7 things you should not tell your colleagues

Draw the line between a colleague and a pal. Know when to stop!

In all probability, you count many of your colleagues as your friends and spend more time with them than you do with your loved ones.

But where should a person draw the line and at what point should s/he stop being pals with co-workers and start a professional relation with them?

Indian-origin workplace law expert Joydeep Hor said that boundaries between work and private life are becoming blurred, which in turn is creating problems for workers both professionally and legally.

He has listed seven things that we should avoid talking or discussing about with our co-workers.

Firstly, Hor said that sex life is a topic that people should avoid talking with their colleagues, as it can get them in legal trouble; he asserted that the definition of sexual harassment can be quite broad, News.com.au reported.

Secondly, people need to be aware of their obligation not to malign certain groups in the workplace, as the expression of personally held opinions could be dangerous.

Thirdly, gossiping about others in a work place is a no-no, as it suggests that the person may not be productive in the workplace. And gossiping about people in their private life is also risky.

Fourthly, workers should never tell their superior that that they wrote themselves off on the weekend, as it represents a lapse in judgement and could makes them query if the person could have the same lapse in judgement in their work.

Fifthly, if a colleague or a customer is discourteous to the person, they should be careful about how they respond, especially if they are angry or frustrated, as co-workers might be turned off if they are constantly venting about others.

Sixthly, a person should never reveal to a co-worker about the big mistakes that they have committed in their life, as they can disclose it to others.

Seventhly, major life events that have happened in a person's life can pose problems if they share them in the wrong way.