation with senior leadership teams and
representatives from across the agency.
HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE
This guide gives context and acts as a companion to the following tools:
1WS use of space guide
Etiquette and use of space framework
Office light poster
It also provides tips and insights into how to establish new workplace
etiquette.

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ETIQUETTE IS…
Etiquette is the customary code of polite
behaviour in society or among members of a
particular profession or group. Etiquette
changes over time, it changes depending on
the location, relationships and the particular
social circumstances.
THE CORRECT ETIQUETTE IS NOT
ALWAYS CLEAR
If you are in unfamiliar circumstances it can
take some time to work out exactly what is the
accepted behaviour. As humans we are hard-
wired to want to fit in, most of the nervousness
we feel in a new situation is because we are
unsure of the correct code of behaviour. Most
etiquette is unwritten and we learn through trial
and error what is acceptable and unacceptable
in any particular circumstance.
HEALTHY WORK-PLACE CULTURES
HAVE HEALTHY ETIQUETTES
What a group generally accepts as normal
behaviour reflects and reinforces the culture of
that group. Through the behaviours they
accept and the behaviours they display leaders
play a key role in setting the cultural tone of an
office.
ESTABLISHED CULTURES ARE HARD
TO BREAK
Overall, the majority of people will go along
with decisions made by a larger group.
It is not uncommon to find a group of people
who are largely unhappy with their office
culture, but feel powerless to make any
changes. It can take a great deal of courage to
challenge accepted behaviour
Sometimes the desire to change is outweighed
by anxiety around not being accepted by the
rest of the team.
A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IS A PERFECT
OPPORTUNITY TO RESET OFFICE
ETIQUETTE AND INFLUENCE
CULTURAL CHANGE
The move to 1WS is a novel situation; the
design and management style of the building is
radically different and the best etiquette for
operating in the building is untested.
As our team is establishing itself in the new
premises there is an opportunity to reset office
etiquette. Without guidance people may be
tempted to revert back to behaviours that have
worked in the past or they will follow the
example of the strongest and most visible
leader.
SOME ESTABLISHED BEHAVIOUR
WILL NOT WORK WITH THE BUILDING
DESIGN
The 1WS design will not support many
established behaviours. Teams and
individuals may struggle without guidance to
adjust to the new environment. There is
potential for unproductive behaviours to form
as teams and individuals struggle to adjust.
REFRESHING OUR WORKPLACE
ETIQUETTE CAN CREATE NEW AND
EXCITING WAYS OF WORKING
One Williams Street offers many facilities that
can improve productivity and increase levels of
satisfaction at work. This etiquette guide will
support people as they adopt a new approach
to work and enable them to get the most out of
the available facilities.

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WHEN ETIQUETTES CLASH
Without an established etiquette, walking to
the kitchen to dispose of your apple core
rather than throwing it in your desk bin may
seem abnormal, inefficient and an attack on
personal comfort.
Many people who still use desk bins do not
see the direct link between our individual
behaviour and environmental damage
caused by landfill.
By walking to the bin you are more likely to
make the choice to recycle, with evidence
showing a 50 per cent increase in recycling
in offices that don’t have desk bins.
Without a clear message around the
etiquette of waste disposal those who
struggle with the change may bring their
own bin and dispose of food and recyclable
waste at their desk. Eventually we may
have clusters of people with desk bins and
nobody to empty them on a regular basis.
This may cause conflict between those who
are following the new customs and those
who are not – an unhappy office culture in
the making.
ESTABLISHING THE NEW
ETIQUETTE – FOUR STEPS
1. Model behaviour.
2. Express expectations.
3. Provide information and guidance.
4. Address concerns.
New workplace etiquette begins with
leaders starting to model the behaviour
they want reflected by their teams and
colleagues. For leaders of teams, it is
important to set clear expectations of
desired behaviour and to address in team
conversations any issues with the course
that has been set.
It may be hard to believe that in the
1980s, even though the dangers of
passive smoking were well
documented, it was acceptable to
smoke in the office. It took many
years of lobbing to have this
outlawed; smokers were very vocal
that their ability to work efficiently
would be sacrificed by having to
leave the building to smoke.

