This document provides tips and advice from managers on things employees should avoid doing at work. Some of the key things mentioned include regularly coming into work late, going into the office hungover, avoiding movement and sitting at your desk all day, staying late just to look busy if your workload is done, not speaking up or preparing for meetings, oversharing personal details with coworkers, and waiting until review time to ask for a raise. The managers providing advice emphasize being fully engaged, on time, productive, and building relationships with coworkers and managers.

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BEING THE LAST
NOT TO THE OFFICE
IN THE MORNING
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“I’m a low-key manager, but I definitely notice when
someone rolls in late every single day,” says Nicole, 38,
an executive editor at a publishing company. “It makes
that person look like they don’t care. I think staggering
times is great; if I see you at your desk early sometimes, I
don’t think of you as 'the late person.'"
Make 2016 the year you become a morning person — or
at least the person who shows up on time every day.
Running late? Check in with your manager to let her
know what's up.
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GOING TO WORK
HUNGOVER
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Sometimes, you just have to indulge in Thirsty Thursday.
The only issue is that Frustration Friday usually follows,
where you feel like crap while you're at work. And your
boss will notice.
“I could definitely tell when reports hit happy hour too
hard the night before. We’ve all been there, but make a
point to work beyond the hangover. Exercise, drink
plenty of water, whatever you have to do so it isn’t so
obvious,” says Nicole.

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SITTING AT
YOUR DESK ALL
DAY 3 of 26

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We’ve heard a million times: Sitting all day is bad for
your brain and your butt. Making it a point to move
around the office makes you feel more energized and
more productive.
“I ended up committing to drinking two liters of water a
day, but this had the added benefit of making me walk
around more. I was always heading to the water cooler or
the bathroom,” says Eric, 29, an IT specialist.

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STAYING AT A
JOB YOU HATE
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That feeling of dread creeping in the pit of your stomach
every morning? It’s a sign you’re ready to leave quit your
job.
“I can always tell when someone’s over their job,” reveals
HR manager Beth. “And quite honestly, it makes them
hard to want to hire. I’d much rather talk to someone
who’s clearly passionate about their work and needs a
change. Once you start feeling resentment and anger, I
worry it’ll boil over into a new gig.”

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STAYING LATE
BECAUSE YOU
FEEL GUILTY5 of 26

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“I had one report who was at her desk at least an hour
after I left every night,” says Michelle, 38, a marketing
manager. “It didn’t make her seem dedicated. It made
her seem disorganized and like she couldn’t handle her
workload.”
Of course, sometimes you’ve got to burn the midnight
oil, but don’t stay late just to ingratiate yourself to higher
ups.
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NOT SPEAKING
UP IN
MEETINGS6 of 26

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“I’m amazed by how little some people prepare for
meetings,” says creative director Jessica. “What stands
out with new hires are the ones who prepare for a
meeting just as thoroughly as they prepare for a report. I
love when they bring relevant print-outs, a notebook,
and they aren’t afraid to share their thoughts. If you’re
invited to a meeting, it means you’re considered relevant
(unless, of course, you’re only invited to take notes, which
is something that should be made clear from the outset).
So act like it.”

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ORDERING
LUNCH IN
EVERY DAY7 of 26

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A $12 goat cheese salad that only tastes meh is blowing
your budget, no matter how much money you make.
That's almost $3K a year you're spending on some limp
microgreens!
Opt to bring from home at least a few times a week and
save to splurge on lunch with coworkers out of the office
every week or so — it will make it way more special (and
probably more productive).

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AVOIDING
HR
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Fact: HR should know who you are. Keeping them in the loop
regularly, especially at a larger company, can help key you into career
opportunities before you even hear about them.
“I scheduled a ‘hello’ meeting with the HR rep when I was about six
months into my new job,” says Amy, 33, an account executive. “They
were really happy to talk with me. I just sent an email saying I’d
started in April, I loved working with the organization, and I wanted to
set up an introductory meeting to hear more about longterm
opportunities with the company. I explained what I was looking for in
my career, and they gave me some tips, including the fact they
offered tuition reimbursement once I hit a year at the company. I’m
already planning to take some business school classes on their dime!”

