Corporate Culture

There are unwritten rules about learning the nuances of the corporate culture. It is important to become familiar with these when starting a new job. After all, no one wants to be fired and have that looming in your job history.

Avoid gossip. While some of us enjoy the feeling of being accepted when we are entitled to privileged information, it is best to steer clear of spreading rumors and gossip. Stories have a way of evolving and often are hurtful. Some types of gossip can be vindictive and intentionally spread to tarnish someone’s reputation. The gossiper can be terminated because the act is a form of bullying.

It is never a good idea to speak poorly about your boss or higher ups. Obviously, this can have a detrimental outcome. Consider the fact that your boss has the ability to make your work life a lot more difficult, perhaps even suspending or terminating your position. Alienating someone who is in a position of power is always a bad idea. It certainly can impact job performance reviews, salary, and promotions.

Represent your company in good form. It is in your best interest to consider yourself as an ambassador of your employer in every situation. Some who have failed to live up to this unwritten rule have found themselves in hot water. Negatively representing your organization or the products or services it sells can buy you a one-way ticket out the door. Some hiring contacts include clauses with regards to trade secrets being divulged. However, even for those who don’t normally work in areas of the company that deal with sensitive information, it can still create problems when private information about the company is shared publicly. This could include such things as the company’s financial performance, private information about the wellness of another employee, or perhaps even details of the company’s strategic plans. Every company wants to gain a competitive advantage. Allowing your company to lose its advantage can result in a significant economic impact to the organization.

Be careful when composing email. Emails are considered to be a property of the employer, thus giving them the right to monitor what you are sending and receiving at your work account. Avoid emails with regards to personal information or opinions. At work, it is best to stick to the facts. Email is generally considered the property of your employer, thus giving them the right to monitor what you’re sending and receiving at your work account. You should also be careful with memos, printed or hand-written documents and instant messages sent while at work. Our current world depends largely upon social media to dispel news and communicate with those in our networks of friends, family, colleagues and other associates.

Numerous cases exist of people who lost their jobs because they said something in an online forum that insulted their boss, the company that they work for or a co-worker. Realistically, you could be fired for breaking any number of the above unwritten rules.

Source: “Things You Didn’t Know Could Get You Fired.” Yahoo! Finance. Web. 06 Jan. 2013.