It’s always exciting when your first job interview goes as expected. The first few months can be filled with both realistic and unrealistic goals, ambitions that might seem far-fetched, or anxiety. It’s only afterwards that you’ll start missing your old job or sleeping in every morning. These are universal truths no matter the work environment you might be exposed to and office jobs are no exception. But at some point, especially when the paycheck comes in, you’ll come to agree that it was worth the grinding. But aside from the orientation part and learning new skills, below are six surprising things you need to know about office jobs.
1. It Can Be Stressful
Working 9-5 hours of office work is no easy thing. The long sitting hours can take a toll on your once healthy back. The sedentary nature of office jobs could slowly be destroying your body. Apart from the poor food habits, the everyday rush to meet tight deadlines, and not to mention the demands that come with it all, you could be subjected to repetitive strain injuries, also known as cumulative trauma. These are injuries that will happen as a result of repeated motions.
The thing is, such injuries will only be realized way down the line and when it might be too late to reverse the damages caused. It’s recommended to connect with an attorney who can help you seek compensation because of some work-related injuries. This means that you might be in need of medication, treatment, or therapy. These are costs that could eat into your finances. It’s at this point that you might consider talking to an experienced attorney to help with your cumulative trauma claim. The reason to work with an experienced personal injury attorney is that they’ll help towards proving that your injuries resulted from your work. Let’s take a look at the various causes of repetitive strain injuries and how to prevent them:
Causes
- Too much strain on the nerves and blood vessels due to poor posture and long sitting hours
- Repetitive movements that cause fatigue to the muscles, ligaments, and tendons
- Exposure to poor air quality
Preventive Measures
- Consider using ergonomic chairs
- Exercise regularly to boost blood circulation
- Frequent stretches will help to keep your tendons, muscles, and ligaments healthy
- Taking breaks can help break the monotony
- Get plenty of sleep
- Keep your body hydrated at all times
- Invest in comfortable outfits and shoes
2. Time is money!
This is a labor aphorism that has been used since time immemorial. While it might contain some truth in it, it doesn’t mean that you’ll have to work non-stop. Today, working smart is the new labor slang. Rather than working nonstop, find time to maximize your efficiency by using efficient equipment, taking short breaks, and improving your work skills. The key takeaway is to use your time wisely, resisting gossip at the office, and prioritizing your deadlines.
3. Get Used To Passive Office Aggression
If you thought that you’ll have an easy pass in the office, then you’re mistaken. But then again, it all depends on how well you handle and deal with co-workers who demonstrate aggressive behaviors. While it can be frustrating, avoid the urge to overreact or lash out as this could exacerbate the situation. You might consider reporting such co-workers to your supervisor or your employer.
It’s during such moments that your emotional intelligence is tested. It might drain you emotionally but keeping your cool can help to manage the situation as well as help you to maintain your sanity. Remember, your productivity is highly dependent on managing your rationality.
4. Professional Allies Will Get You Far
Working in an office requires that you form healthy workplace relationships. You might be familiar with this African proverb that says, “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” Now, these are the same principles that will apply if you want to succeed in an office job. It will help to boost your efficiency, reinforce your commitment to excel, boost your morale, and to top it off, you need your co-workers to climb the career ladder.
5. Don’t Hate The Office Clown
Don’t get it twisted, there are limits to the amount of fun you can have in the office. Office clowns help to lighten the mood and in a way, they come in handy to humanize the workplace, putting other co-workers at ease, and healing rifts between co-workers.
Nevertheless, Being on the receiving end of an office clown’s bad jokes can at times be hurtful and damaging. This is why setting boundaries will spare you the trouble of having to deal with such characters. But don’t hate them, they are the same class clowns you had to deal with in junior high; only that they’ve grown to be the office clowns!
6. You Have No Option But Stick To The Rules
Unless you are the boss, stick to the rules. You have no place in suggesting or amending the rules you found others abide by. The least that you can do is write a suggestion and dump it in the suggestion box like everyone else. You don’t want to start a revolution at the office as this could damage your good reputation and ruin your chances of getting a second job.
The above are unvarnished truths about office jobs. While it might seem like a daunting task to work in an office, one thing to note is that you are not expected to know it all. Just stick to your lane, be kind and respectful to your co-workers, and you’ll do just fine.
Find out more about How to Increase Productivity in the Office from one of our member’s, Corporate Suites, blog.
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