OFFICE HOUSEKEEPING

Aside from office demeanour, good housekeeping is another office etiquette that the employee has topractice while inside the office premises.  When working inthe office, you should use your right discretion in arranging your work station to suit with the nature of your work environment.Office, no matter whathappens will always be office – you should write a border line between your office and home when it comes in appearance of your work station.  Although there is prerogative allowed to every employee, the employee himself however has to keep his workstation bounded with the decorum of standard office environment.

The desk is the most visible and the very first territory of the employee which will tell his the owner.  That is why you should manage your area; keep your desk clean and neat.  Personal thing should as much as possible be limited, if cannot avoided, however you should be careful when displaying personal items.  In posting and displaying paraphernalia, you have to be sensitive and responsible in considering the nature your colleague.  Some things may just ordinary to you but offensive to others, especially if these are religious, political, cultural and sensual materials that can be foul to your co-workers.

Some workstation looks either messy or over-decorated desk, or both.There are desks flooded with papers on it that are sore to the eyes like correspondences, rims of papers, folders, pieces of different envelopes, reference books and business magazines, and other paper works that are mixed in its stack.  There are also different print outs such as lists of information, reminders and signs that seem to be a wall paper or tablecloth.  If it is really necessary and inevitable to have these things on your desk, then finding a better way of filing should be practiced.  Unending messages written in Post It Note pads (symbol) posted in desk, wall, and in any visible surface will look vandalism.  Do not create more contributors that will just add the clutter like printing various documents to be posted on wall as reminder, be it business or personal.  Use one calendar only since all calendars have the same dates.  Using creativeness, if you can make a “master list” of all important information you need in one sheet only instead of making different list separately, like list of key persons, contact numbers, location, email address, etc.  The more prints mean the more clutter in the space, double the work that becomes redundant, and make your office a room of garbage or junkshop.  Some employee may purposely let their desk to look mountain of paper works to construe their huge volume of workload and busyness however, this can be interpreted as tardiness, laziness, and unorganized.  Clean and neat desk doesn’t mean lack of work but instead can be meant of fastness and being organized. 

Also, the employee should impose self-restrain in decorating his work station that will overshadow the very purpose of the table.  Workstation is not photo-album, but some employees are more than excited to post their friends’ group picture, different family pictures and children’s school activities, etc. be it hanged in the wall or simply placed on top of the desk.  Others are fond with pictures of flower, scenic places, and arts materials.  While there are also interested in posting various proverbs, poems, greeting cards, and posters.  Office should not look extension of your convenience in your living room by displaying promotional items from their favourite food chain and restaurants, collecting novelty items, gifts with sentimental values and trinkets like tiny stuffed toys, miniatures, figurines, flower vase.  How about excessive ornamental plants that dim the surrounding, desk lamp, pencil holder, etc.?

Every employee must understand that office is a communal / shared area that over-decorating it may not acceptable to other users.  The ability to organize self-premises and being systematic are important.  Respecting your colleague and courtesy in the office are signs of professionalism.  Linked to responsibility, keeping a good housekeeping is a reflection of attitude that can inspire your peers.

Alex Villamayor

July 17, 2012