by Marianne Rittner-Holmes

Created on: July 03, 2010   Last Updated: August 02, 2010

If you want to work for a good employer, you have to be a good employee.  It’s especially important to keep your job now, since openings are fewer and the competition is higher.  If you’re a seasoned veteran, you probably already know the ropes.  However, if you’re new to the work world, there are certain things that you just shouldn’t do if you want to stay employed anywhere for a long time.  Here are the top ten behaviors to avoid so you won’t get in trouble at your place of work.

1.  High Absenteeism/Chronically Late:  Don’t miss a lot of work days or be constantly late.  Employers hire you so you will perform your duties.  If you’re not there, you can’t.  This will either make someone else do your job in addition to theirs, or it will cause the business to miss a deadline or be behind in production.  This ruins someone's day and gives you a reputation for being undependable.

2.  Poor Work Quality:  If you’re there every day, you must prove that you’re competent at your job by correctly producing something.  Maybe it’s answering the phones politely or processing reports accurately or loading products neatly on shelves.  Whatever your job is, do it well. No one wants to pay someone for work that is half-done, poorly done or that needs to be re-done. 

3.  Dress Properly for the Job:  Don’t come to work in jeans and T-shirt when you know the dress code is Dockers and polo shirts.  If jeans and T-shirts are the dress code, make sure they don’t have holes in them and make sure your T-shirt doesn’t have some offensive picture, logo or saying on it.  What’s offensive?  Whatever your boss doesn’t like. 

4.  Using Drugs or Alcohol at Work:  Absolutely a bad idea.  Never come to work drunk, buzzed or high.  Never.  It’s a safety hazard, it could be a prosecuting offense, and it most probably will get you fired.

5.  Lying/Falsifying Documents:  Your boss needs to know that you can be trusted.  One way to dissolve that feeling of confidence is by getting caught lying about anything like falsifying a document.  It could be your time card or forging your co-worker’s signature.  Regardless, there is never a good reason to fake a document.  It’s a firing offense. 

6.  Misusing the Company’s

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