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WASTING TIME
ON SOCIAL
MEDIA9 of 26

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Of course you want to scroll through Instagram or
Facebook, but you shouldn't have them constantly
opened in the background while you work. Only check
them a few times a day, when you need a break from
your work. Not only will you get more done, you’ll be
more engaged in your work. Same goes for incessant
texting, especially with friends or family. It makes you
look super unprofessional if you spend all day playing
with your cell phone.
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NOT TAKING
YOUR SICK
DAYS 10 of 26

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You're sick — a sneezing, coughing, runny-nosed mess. Do not
come into the office: You'll risk making yourself — and
everyone around you — even sicker. Plus, how productive are
you really going to be?
“I made this mistake,” says Kristy, 32, a teacher. “I wouldn’t take
sick days because I worried that I wasn’t ‘sick enough.’ I came
down with a horrible flu that I’m convinced was exacerbated
by working on days when I was under the weather.”
Companies offer sick days for a reason. Don't be a martyr. Use
them.

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BEING AFRAID
OF THE BOSS
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Sure, she might be intimidating, but aim for a relaxed
conversation in the elevator. The more casual facetime you
have with upper management, the better it is for your career.
“I truly owe my first promotion to the fact I wasn’t afraid to
ride in the elevator with the boss. From the very first time I
took the elevator with her, I complimented her on the latest
issue of the magazine she’d edited and told her about an
interesting article I’d read in that day’s paper on the rise of
Paleo dieting. Ever since then, she saw me as the person who
knew about food trends, and it was a really great connection,”
says Jenny, 33, a fashion editor.

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COMPLAINING
ABOUT WORK ON
SOCIAL MEDIA12 of 26

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Even a funny Instagram caption can rub a boss the wrong
way. It's even worse when you offer vague updates about
your unhappiness on Facebook.
“Honestly, I’m excited most Mondays about the week
ahead, and I’d like my team to be, too,” says Nicole. Keep
it positive or save the bitching for a snap to a friend (who
doesn’t work in your office).

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ONLY FOCUSING
ON YOUR WORK
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Keeping your head down and getting your assignments
done is awesome, but raises and promotions go to
people who know what’s going on with the company as
a whole. Volunteering for cross-company projects, or
even just reading the office newsletter, will enhance your
value. “I like knowing that people know and understand
the company, not just their job,” says Beth, 29, an HR
manager.
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GOSSIPING
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We get it: Sometimes, you just need to vent. But keep
any comments about coworkers off Gchat, text, or email
— and the elevator!
“One of my supervisors had a great motto. She would
always said, 'Save it for the bus' — basically, don't talk
about work stuff in the vicinity of work.” recalls Lindsey,
34, an editor. Need to talk? Take it outside and have the
conversation away from your colleagues.

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GETTING CAUGHT
UP IN “JUNK
PRODUCTIVITY”15 of 26

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Yes, you got your inbox to zero, but does that really help your
goals? Be aware of the time-suck tasks that make you feel busy,
but don’t really get you ahead.
“I actually created an auto responder that I’m more responsive on
Twitter,” says Ken, 27, a social media manager. “Obviously, it
depends on your company culture, but that fix puts less pressure
on me to immediately respond.”
If your office isn't so laid back, get a handle on when you're most
productive and schedule time on your calendar to focus on the
hard stuff during those hours. Save the emails and other mindless
tasks for times when you're feeling less focused.

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ASKING “DO
YOU HAVE A
SECOND?”16 of 26

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It may seem like no big deal to ask colleagues for help,
but taking two seconds to figure out the answer yourself
can be incredibly valuable. “I love my assistant, but she
always asks for help,” says Emily, 34, a marketing
manager. “I finally had to explain that even if it just takes
me a second to answer, it’s a really distracting ask,
especially if it’s something better asked of IT or even
Google.”

