Returning to the office? Keep these workplace etiquette tips in mind.

- Many companies are requiring workers to return to the office.
- Employees who’ve been more isolated during remote work might need time to acclimate to the office again.
- Etiquette experts shared tips with BI to help smooth the transition back to in-person work.
You’ve been called back to the office and someone walks over who you’ve only ever talked with on Slack or Zoom.

What do you do?

Or maybe you recently traded the privacy of your living room office for a hot desk in an open-floor employment plan and your friend FaceTimes you.

Should you answer at your desk?

It’s etiquette questions like these that workers who became used to remote work might need to brush up on as more companies mandate a return to the office. And for some Gen Zers who during the pandemic, remote work may be all they have ever known in their careers.

While there may not be a one-size-fits-all approach to how to behave at the office, BI talked to etiquette experts to get their advice on smoothing the transition back.

Arden Clise of Clise Etiquette says the biggest complaint she’s heard from clients is that workers need to brush up on their social skills and remember “the niceties that we can get into a habit of doing when we’re spending more time with people, but have gotten forgotten when we’re isolated in our homes.”

So whether you’re re-entering the corporate office world after a few years of being remote or starting your first in-person job, here’s a refresher on post-pandemic office etiquette.

Business attire: A little self awareness goes a long way

Many white-collar workers are dressing more casually when they return to the office today compared to pre-pandemic.

“As I’m working with HR and companies, I see every one of them dusting off an old dress code policy,” said Lisa Richey of The American Academy of Etiquette.

Daniel Post Senning of The Emily Post Institute said it can be helpful to “think about what the floor of your formality is for a professional environment or interaction.”

“That’s going to be different for different people in different industries, different jobs, different work cultures,” he said. “But making an effort to think about how you want to present professionally and setting some baseline standards for yourself, and then adhering to them, is a really good place to start.”

Take note of what your peers are wearing and consult your official dress code policy if your organization has one. In lieu of company guidance, you can ask what might be appropriate if you don’t know, the experts advised.

Besides your clothing, grooming and hygiene are also integral to how you present yourself at work.

“How you choose to dress and present isn’t just about personal expression, it’s also about showing respect for the people and environments that you’re operating in,” said Senning.

Don’t get too personal when meeting a colleague in person

The return to office means you might see a coworker in person for the first time after knowing them as a virtual head-and-shoulders for the past few years - or employment you might see a colleague again for employment the first time in a while.

It’s perfectly appropriate to shake hands in either case, [employment](http://mariskamast.net:/smf/index.php?action=profile