Rules for Cubicle Etiquette

Most large corporations have at least one floor dedicated to cubicles, which are enormous space-savers for employers and also help to foster relationships between employees. If you work in a cubicle or will be starting to work in one in the future, you should know that working in such close quarters can often breed hostility rather than closeness. Here are a few rules for cubicle etiquette that you should keep in mind.

Knock Before Entering. Just because a cubicle doesn't have a door doesn't mean that you can barge in whenever you want. If business or just a chat takes you to a neighboring cubicle for a brief conversation, use standard cubicle etiquette by knocking on the side of the wall before walking in. This shows that you respect your coworkers' space and keeps you from feeling intrusive. If they can't talk, they'll say so.

Use Your Indoor Voice. Because cubicles are crammed together, they don't provide much of a buffer where noise is concerned. If you're constantly yapping on the phone and you don't bother to tone your voice down, chances are you're annoying your colleagues. Use cubicle etiquette by closely monitoring the volume of your voice.

Meet Friends Elsewhere. Many people enjoy having friends and family members stop by the office, but since you don't technically have an office, you'll need to respect your colleagues' time. Rather than inviting them up to your floor and bothering everyone in surrounding cubicles, ask your friends to meet you in the lobby or the coffee shop across the street.

Call In Sick. Office buildings are naturally germy but offices with cubicles are even worse. When you know you're coming down with something, do your coworkers a favor by calling in sick. Standard cubicle etiquette states that you shouldn't infect your colleagues unless it's absolutely necessary.