University Of Iowa Hospital & Clinics issued the following announcement on July 21.
Now that meeting formats have shifted and workspaces are busier, we’ve put together a few suggestions to help you be the best office mate you can.
If you have office mates, try to be respectful of your shared space when attending a virtual meeting, having conversations with others, taking phone calls, or eating.
Using headphones or finding an alternative space are great ways to limit the distraction for your office mates (and yourself) during calls or virtual meetings.
Lunchtime liability
Packing a lunch is a great way to save money and ensure you have food you like. But if you bring (or buy) food with an especially strong odor, consider disposing of it in a trash can outside your workspace. Consider also eating in a break room or cafeteria space instead of in the shared office where smells may linger.
Avoid perfume and cologne
Staff should avoid wearing perfume and cologne in the workplace. Not only is it prohibited by UI Health Care’s professional appearance policy, but strong scents can be a distraction to your office mates.
Communication is key
Life hack: Attaching your key to your ID badge is a foolproof way to never be locked out of your office again.
As a good rule of thumb, staff should lock office doors if they’re the last ones out of a shared space. However, if that’s not communicated openly among co-workers, problems can arise.
To quell any issues, consider having a conversation with your office mates about taking your office keys with you when leaving for a meeting, to get food, use the restroom, etc.
Be a friend
If you have a new hire in your shared space, do your best to be a buddy. Going out to lunch? Invite them along. Going to an in-person meeting? Offer to walk the halls with them to help them learn their way around.
Original source can be found here.
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