Office etiquette disputes: who is right?
Fish in the microwave. Reply all. The last coffee, gone. Office crimes, judged without HR.
The court hears small workplace disputes about shared spaces and shared air, never anything about pay, performance or anyone's job. Those deserve a real conversation and sometimes a real lawyer.
- Not guilty
Is it rude to not invite a coworker to your birthday?
No, a birthday outside work is a private event. Coworkers are not owed an invitation.
Read the ruling - Guilty
Is it rude to eat during a video call?
With the camera and microphone off, eating is fine. With both on, especially while presenting, it is rude.
Read the ruling - Guilty
Is it rude to message coworkers after hours?
If the message can wait until morning, it should, or it should be scheduled to send then. Urgent issues are the exception, and they are rare.
Read the ruling - Both at fault
Who should buy the cake for an office birthday?
Office birthday cakes should rotate or come from a small shared fund. One person buying them all is a habit everyone else is quietly using.
Read the ruling - Both at fault
Is it rude to sit at someone's usual desk in a hot desk office?
In an office without assigned seats, any free desk is fair to take. Leaving a mug and a cardigan there overnight does not reserve it.
Read the ruling - Guilty
Is it rude to book a meeting over someone's lunch break?
Booking over the usual lunch hour is rude unless everyone agreed or food is provided. Calling it a working lunch does not make it one.
Read the ruling - Guilty
Is it OK to take calls on speaker at your desk?
No, not in a shared office. Use headphones or a meeting room, because everyone nearby ends up on the call, like it or not.
Read the ruling - Guilty
Is it rude to reheat fish in the office microwave?
Yes. In a shared office, the smell belongs to everyone, and fish at noon reaches the whole floor.
Read the ruling - Guilty
Is it rude to reply all to a company-wide email?
Yes, unless everyone on the list needs your answer. A thank you belongs in a direct reply.
Read the ruling - Guilty
Is it wrong to take the last cup of office coffee without making more?
Yes, whoever takes the last cup makes the next pot. It is the oldest rule in office life, and the court enforces it.
Read the ruling - Both at fault
Who should clean out the office fridge?
Everyone who uses it, in turns. When nobody owns the job, the court finds everyone at fault for what grows in there.
Read the ruling
Other kinds of disputes
Think you're right? Take them to court 💼
Tell the court what happened. Your first two cases are free, and the other side can defend themselves.