Career Sins

[Virg]

The list as I see it has several levels of offenses/non-offenses so I had to segment it out.  I put sabotage on top closely followed by gossip and then followed by the half of complaining about the boss, since they're malicious and purposeful although gossip may or may not be intended to damage someone's job directly where sabotage is.  These are followed by tardiness and too much personal business since they're self-driven and harmful to the business but almost never malicious.  At the bottom fall not socializing and not getting along with the boss, because in both cases it's possible to do these and not have any negative impact on the job or workplace.  I've personally worked with a manager where no love at all was lost between us due to personality issues, but we ran our branch very well and so we simply avoided any non-business contact at all and all of our coworkers spoke all the more highly of both of us because of it.  Not socializing is really more a matter of the job atmosphere than any general rule, because in some workplaces it would make coworkers very uncomfortable and in others it wouldn't matter at all.

Virg

[Seraphia]

I voted active sabotage as the worst, because to me, that crosses from a 'bad work habit' into highly immoral, definitely questionable, and possibly illegal, depending on what kind of sabotage is in question.

As far as bad work habits go, I would say gossip affects the atmosphere a job the most, and can make an average job painful, and a crummy job terrible. Nobody wants to come to work, except possibly the gossipers themselves, when they know that their personal life, work habits, etc. are under discussion for no real reason other than boredom.

[cheyne]

Sabotage would be the worst offense for me.  If it involved destroying company or private property I would escalate it to a police matter. 

Being chronically late and too much personal business can be devastating to certain career fields.  In mine being late is a huge problem for the entire work flow and I have a "3 strikes you're out" policy there.  We have safety issues that can involve multiple people, so any cell phone time is an absolute "no no" during certain parts of the job.

I don't understand how not "socializing" with co-workers is a career sin.  I keep my job and personal life very separate.  I do attend the annual holiday party and I have a summer party at my home for my workers.  Otherwise I do not attend "Happy hours" or weekend things.  However, we work at least 2500 hrs a year in my industry so most people want to get home and be with family.

[SiderisAnon]

I find it interesting that "sabotage" is getting the most votes currently, yet I've seen work places where sabotaging other people in order to get ahead was part of the normal path for clawing your way to the top.

I agree that it's a lousy thing to do, but unfortunately it's not always bad for your career out in the real world.

[Venus193]

Because sabotaging another person's work can seriously impact the entire business and that of its clients, who support the business.

[oceanus]

I find it interesting that "sabotage" is getting the most votes currently, yet I've seen work places where sabotaging other people in order to get ahead was part of the normal path for clawing your way to the top.

I agree that it's a lousy thing to do, but unfortunately it's not always bad for your career out in the real world.

Interesting comments.

To me, sabotage involves acts such as deliberate destruction of property, impeding someone’s production and work flow, planting something in such as manner so it will be found and result in another person getting into trouble, “forgetting” or neglecting to do something which will result in harm to someone else.  (I gave a few examples upthread) Sabotage conjures up images of revenge, hatred, greed, and jealousy.  It's bad for a person's career only if they are caught/exposed.

I think that doing questionable things in order to just get ahead falls more under the category or manipulation unless it results in someone else getting unfairly fired or even prosecuted.  Of course, a lot would depend on the specifics.

[Auntie Mame]

Why is not wanting to spend your free time at office events a "sin".  I don't go to my office parties because 1) I have a very busy social life and my calendar is very full 2) I don't want to.  My free time is my free time and more often than not it's already scheduled with friends that I don't get to see every single day, like I see see my coworkers every single day. 

I come to work, I do my job, I do my job quite well in fact.  I treat my coworkers with respect and courtesy.  I pitch in and help out with other departments.  I do all of that with a professional attitude because that is my job.  That is what they pay me to do.  Beyond that, my company has no right to make demands on my liesure time.  Besides I see them Monday through Friday.  I have a life to maintain.

[oceanus]

Why is not wanting to spend your free time at office events a "sin". 

As I said in post #10, *I* don't think it is, but experience and observation indicate that a LOT of people do.  Among other reasons, they see it as personal rejection and many people's lives revolve around their jobs and co-workers.

[Auntie Mame]

Why is not wanting to spend your free time at office events a "sin". 

As I said in post #10, *I* don't think it is, but experience and observation indicate that a LOT of people do.  Among other reasons, they see it as personal rejection and many people's lives revolve around their jobs and co-workers.

Interesting, I guessit wouldn't occur to me to get my underpants in a twist because my coworkers have their own lives.

[Octavia]

I voted sabotage for being the worst.

But I believe gossip is a close second. Gossip is like a cancer that spreads through an organization, and it can certainly have an adverse impact on people's careers.

[Venus193]

Not attending office parties is probably a worse "sin" in small companies where people are a little too close for comfort.  Your absence is noticed to a degree it isn't in a larger place (or department) and if the people talk about each other "like family" you will definitely have an issue if you like to maintain a strong boundary between work and private time.

[whiterose]

Sabotaging another person. No questions asked.

[oceanus]

Not attending office parties is probably a worse "sin" in small companies where people are a little too close for comfort.  Your absence is noticed to a degree it isn't in a larger place (or department) and if the people talk about each other "like family" you will definitely have an issue if you like to maintain a strong boundary between work and private time.

Amen to that.

It got to the point that when I went on interviews, if someone said "we're a family", I thought to myself "I need a job, not more relatives.  Certainly don't want my co-workers all up in my personal business." 

At one place it was a team interview.  Six people sat at a table and asked me questions.  Then the kicker:  "We're family.  If you have any personal problems, feel free to share.  We care."  (YIKES)    No, thanks.

[misha412]

I voted like most for sabotage. All of the others can be detrimental to a degree in certain situations. (I have committed one or two of them myself.)

However, to me, someone actively working to undermine another goes beyond bad business to immoral and unethical. While it might help someone get to the top faster, it also leaves a wake of mistrust and dislike among co-workers and subordinates.

[Venus193]

It got to the point that when I went on interviews, if someone said "we're a family", I thought to myself "I need a job, not more relatives.  Certainly don't want my co-workers all up in my personal business." 

At one place it was a team interview.  Six people sat at a table and asked me questions.  Then the kicker:  "We're family.  If you have any personal problems, feel free to share.  We care."  (YIKES)    No, thanks.

I should have realized that when two other people showed up for my interview despite their not saying anything about "we're a family."