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WHAT IF ETIQUETTE IS NOT WORKING?
‘What if someone repeatedly does the wrong thing?’ In any discussion
around workplace etiquette the question around what to do if someone
goes against the etiquette will be raised. The answer is as simple as it is
complicated.
Etiquette is about a groups agreed behaviour. It is not rigid and rule- driven,
it is flexible to the context and driven by social consensus. When you break
a rule or a law, the consequences are generally explicit – a fine, a warning.
When an established etiquette is broken, the immediate consequences are
subtle and entirely laden by the social context – an odd look or an awkward
stilted conversation at one end of the continuum, with social exclusion at
the other.
The rule of thumb is to remind the team of the correct behaviour in the
group context – etiquette is a team issue, singling people out is only going
to cause tension. Use team meetings, staff forums and continual modelling
of the appropriate behaviour. Remember the goal is to influence the
creation of a healthy and productive workplace culture with explicit benefits
for teams and individuals – so a small persistent nudging in the right
direction should be all that is needed.
Issues with individual performance need to be dealt with separately – the
Human Resources department will be able to help.
The 1WS use of space guide, cultural framework diagram and Office Light
poster all help to reinforce and guide behaviours.

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CULTURE FORMING FEATURES OF 1WS
WHY IS A NEW ETIQUETTE REQUIRED IN 1WS?
One William Street’s architectural design, fittings and management approach have been designed to
promote a style of working called ‘activity based working’.
Activity based working is thought to improve employee health and business efficiency by encouraging
people to move and collaborate more.
Most of us work in open plan office spaces, our working life is centred on our desks, our management
teams have offices and alternative places to work are limited. The culture of our work place is typically
defined by maintenance of hierarchies and silos between teams.
The 1WS design has features that promote equality, good health and social consciousness.
The equality features break down physical and cultural barriers leading to greater
collaboration.
The health promoting features support physical and emotional wellness of teams. The social
consciousness features connect our teams to broader social issues and the world outside of work.
EQUALITY
Nobody owns a space.
No cost or low cost
access to facilities.
Less me space more
we space.
HEALTH
• Low or no
cost access to
ergonomic and
health facilities.
• Spaces to
move to
and within.
• Fresh air
SOCIAL
CONSCIOUSNESS
• Recycling.
• Energy efficient
appliances.
• Follow
me printing.

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EQUALITY GOOD HEALTH FOR ALL SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS
Removal of offices.
Limited Executive pods
(50% of SES).
Office space replaced by
non-bookable collaboration
spaces.
Strict limitations on the
spaces (meeting rooms)
that are controlled by any
one agency.
Universal mobile
technology – anyone can
work anywhere.
Equal access to huge
variety of places to work.
Equal access to training,
conference rooms,
business lounge and VC
facilities.
No direct cost to access
facilities.
Open access to most floors
and facilities on these
floors.
30% sit to stand desks.
Attractive large scale end
of trip facilities/free access
for day use.
Minimal cost for long term
lockers.
Ergonomic desks and
chairs.
Abundance of social
spaces.
Natural light for all.
Stairs to travel between
floors of the village.
Lower rates of air
recirculation = cleaner air
Office wide recycling – no
desk bins.
Limited personal appliances,
all appliances owned by the
building manager and green
star rated.
Follow me printing.

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TEAM CULTURE IS THE VITAL INGREDIENT
With the appropriate team behaviours the 1WS design will support the creation of a more
collaborative, efficient and healthy workplace culture. Team behaviours that need to be encouraged
in 1WS are:
supporting equality of access
embracing new technology
seeking opportunities to collaborate and connect
being willing to share and accepting non-ownership of spaces
willingness to experience new spaces and move throughout the day
being thoughtful and respecting the different zones within the building
supporting the green energy rating of the building

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TEAM BEHAVIOURS TO BE
SUPPORTED
HOW TO MODEL THESE BEHAVIOURS
PUBLIC
SECTOR
VALUES
Supporting equality of access to
facilities regardless of position
or floor tenancy.
Be a leader of equality; share space,
empower yourself and others to speak
up, show everyone equal respect.
Embracing of new technology
and new approaches.
Be a leader of early adoption;
challenge yourself to adopt new
technology, support new approaches,
experiment with new ideas.
Seeking opportunities to
collaborate and connect across
teams, divisions and
departments.
Be a networking leader; looking for
synergies and connections with
colleagues outside your team.
Acceptance of non-ownership of
spaces and willingness to
share.
Be a leader of sharing; share space,
share your knowledge.
Willingness to move throughout
the day and experiment with
different locations.
Be a leader of activity; work in
different locations throughout the day,
increase your levels of physical
activity throughout the day.
Respect and understanding of
the levels of noise and potential
distraction expected within
different zones of the building.
Be a leader of thoughtfulness; respect
the needs of your colleagues.
Supporting green energy rating
of the building.
Be a leader of environmental
consciousness; recycle your waste.

