5 workplace sins (and how to fix them)

Work. Most of us have to do it, and many of us have to work for other people. It’s not ideal and often, it’s not fun. As a result, we find ourselves committing one (or more) of these workplace sins:

Ignoring deadlines. Almost all jobs come with this little quirk. Supervisors and managers actually expect you to finish your reports and tasks by a certain date. And on time, too! While we, as workers, may question why these deadlines are in place, there’s usually a good reason behind it. Those reasons can be federal compliance, corporate rules, or pressure from your boss’s boss. Whatever it is and however ridiculous we may think those deadlines are, a surefire way to get into trouble at work is to chronically miss deadlines. It’s a very passive aggressive act of defiance and, if it happens often enough, it can cost you a promotion, a raise, or even your existing job. It’s also rude.  Quick fix: If you want to make your boss happy, and your workday easier, meet your deadlines. It’ll prevent your boss from bothering you too often.

Dressing inappropriately. I’ve covered this topic before but it’s worth repeating. You need to dress according to your environment. If you’re a stripper, the less clothes the better. But if you work in an office environment or a school or a store or a warehouse or somewhere that you do not get paid to take off your clothes, you need to adhere to your workplace’s dress code. Ignoring that dress code is also very passive aggressive and believe me when I say that management takes notice. And not only will you get punished, but your co-workers will get the wrath of management as well. That’ll make people not like you and cause your work day to be quite unpleasant.  Quick fix: Dress the way your work says, even if it’s a horrendous uniform. Change as soon as you get home. Or before you leave the building after your shift is done. But suck it up during work hours.

Arriving late. Getting to work on time is hard, particularly if you have children or take public transportation to work. Having to adjust to someone else’s schedule is awful. Trains, buses, traffic, and toddlers are all very unpredictable. However, if you know that these factors are present in your life, you need to make accommodations. And in a number of companies, particularly retail, chronic lateness is probably the best way to get fired. Quick fix: Get up earlier. Get your kid up earlier. Take a different route. One tactic that worked for me (yes, I had a horrible chronic lateness problems at one of my jobs. I admit it) was to talk to my direct supervisor and adjust my schedule. By making a simple 15 minute adjustment on both ends of my day, I stopped being late and everyone was happier. If you’re running late, try to give them a call and let them know. Courtesy goes a long way.

Abusing your leave. Who doesn’t love a good day off in the middle of the summer when it’s perfect beach weather or in the dead of winter when it’s just too cold to leave the house? Who doesn’t take the occasional mental health day on a Tuesday because Tuesdays suck and getting a manicure is better than writing another report? I’m not going to lie to you…I did all of those when I worked my full-time office job. And I feel absolutely no remorse for doing so. It was my leave, I earned it, and I felt that I could use it how I wanted. However, I never abused my right to take unplanned leave. But there are a number of workers who are not that honest. If you’re one of them, it will catch up to you. I’ve seen it happen. Quick fix: If you want to take vacation, or a mental health day, just put in an advance request for it whenever possible. When it comes to this, honesty really is the best policy. If you or someone in your family have chronic health issues, discuss the leave for this with your supervisor.

Having a poor attitude.  Do you hate your job? Do you treat your coworkers and customers like crap? Are you always angry and rude on the phone? Does the quality of your work suffer because you think your boss is a dumbass who gives you tasks beneath you? Have you been called into your HR office to discuss all of these issues? Does everyone hate you? If so, maybe you’re in the wrong job for you. But if you can’t easily walk into another position or field, you need to learn to keep your poor, resentful and disrespectful attitude in check. Making others around you unhappy is bad for business and it’s bad for you. I’ve worked in jobs I can’t stand and I’ve done my fair share of complaining about them, both at work and at home. The negativity is infectious and will ruin every aspect of your life. Quick fix: Do whatever you need to do to get through the day (short of showing up intoxicated. This only works on Mad Men).  I don’t advocate a live for the weekend lifestyle but if that’s what you need to keep yourself positive (and employed), use that as a way to keep yourself going on those days where you want to scream at everyone.

While it’s impossible to be perfect at work every day—we are human, after all, and humans have bad days—it’s important to conduct ourselves as professional as possible on as many days as possible. Not doing so is a drain on you, your company, and the productivity and profits of your workplace. But if you find that nothing you do is making your job bearable, and you just can’t stop yourself from committing these sins, then maybe it’s time to look for another place of work. And there’s no shame in that. Not every job is meant for every personality.

Readers, what are some other workplace sins that you or your coworkers have committed? How have you fixed them?