Questions You Should Never Ask to Your Coworkers

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We are spending at least 40 hours a week at work so we start to feel like home after a while and get more comfortable talking with our coworkers. Nevertheless different rules apply in professional life and although we see our coworkers more than our family, we should still be careful and never cross some lines. Engaging in certain conversations with your coworkers can damage your reputation or your relationship with them and even get you fired. For this reason, keep in mind the below 3 questions that you should never ask to your coworkers.

  • How much are you getting paid? This is one of the most troublesome questions and it puts the other person in an uncomfortable position. Also, it is usually a contractual requirement to keep this information hidden. On the other hand, what are you going to do if you find out this information? Are you going to go to HR or your manager and complain about your own salary and ask for a raise? Or if you learn that your coworker is underpaid, are you going to talk for him with his manager? Therefore, don’t put yourself and your coworker in an awkward position and avoid asking this question.
  • Are you pregnant? Some people may seem like pregnant because of their belly. Certain medical conditions or medications people use affect their body and this can create the perception of pregnancy. Thus, don’t ask a woman whether she is pregnant unless she tells you. Especially, if you have just met with that person, asking this question may be offending to her if she is not pregnant. Moreover, some women may have fertility issues and asking this question can make them very upset.
  • Who are you going to vote for? This is a very personal question and everybody’s views and opinions might be very different than each other. The safest way is to avoid political conversations in the office. However, if you cannot escape from it, then, try to respect the other person’s opinions. Don’t argue with him/her or don’t try to change his/her opinions. Most probably, you cannot. If you don’t want to deal with him/her, you can minimize your contact. Don’t try to prove that s/he is wrong and you are right. Otherwise, things can get out of control and put you and the other person in an awkward position.
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Ceren Cubukcu

Ceren Cubukcu is a top 5 bestselling author of Make Your American Dream A Reality: How to Find a Job as an International Student in the United States. She recently founded her consulting business to help more international students find jobs in the US in addition to her self-service digital event ticketing platform, Etkinlik Fabrikam (My Event Factory), to offer her webinars. 

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