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ETIQUETTE IN ACTION
Every office has an agreed etiquette; an agreed
way to behave that supports the true culture off
the workplace. This agreed code of behaviour is
rarely written down, and is formed by intangible
yet powerful forces of tradition, beliefs and
stories (see Torben Ricks culture iceberg).
Newcomers typically need to observe behaviour
first and through trial and error learn the right
way to operate. Any culture shock a newcomer
experiences weakens over time as new ways of
behaviour become normal.
Eventually the office etiquette becomes second
nature – an invisible yet powerful force.
Establishing new office etiquette takes time and
persistence. Explicit expression of what is
expected (tip of the iceberg) needs to be
supported by the behaviour, thoughts and
feelings of majority of staff (the iceberg).
You can nudge your team in the right direction
by modelling the behaviours listed in this guide.
At times more granular guidance is useful, the
following sections explores the various work
zones and details the kinds of behaviour that
should be encouraged and those that are red
flags and should be addressed.

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ETIQUETTE ZONES
The 1WS design divides floors into specific zones. The zones help to minimise the most commonly
cited etiquette concern – i.e. the management of noise and distractions. Each zone provides numerous
opportunities to model the right behaviour.

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FOCUS ZONES
Team work spaces, focus pods and quiet rooms form the focus zones on the floor, when working in
these zones staff should act in ways that minimise noise and distraction to co-workers.
Noise and distractions can come from a number of sources. Loud voices, phone ring and alert tones,
excessive clutter and odours are all commonly cited distractions.
Workstations
Focus desks and quiet rooms
Quiet, focused activity.
Short sharp focused conversations.
Telephone conversations using a
neutral tone of voice.
Using ear buds when watching videos
or taking Skype calls.
Holding a meeting - use a collaboration
space or a meeting room.
Having a staff social event - use the social
space and kitchens provided.
Clutter.
Prolonged, loud or animated
conversations.
Reading, studying, marking up a report,
researching.
Having a confidential telephone
conversation.
Removing all items when you leave.
Using the area for no longer than an
hour at a time.
Holding a meeting - use a
collaboration space or a meeting room.
Eating a meal - eat lunch in the
kitchens provided.
Storing items.
Leaving behind items.
Displaying ownership over the space.

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COLLABORATION ZONES
Non-bookable spaces
Bookable meeting spaces
Right size – selecting a space that
suitable for the size of your group and
the technology needs.
Use the available technology.
Reporting faults.
Leaving the room clean and tidy.
Having too few or too many people
in the space.
Attempting to reserve the space.
Right size – selecting a space that is
suitable for the size of your group
and the technology needs.
Use the available technology
Booking the space through the
booking system.
Running to a schedule and finishing
your meeting on time.
Turning up to a meeting a few minutes
before it starts.
Booking meeting rooms on other floors.
Reporting faults.
Leaving the room clean and tidy.
Having too few or too many people in
meeting room.
Not using available technology.
Running over time.

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SOCIAL ZONES
The kitchens, atriums and village mezzanines are the hubs of social zones
SUPPORT ZONES
Utility rooms are available for the use of all 1WS tenants. Storage rooms and compactus may be locked
to specific people depending in security needs. Follow me printing is a feature of the large multi-
function devices (MFDs) in the utility rooms, staff from across government are able to print from these
devices. Paper will be supplied by the agency tenanting the floor.
Utility rooms
The social zone is flexible space. Staff
can work, play, collaborate and
celebrate in these zones. It is expected
that staff will clean up after themselves.
Milk supplied for tea and coffee will be
used for only that purpose.
Leaving waste and mess behind.
Leaving dirty dishes in the sink.
Taking up too much space in the
refrigerators
Using milk provided for tea and coffee
for breakfast cereal.
Minimising the amount of paper printed.
Welcoming staff from other agencies to
use the utility room.
Negotiating the shared cost of paper.
Attempting to stop staff from other
agencies from using the printers.
Printing multiple reams of paper without
negotiating with agency who supply the
paper.

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OFFICE LIGHT
LIGHT ON STORAGE
LIGHT ON WASTE
LIGHT ON CLUTTER
LIGHT ON DISTRACTIONS

16. EQUALITY
Nobody owns a space.
No cost or low cost
access to facilities.
Less me space more
we space.
HEALTH
• Low or no
cost access to
ergonomic and
health facilities.
• Spaces to
move to
and within.
SOCIAL
CONSCIOUSNESS
• Recycling.
• Energy efficient
appliances.
• Follow
me printing.
SUPPORT
EQUALITY
SUPPORT
GREEN ENERGY
BE
THOUGHTFUL
EXPERIENCE
NEW SPACES
BE WILLING
TO SHARE
EMBRACE NEW
TECHNOLOGY
COLLABORATE
AND CONNECT