Office Icks: Can You Be Fired for Them?
HR & office experts share if workers can be fired for these annoying office ‘icks’…
When you work in an office you will always encounter different personalities that you have to work with, who may or may not always be on the same page as yourself as to what is appropriate conduct in the office. With Gen Z entering the workforce in recent years, they have come to label office habits they don’t approve of as ‘office icks’.
Whilst these office icks may be not endorsed by colleagues, are any of them sackable offences? UK and Ireland workspace provider Click Offices wanted to find out, so spoke to a focus group of office workers to find out common office icks. They then got a HR expert, David Rice from People Managing People, to weigh in on whether each ick is a punishable offence in workplace law. Take a look at what they found:
Office ick 1: Taking office supplies home
A few workers complained of ‘getting the ick’ from their colleagues getting too carried away with the free office supplies. Whilst some workplaces may let you have a reasonable amount of supplies or even expense some office equipment, it will usually be outlined as to what is considered reasonable. Employees should also read their contract of employment to understand what equipment must be returned when leaving a role to go to a new job.
Can you be fired? – In some circumstances, yes
David Rice:
“Only in very extreme circumstances would you be dismissed for taking office supplies home or would it end up causing a dispute. For example, if you decide to take your work laptop home, then hand your notice in and never return the laptop, that would be a problem.
“Make sure you are super clear on what equipment is supplied to you, and what needs to stay in the office. These days, companies should be supplying workers with office equipment to have in their own home anyway, in order to work comfortably and safely when they’re not in the office.”
Office ick 2: Cooking strong smelling food in the office
Food was a contentious issue, which was raised by several office workers we spoke to. The worst offending foods are those which smell strongly, like fish or eggs. Some workplaces may advise on what foods they do or don’t want cooked in their kitchens, especially in open plan offices where this can impact the whole office.
Can you be fired? – No
David Rice:
“No, you can’t be fired, but if the food is seriously causing disruption and preventing people from doing their jobs, then you should expect a warning. Be considerate to your colleagues. There are definitely some foods that should stay in your kitchen at home, and don’t need to be brought into the office.”
Office ick 2: Eating other people’s lunch
We’ve all been there when we have forgotten to bring lunch and have to improvise on the day by going to the shops, however, some workers said their colleagues are guilty of actually stealing their lunches to save themselves the time and money to source their own. It is certainly a bold move, bound to damage your relationships with your colleagues and cause office drama if staff are trying to work out who the culprit was.
Can you be fired? – No, but you can face disciplinary action
David Rice:
“Again, you can’t be fired for this, but if you are constantly taking food from the communal fridge that isn’t yours, then you can expect a warning as effectively, this is stealing. There needs to be mutual trust in a workplace, and it’s just pure courtesy that you don’t take something that’s not yours. If you do and it was by accident, replace it!”
Office ick 3: Leaving expired food in the fridge
If you do happen to bring your lunch with you, you may forget about it entirely and never take it home. This can lead to expired food sitting in office fridges for weeks unnoticed and cause problems for other people’s food. Workers said this was a common ick they took issue with, as it shows signs of lack of consideration for others sharing an office space. Off food could also be a potential health risk to others if left for a long time.
Can you be fired? – No
David Rice:
“No you can’t be fired, but similar to heating up smelly foods in the office, just have some courtesy for your colleagues and at the end of each day, take any leftover food in the fridge home.”
Office ick 4: Gossiping about co-workers
Any manager will know that office gossip is hard to control and usually the manager themselves is kept out of the loop amongst their team when it comes to gossip. Employees cited gossip as an ick in 2024 as it shows poor character amongst their colleagues. Depending on the nature of the gossip and the subject of it, workers may need to take care they don’t breach office confidentiality rules or veer into the realm of potential bullying.
Can you be fired? – Yes
David Rice:
“It depends on the severity of the ‘gossiping’ but first and foremost, if leadership teams find out this is going on, it needs to be nipped in the bud. It’s important for businesses to instil a culture of openness and transparency, and any sensitive issues must be kept confidential. If cracks start to appear then it needs to be addressed immediately. In extreme cases, gossiping can result in a termination, especially if it was about a particularly sensitive subject.”
Office ick 5: Taking loud personal phone calls in working spaces
Employees should note their teammates may not take too kindly to you if you sit at your desk and take your personal calls in front of them. Not only can it be distracting but taking calls at work could potentially be against your company’s conduct guidelines, depending on where you work.
Can you be fired? – No, but you may annoy your colleagues
David Rice:
“You can’t be dismissed for this, but again you can expect a warning if you are continuously distracting colleagues. If you are expected to take regular calls, then your office should provide an environment that enables employees to do so courteously, and if that isn’t available, then perhaps it’s something employees should address with the senior leadership.”
Office ick 6: Taking smoke/vape breaks
Employees complained about workers who get extra breaks to smoke or vape outside, additionally raising issues with the smell this habit can bring back into the office. Workplaces should aim to have a clear policy on this to make things fair for all workers.
Can you be fired? – Yes
David Rice:
“All companies should have a clear policy about smoking and vaping at work, and there needs to be designated areas for employees to do this. Depending on the type of work, it might not be suitable to do this at all in the workplace. If you are continuously breaching this policy, then you can expect a warning or even a dismissal.”
Office ick 7: Being asked to promote your company on social media
Forced participation can damage trust amongst employees and lead them to feeling demotivated about wanting to shout about their company’s benefits online. Employees listed being made to post about their companies on social media as a big ick, with some saying they were encouraged to post about their workplace in order to receive perks and promotion consideration.
Can you be fired? – No
David Rice:
“If the social media account is a personal one, then the bottom line is that a company will have no grounds to dismiss an employee for not posting about work. These days there is definitely an ‘expectation’ that employees will post about work on their social accounts, but this can never be used as a grounds for dismissal, unless it is outlined in the employee’s job description.”
Office ick 8: People choosing to work whilst sick
We’ve likely all worked with that one person who wants to push through and keep working when they’re too sick to be in the office, this is apparently a big ick to office workers we spoke to. Whilst it can be annoying to worry about catching a contagious illness, there could be more at play which is motivating the person to keep working, such as a lack of sick pay from the business.
Can you be fired? – No, but they should seek new employment if their job asks them to do this
David Rice:
“There should be no blurred lines here. If an employee is sick, then they should not be expected to work, or engage with anything to do with work. They need time to rest and get better, in order to return to work.
“If an employee feels as though they are expected to work even when they are sick, then they need to raise this with a manager and HR immediately. If it’s a problem that continues to happen and is engrained in the culture of the business, then perhaps it’s time to start looking elsewhere.”