The, Rules of Work, 4th Edition

RULE 64

Understand the social protocols

Within every company and place of work there will be social protocols. Know them and use them. They might be quite simple:

• you never take partners to the staff do
• you always turn up for the staff meetings on your days off
• you never park in a certain couple of spaces even though they aren’t marked because they are unofficially reserved for the MD’s partner and kids
• you always give a fiver to the leaving envelopes that go round but only a couple of quid for the birthdays
• you never take the jam doughnut with the coffee because that’s Sylvia’s – always has been, always will be
• you always refer to the MD as Charles to his face but as Charlie to the rest of the staff, but as Sir Charles to his PA
• it is OK to ...