💬Professional or Not?
True or False: It is okay to have friendly conversations with coworkers while on your lunch break.
TRUE! Friendly conversations are appropriate as long as everyone is comfortable and the conversation is respectful.
True or False: You have the right to say no if a coworker wants to hug you.
TRUE! You have the right to set boundaries about physical contact.
Which of these is a workplace RED FLAG?
A. A supervisor gives you respectful feedback.
B. A coworker asks how your weekend was.
C. A coworker repeatedly makes unwanted comments about your body.
D. A coworker offers to help you with a task.
C. A coworker repeatedly makes unwanted comments about your body.
You don’t understand the instructions your supervisor gave you.
What could you say?
“Could you please explain the instructions again?”
“Can you show me how to do that?”
“I’m not sure I understand. Can you help me?”
[Any appropriate request for clarification.]
You aren't sure what time your shift starts tomorrow. Who could you ask?
Your supervisor or manager (or whoever is in charge of scheduling)
Which of these is an example of a professional workplace conversation?
A. Spreading a rumor about a coworker
B. Asking your supervisor a question about your schedule
C. Making fun of someone’s appearance
D. Sharing someone’s private information
B. Asking your supervisor a question about your schedule.
A coworker asks for your personal phone number.
Do you HAVE to give it to them?
NO! You can choose whether to share your personal contact information.
True or False: It is okay for a coworker to make fun of someone’s disability as long as they say they are “just joking.”
FALSE! Making fun of someone’s disability is inappropriate, even if the person claims it is a joke.
Your supervisor asks you to lift a box that is too heavy for you.
What could you say?
“This box is too heavy for me to lift safely. Could I get some help?”
You notice a broken piece of equipment at work. Who should you report it to?
Your supervisor or another person responsible for workplace safety.
You’re working at a grocery store. Your coworker keeps talking to you while you’re trying to help a customer. What would be the most professional response?
A. Ignore the customer and keep talking.
B. Tell your coworker to shut up.
C. Politely explain that you need to help the customer first.
D. Walk away without saying anything.
C. Politely explain that you need to help the customer first.
A coworker asks you a personal question about your dating life. You don’t want to answer.
What is an assertive way to respond?
“I’m not comfortable discussing my personal life at work.”
“I’d rather not talk about that.”
“That’s personal, and I’d like to keep it private.”
Any respectful, clear boundary.
A supervisor gives one employee worse treatment because of their disability.
What is this an example of?
DISCRIMINATION!
Disability discrimination or unfair treatment based on disability.
A coworker makes a joke about your appearance that makes you uncomfortable.
What could you say?
“I don’t appreciate comments about my appearance. Please stop.”
“That comment made me uncomfortable.”
“Please don’t joke about my appearance.”
[Any respectful, assertive response.]
A coworker repeatedly makes inappropriate comments toward you.
Who could you report this to?
Your supervisor, manager, or Human Resources (HR).
A coworker makes a joke that you don’t find funny. You feel uncomfortable, but the coworker doesn’t realize the joke bothered you.
What is one professional way to handle this?
Politely explain that the joke made you uncomfortable.
“I didn’t feel comfortable with that joke.”
“I’d prefer that you not joke about that.”
[Ask for advice or support if unsure how to respond]
A coworker invites you to hang out after work. You politely say no, and they respond, “Okay, no problem!”
Did your coworker respect your boundary?
YES! They accepted your decision without pressuring you.
A coworker makes an inappropriate comment. You ask them to stop, but they continue making similar comments every day.
Why is this a red flag?
The coworker is repeatedly ignoring your boundaries and continuing inappropriate behavior.
Harassment, bullying, or repeated disrespectful behavior, depending on the comments.
Your coworker keeps interrupting you while you’re trying to finish your work.
Give an example of an assertive response.
“I need to concentrate right now. Can we talk later?”
You want to request a reasonable accommodation at work because of your disability.
Who could you talk to?
Your supervisor, manager, or Human Resources.
Your coworker is also your friend outside of work. During your shift, they want to spend 20 minutes talking about weekend plans, but you have work to finish.
How can you be both friendly AND professional?
Politely explain that you need to focus on work and suggest talking during a break or after your shift.
Example: “I want to hear about it, but I need to finish this first. Let’s talk at lunch!”
Your coworker shares something personal with you and asks you not to tell anyone. Later, another coworker asks what they told you.
What should you do?
Respect their privacy and avoid sharing the information.
Example: “That’s something personal they shared with me. I don’t think it’s my place to tell you.”
A coworker makes repeated inappropriate comments toward you. You feel uncomfortable, but you’re afraid to say anything because the coworker has worked there longer than you.
What are TWO important things to remember?
Options:
Your supervisor criticizes your work in front of several coworkers. You feel embarrassed and would prefer to receive feedback privately.
What could you say?
“I appreciate feedback, but could we discuss my work privately?”
“Could we talk about this one-on-one?”
“I’d feel more comfortable discussing my performance in private.”
You witness a coworker being seriously injured. They are unconscious and not responding.
Who should you contact FIRST?
CALL 911!
You should make sure you're safe, call emergency services, & follow dispatcher instructions. They should not delay an emergency call while looking for a supervisor.