There are many things one can do that would get them in big trouble at work. Most of them are related to dishonesty or harassment. The biggest ones I see are as follows:

1. Dishonesty: There are many forms of dishonesty that can occur on a job. For instance, if you are an accountant and you "doctor" the books to make the company look better,that could get you in big trouble! Look at the people involved with Enron and similar situations. If you are an average employee and have the opportunity to keep your own time card rather than punching a clock, it could be misreporting your time. This could also get you in trouble with the company.

2. Sexual Harassment: This is a big one in most places of employment. It could be an action as simple as calling a girl a b...h or making some suggestive statement. It may seem really innocent to you, but if the receiver of such a remark takes it negatively, it could get you in a lot of trouble. There are laws protecting people from that kind of discrimination.

3. Racial slurs: This can be a problem in many areas since there are a lot of prejudice in this world. The big thing to think about is that if someone feels threatened or embarrassed by what you say, it could be taken in a bad way and it would get you in a lot of trouble. There are laws protecting people from that kind of discrimination.

4. Stealing: This could take the form of taking pens or paper from work for use at home or it could be more serious like taking money. In most cases, the employer would not be lenient with this kind of activity and it could cost your job. Why anyone would risk the possibility of being fired for stealing escapes me.

5. Being unproductive: In some jobs, there will be down time. But for some reason, the employer wants you to be busy even then. If there are no customers in a store where you are a cashier, they want you cleaning. But what happens if you are cleaning, say, the bathroom when a customer comes and you aren't aware of it right away?

6. Taking too many breaks: Some people will take breaks every five minutes if they thought they could get away with it. This will decrease the overall productivity of the workplace and will cause resentment to the people that would have to cover for you in your absence.

7. Drinking on the job: This is definitely a no-no. If you are inebriated on the job, you are most likely not going to be productive and it could be grounds for termination on most jobs.

8. Taking illegal drugs on the job: This would definitely be grounds for dismissal by most employers. Even it you don't take drugs on the job, many employers these days test for drug use before they will hire you and then will do so periodically throughout your employment.

9. No call/no show: On most jobs if you do not call in when you know you can't make it, they might give you a warning the first time, but if it happens often, they will fire you.

10. Using the phone/computer for unauthorized purposes: If you need to use the phone or computer for personal use, it should be only on breaks or be an emergency situation. Many employers monitor phone/computer usage and it could lead to termination if it is found that you are using them on company time for uses other than those intended.

It is best to follow the rules when at work and to do things that are right. That way you will stay out of trouble.

Learn more about this author, Debbie Eckardt.
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