1) If you didn’t bring it…don’t eat or drink it. As money concerns continue to rise many people are opting to bring their lunch to work instead of eating out. Completely cutting your lunch expenses by being a food thief isn’t an option. You may think that sampling a colleague’s lunch isn’t a big deal but imagine if everyone did that, the owner wouldn’t have anything left.

2) When bringing your lunch think of others. By this I don’t mean that you should provide lunch for the entire office but you should be aware of the aroma of your food. Separately, the smell of BBQ, Chinese food and baked fish maybe delightful but combined it’s rather unpleasant. If your food has a strong aroma that could carry throughout the office, it’s best to eat in the break room instead of at your desk.

3) Report technical problems promptly and correctly. The copy machine malfunctions, what do you do? I know…just tell the person whose cubicle is next to the copy machine. Yikes! When a piece of equipment isn’t working properly call or email the appropriate department and never just walk away thinking it’s not your problem.

4) Be a big girl and a big boy. Shared spaces such as bathrooms and the kitchen/break room can be a source of major tension in the office and cause everyone’s fuse to become even shorter. If your food splatters in the microwave or you spill water on the bathroom counter than clean it up. This not only shows respect for your colleagues, but also the custodial staff or whose job it is to keep the office clean and tidy. As the saying goes, "Your mother isn’t here so clean up after yourself!"

5) Keep noise to a minimum. When stress levels are high, voices seem to go even higher. Be aware of the volume and tone of your voice at all times and keep your voice down when speaking on the phone or to another person.

6) Ask permission. It seems like common sense to knock before entering someone’s office, are cubicles any different? No they aren’t, you should always ask for permission before entering someone’s workspace. It’s impolite to simply enter a colleague’s cubicle or to stick your head over the partition. Take the time to get up, walk to his cubicle entrance and politely ask if you may speak with him.