Did you know that many full-time employees actually spend more time with their co-workers than with their families and friends?

Talk about a good reason to get to know your co-workers! If the majority of your time is spent together, it’s in your best interest to try and create a friendly and collegial work environment. Use your breaks and lunches to chat with your co-workers. Take the time to learn about their backgrounds, their families, and their hobbies and interests. It will certainly make coming to work every day a lot nicer. And, as an added bonus, studies show that workplaces where employees genuinely like each other tend to be much more productive.

Some people are naturally more social than others, making it easier for them to make friends at work. However, as long as you avoid these three big workplace bad habits, you should already be on your way to forging good relationships with your co-workers.

Gossiping in the workplace.

Who said what about whom? Who’s up for that big promotion? Did you hear that so-and-so got fired? Any time you have a group of people together with different – and sometimes competing – interests, there will always be gossip. It’s inevitable in a workplace that employees will talk. But if you get a reputation for being someone who is always searching out, or spreading, the latest workplace gossip, chances are your co-workers will start to wonder if they can trust you.

Try to avoid participating in gossip whenever you can. Even if someone starts a gossipy conversation with you about a fellow co-worker, be polite but consider changing the subject as soon as possible, without “choosing sides.”

Procrastinating when there’s a lot of work to do.

Employees who don’t pull their weight are sure to make some workplace enemies. We all procrastinate from time to time. But if you’re thought of as a person who is always goofing off or avoiding getting your job done, you’ll start to be pegged as unreliable. And having a reputation as a procrastinator is sure to irritate your co-workers – who will no doubt have to pick up your slack!

Hogging all the credit.

We’ve all met a person like this before, right? The co-worker who hears a good idea and tries to pretend that they were the one who came up with it. Being respectful of your co-workers’ ideas and achievements and giving credit when credit is due, is a crucial part of being a team player. Which, in the end, is much more important than a fleeting moment of attention. Treat your co-workers how you would want to be treated. Always give credit to the person who has earned it.

Looking for a job in the GTA or Southwestern Ontario? We have offices in Toronto, Newmarket, Milton, and St. Thomas. Reach out to HCR today.