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SKIPPING
OFFICE HAPPY
HOUR 17 of 26

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Yes, you spend eight or more hours a day with your
coworkers, and yes, after-hours activities cut into your
personal time, but going out regularly with your
colleagues makes you seem like part of the team and
helps you build meaningful relationships.
RSVP yes, have a drink, and then go do your own thing.
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SPENDING TOO MUCH
TIME ON INSTANT
MESSENGER
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It’s a time suck, even if you’re chatting about work. If
you've got a few assignments that need your full
attention, turn it off entirely for a little while so you don't
get distracted. Communicating with a coworker? It might
actually be more productive to talk with them face-to-
face rather than trying to sort out a problem via instant
messenger.

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OVER-SHARING
WITH
COWORKERS19 of 26

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The workplace is a pretty casual place these days, but that
doesn't mean you should get too personal (especially
during those happy hour drinks!). It's cool to share a
funny story about your partner or your fun weekend plans
while chatting with a coworker in the kitchen, but it's best
to avoid going too in-depth. Work isn't a place to
describe a bitter breakup, a fight with your parents,
money troubles, or your alcoholic best friend's latest
foibles. You should be friendly with your coworkers, but
they don't need to know EVERYTHING about you.

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ACTING
CLIQUE-Y WITH
COWORKERS20 of 26

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“One time, my manager sarcastically asked me what the
‘lunch club’ was doing. I had no idea what she was talking
about, but it turned out that going to lunch with the same
three people every day made it seem like we were clique-
y,” recalls Meghan, 34, a PR manager. “After that, I
opened up the invite, making it clear anyone could join.”
Yes, it's important to have friends at work, but you need
to make sure you're not hanging out with the same
people all the time — or worse, seeming to exclude your
coworkers. Mixing it up can be good for your career.

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A MESSY
DESK
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es, it can be creative, but it can read disorganized to
managers. “I had a creative job, so I always assumed it
didn’t matter what my desk looked like,” recalls Ruth, 32,
a copywriter. “It wasn’t until I jumped to a new job where
I kept my desk clean that I kept getting comments about
how professional I seemed. I truly think my desk was an
indication of that. Now, I just keep one framed photo of
my family in the corner of my desk and a pair of heels in
my drawer.”
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WEARING
HEADPHONES
24/7 22 of 26

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“Our office is collaborative, but seeing everyone wearing
headphones drives me nuts,” says Jessica, 32, a creative
director. “I really think that taking breaks between
wearing headphones and being available to chat makes
you seem more like a team player.”
Keep them off when you’re responding to emails, put
them on when you’re in the middle of a major project.
Don't wear them all day every day.

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EATING LUNCH
AT YOUR DESK
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These days, it's not uncommon for most of us to work
through lunch, but it can be so depressing to eat your
Seamless order while trying to cram in work. Even if your
office has a "butts in chair" policy, try to take a few
minutes each day to step away from your desk — even
better if you can eat your lunch with coworkers.
“I make it a priority to get out of the office at least once a
day,” says Kelly, 25, a junior PR account manager. “Even
when it’s freezing, walking around the block always
makes me feel more productive.”

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HAVING ALL
THE TABS OPEN
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It's easy to fall into a rabbit hole with the tabs function on
internet browsers. But in reality, multi-tasking just doesn’t
work. Do one thing at a time, practicing the Pomodoro
method: break work into 25 minute chunks, then take a
five-minute break to check your email or Facebook. The
rest of the time, just keep one tab open.

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DOING THE
EASIEST TASK
FIRST 25 of 26

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"I read a bunch of books by organizing expert Julie
Morgenstern, and this is one of the tips that made the
most sense to me," says Nicole, 34, a freelance writer. "I
don’t check my inbox for the first hour of the morning
and use that time to really dive into a tricky project.
Knowing it’s done gives me motivation throughout the
day."
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WAITING UNTIL
REVIEW TIME TO
ASK FOR A RAISE
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By the time review time comes, it may be too late to ask
for a raise. Schedule a meeting with your supervisor a
few months in advance and think of gunning for a raise
as an all-year project. For more tips, click here.

55. For more ways to kill it at work in 2016,
check out cambartlett.com for info on
social media and digital marketing.
SUCCESS!