Can You Fire an Employee for Bad Manners?
The answer is a resounding “yes,” according to the vast majority of managers.
According to a new survey by TheLadders.com, 98.7% of bosses believe in office etiquette and 69.7% would fire an employee for bad workplace manners. 82.4% said they have issued an official warning and 6% have actually fired someone for breaching office etiquette.
Among bosses who have fired an employee for bad manners, the top five offenses were:
- Foul language (38.4%)
- Excessive gossip (36.5%)
- Drinking on the job (35.2%)
- Leaving the office without telling anyone (33.6%)
- Excessive personal calls (28.0%)
So, what do employees think is the world’s worst workplace faux pas? Believe it or not, the #1 answer was stealing someone else’s food from the fridge. Finishing second was bad hygiene. Others that made the list included cooking stinky food in the office microwave, swearing and sending messages on a BlackBerry during a meeting.
Practical Application
Based on the above, we have scientifically determined that the absolute most optimal way to get fired would be to (a) steal someone’s lunch, (b) cook it in the office microwave, (c) swear, gossip, send messages on your BlackBerry and make personal calls while it’s cooking, (d) have a beer with your meal, (e) don’t brush and floss afterward and then (f) immediately leave the office without telling anyone.
