Social interaction in the workplace has certain parameters that you may find are more relaxed among the friends you have over for a barbeque.
Coworkers can misconstrue casual comments, and you want to avoid any appearance of employee discrimination. Here are five topics to avoid:
1. Retirement questions
Asking an older employee when he or she plans to retire is not a good idea, nor is making a joke about the person’s age. The Age Discrimination Act of 1967 protects workers 40 and older.
2. The race issue
Think before you speak and make fun of anyone’s race. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects people of all races.
3. Generalized ethnic statements
Engaging in jokes that reinforce stereotypes or contain an ethnic focus may come across as discriminatory even if you are joking. Some coworkers may take exception and find such comments hurtful and insensitive.
4. The health history probe
Being too curious and intrusive about a coworker’s family health history could constitute harassment. You may not realize it, but the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008 protects information about family health history.
5. Comments about appearance
Everyone appreciates a compliment, but when you praise the appearance of a coworker, do so with sincerity and respect. Even an innocuous comment, if phrased incorrectly, could have a sexual connotation when viewed a certain way. This is especially true if the comment comes through a text message or an email. Since body language is not visible with electronic communication, misinterpretation is a possibility when it comes to the meaning behind a written compliment.
Different rules today
While some topics were less taboo in the past, there are different rules in the workplace, many of them guided by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Your goal is to be friendly but prudent in terms of what you say to your coworkers. Otherwise, you may expose yourself or your company to legal action.
