In a time when social media encourages us to share details of our life to strangers, there is the tendency to over share everywhere – including the work place. Many conversation topics really should be avoided in the office, however, no matter how tempting and intriguing they may be.

The Presidential Election

Political conversations easily lead to raised tempers. Although politics weighs heavy on many people’s hearts and minds, people should avoid the temptation to bring up anything political at work. It does not matter how wrong or right one candidate seems over the other, someone else in the office is bound to disagree. A political conversation that takes a bad turn can mean uncomfortable office relations between colleagues, indefinitely.

Besides avoiding conversations about candidates, touchy subjects, such as abortion and gay marriage should also be avoided.

Your Sex Life

It is easy to develop feelings of camaraderie and comfortableness with colleagues after working side by side with them for months or years. After a while, people let down their guard with each other and small talk about the weather becomes boring and unsatisfying.
It is natural to view colleagues as friends and to want to talk about the most exciting things going on in our lives. For many people, at least the lucky ones, one of the most exciting things is and adventurous and satisfying sex life. The moment that employees, and management alike, walk through the company door, however, sexually themed topics need to be banished to the corners of the mind. Conversations about sex can open people up to sexual harassment charges, for one thing. At the least, sexual topics may make those who overhear it uncomfortable.

Your Luxury Purchases

This applies mostly to upper management when they are speaking to colleagues who are working at a much lower pay scale. As excited as one can be about purchasing a new jaguar, home, yacht, private island, it is unkind, and obnoxious, to mention it in front of someone who is making ten dollars an hour.

Your Colonoscopy/Wart Removal/Colonic/Vasectomy/Breast Enhancement Surgery

We live in a time of over share. Everyone should feel free to gross out his or her friends on social networking sites, but in the workplace, it just is not appropriate. People do not need to know the details and most do not want to know. It is especially inappropriate at lunchtime.

Your Boss

The walls have ears. That is what all employees should remember anytime they feel tempted to say anything at work that could sound, in any way, disparaging about the boss.

Talking directly with the boss, or with others in upper management, is a safer way of handling any issues.

Even if it is just casual, snarky remarks, it can create tension in the workplace and is unprofessional.

Other Colleagues

Workplace gossip rarely leads to anything happy or productive. Of course, this does not mean casual conversation that is simply informing, such as, “Suzy is going to be out of the office after lunch today.” However, “Suzy is going to be out of the office after lunch today, and so is the boss. I bet they are seeing each other,” is not appropriate. Gossip needlessly spreads bad will and creates tension.

Past Drug Use or Criminal Convictions

In most cases, past drug use or criminal convictions are poor workplace topics. No matter how well and fully the person turned over a new leaf, others may look at them in a new unflattering light.