Are you calling me from the bathroom?
Office Etiquette Rule #3: Do not call anyone from the workplace bathroom.
I’m always amazed when I walk into the bathroom and either see someone standing around talking on their cell phone, or when I hear someone in a stall jabbering away. The first time I witnessed this I thought it was a phenomenon, a freak occurrence that I was never to see again. Since that first time though, I’ve had the dismay of walking in many times to the sound of someone in the stall talking away on their cell phone.
Previous to our office moving to a new building 7 months ago, I worked with a lot of hourly workers. These were people that were strictly limited to their 15 minute breaks. This was the only reason I could image why people would find it necessary to use the cell phone as they’re taking care of other business. But since moving to our new building, where the majority of the workforce is salary, I’ve continued to see this happening.
What is the etiquette of the person walking into the bathroom? They’ve come in for a specific reason. Why should that person coming in leave just because someone else doesn’t have the sense to talk on the phone is a place where bathroom splashes and flushing can’t be heard? I always find it an awkward situation. Half of me doesn’t want to flush the toilet because I feel bad for the person on the other end having to hear that. The other, evil half of me wants to start flushing away to let that person on the other end know just where the person they are talking to is calling them from. The evil half usually wins out.
