One episode just wasn't enough.  Here we are again for another round of financial manners in the workplace.  But, first a word from our sponsor.

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Lunch Time 

You will probably be able to figure out where this is headed. So I'm not going to mince words. It is lunch time and you are starving, but you are just too busy to run out and grab some lunch. So, what do you do? You see if someone can pick up something for you while they are out.

When making this request it's important to remember they are doing you a favor, and you need to follow a few simple rules to keep this good thing going. First, make sure to pay them up front and never short change them. If you are unsure how much your food may cost, always overestimate. Your co-worker can always return with change, but should never be expected to cover your shortfall. If the person insists on you paying when they get back, then you should just not worry about it. Secondly, do not be afraid to tell them to "keep the change." After all, they spent their own time and gas money to serve you.

Ordering In

When a group is ordering food in and pooling money together, make an effort to avoid being the one everybody murmurs about later. "Psst, did you see that so-and-so didn't pay enough for their food?" You do NOT want to be nicknamed "so-and-so." Put the right amount of money into the pot and always remember to include your portion of tax and tip. And if it is a pizza situation, remember everyone who pays equal money gets the same amount of pizza as everyone else unless there is some left over.

The Borrower

Your co-workers are not your bank. They are also not your close friends or relatives, so resist any temptation you have to borrow money from a co-worker. The instances we have already discussed are probably the most common in which asking to borrow money may occur, either for food or (as in Episode 53) for a gift.  Unless the co-worker is a very close friend outside of work, borrowing money from them puts that person in a very awkward position. Your co-worker's financial life is none of your business, but asking to borrow money from him or her can start to make it your business. You can never be certain if asking for even a small amount of money can cause financial strain on someone so I recommend staying away from those situations entirely.

On the other side of that coin, if you are the one being asked for money, you should not feel any obligation to satisfy their request (unless you have previously imposed upon this person, in which case, you probably owe them one!). You can try to approach this on a case by case basis, but my advice is to keep it to a minimum so as not to show favoritism.

Salary Talk

I have one more thing to bring up here, and it's something over which people have lost their jobs. If you were supposed to know how much another person makes at your company, the employee handbook would not specifically state to NOT discuss salaries. There is an actual reason for this rule and not just a power trip by management to control you.  If you have ever managed a group of people, you realize even more that salaries are not always equal with the talent level. There are periods of disparity due to any number of reasons like demand for the job, number of years of experience, etc. You still might wonder how much the next person is making and if you are being treated fairly, but the fact of the matter is that if you actually knew what they made, it would probably create a bad situation. Bitterness or pride, neither case is good and each will create tension in the workplace, and that isn't good for business.  Just work hard and do your best to make sure you are being paid what you are worth.  Don't worry about things you don't know or cannot control.

Adminstrative

Thank you for listening to The Modern Manners Guy's Quick and Dirty Tips for a More Polite Life. And thanks to Derek Norton of The MannersCast for guest writing this episode. Visit mannerscast.com to learn more about the guys of The MannersCast.

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Transcripts of this show can be found at manners.quickanddirtytips.com. Please email any questions or comments to manners@quickanddirtytips.com or feel free to leave a voicemail at 406-666-4MRM.

The Modern Manners Guy is part of the Quick and Dirty Tips network which has published its first book -- Grammar Girl's Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing. Buy it now anywhere books are sold.