AUSTRALIANS doing business abroad better watch what they say, after a survey found Americans and British colleagues think we're rude.
Australians working overseas are most likely to offend in the US and the UK, according to an international workplace survey which found Britain and America have the strictest office etiquette.
In fact, workers in the US and UK are more sensitive even than business colleagues from etiquette-conscious Japan, China or the Middle East.
English and American business people were more offended by colleagues who use speakerphones, swearing and not being offered a drink than their international counterparts.
They also hate the distraction of personal guests visiting the workplace.
No "good morning" from colleagues when they start the day was also considered offensive, the survey found.
According to the survey of business people in 13 countries, the top five business pet peeves are: people who arrive at work without greeting their workmates, not offering office guests a drink, speaking too loudly across a room, swearing and using speakerphone.
There's also a bit about prying into the personal lives of co-workers, which reminded me greatly of an episode of King of the Hill.
I'm not surprised about the swearing, we Aussies are pretty liberal when it comes to profanity though not in all environments and I've never worked in a job where every second word out of mouths was an expletive, even if we were joking out the back or in the lunchroom about notoriously difficult customers. Comedian Arj Barker had a great bit about swearing in Australia though ("Just take a fucking right, fucking, go a couple of blocks then you take a fucking left, then fucking, another right then fucking go left at the fucking lights. You can't miss the cunt." / "Well thank you, officer"). I am surprised about the problems with not greeting co-workers as again, I've never worked anywhere where you didn't say hi or good morning to people when you arrived. I guess there's something to be taken from the surveys but I guess it's just a culture clash. For example, I've always called my bosses by their first name (even my father when I worked for him for a while) because that's what they've asked to be addressed by.
