Break The Bad Work Habits

Some not-so-great habits at work can be hard to break, but everyone seems to have one, even the “Employee of the Month”. Whether you take care of personal affairs while on the clock, forget to read the group memos, or simply don’t take your job all that seriously, some of your work habits can not only put you on the fast track to termination, but you may be putting the safety of yourself and your co-workers at risk. While no one is perfect and everyone is entitled to have a bad day at the office every now and again, these bad work habits should be avoided:

“It’s Not My Job or Responsibility”

In an ideal workplace setting, the company will be organized, all employees will have a clear understanding of what they are hired to do, standard operating procedures are respected and followed closely, and there are never any workplace incidents or complaints. However, in reality, there always seems to be at least one employee who isn’t doing what he or she should be doing and there’s always another who says, “It’s not my job.”  True, it may not be in that employee’s job description to attend to work that is not being done properly, safely, or at all, but simply ignoring something can lead to larger issues. If you notice that something is not being done, talk to the person in charge. Simply ignoring an issue that could put everyone at risk is a bad idea.

Failing to Follow Workplace Safety

Whether you work in an office or in an industrial setting, workplace safety is important. A significant amount of workplace accidents and illnesses occur because employees failed to follow workplace safety rules. Take navy shipyard workers, for example. According to Belluck & Fox, until the 1970’s, shipyard workers built and repaired ships for the Navy, using materials that contained asbestos. At the time, asbestos was not seen as a hazardous material, therefore, protective gear was minimal, which lead to many shipyard workers being diagnosed with mesothelioma later in life. These days, anyone who works with asbestos-related materials must have proper training and wear proper training gear at all times, without it, he or she is putting his life at risk.

The choices you make at work and whether or not to follow safety procedures, can mean life or death for not only you but, others in your workplace.

Always Late

Tardiness is bound to happen from time to time, but if you are chronically late, you could not only lose your job, but you could miss out on important information. Many workplaces conduct meetings or send out memos first thing in the morning, particularly if it’s information that is relevant to workplace safety. If you show up late all the time, you’re more likely to be “out of the loop” and your coworkers may not feel like updating you with important information every time you walk in late. Make it your goal to show up on time and to take initiative and ask if you missed anything important.