Fox-2_03_WORK TO RULE

Fox-2__03_ WORK TO RULE

“People who insist on calculating in detail exactly who had what when it comes to dividing up the bill are despised, not just because they are miserly, but because such discussions involve a prolonged breach of the money-talk taboo.” 

• employees who go to the pub for afterwork drinkswith their colleagues suffer less stress than those who don't

•  ...  to drinking, alcohol is equally used to mark the transition from home/play to work.

• A.   THE MUDDLE RULES (a1)

• B.   HUMOUR RULES      (b1, b2)

• C.   THE MODESTY RULE – AND THE ‘BUMPEX’ SCHOOL OF ADVERTISING

• D.   THE POLITE PROCRASTINATION RULE

• E.   THE MONEY-TALK TABOO     (e1, e2)

• F.   THE MODERATION RULE (f1, f2, f3)

• G. THE FAIR-PLAY RULE (g1, g2)

• H.    MOANING RULES ( h1, h2, h3)

• I.  THE AFTER-WORK DRINKS RULES___ link

• J.   OFFICE-PARTY RULES

• K.  WORK RULES AND ENGLISHNESS

At some stage, business-talk    inevitably  involves money-talk.

1.  We are comfortable enough, allowing for our usual  social inhibitions, with    most  of the other aspects of business discussions.
2.  As long as boasting or earnestness are not required, we’ll talk reasonably    happily about the details of the product or project, and pragmatic issues such   as objectives, what needs to be done, how, where, by whom and so on.
3.  But when it comes to what we call ‘the sordid subject of money’, we tend to    become tongue-tied and uncomfortable.
4.  Some cover their embarrassment by joking, some by adopting a blustering,    forthright, even aggressive manner;  some become flustered and hurried,   others may be  overpolite and apologetic, or prickly and defensive.
5.  You will not often see an English person entirely at ease when obliged to engage   in money-talk.
6.  Some may appear brash and bullish, but this is often as much a symptom of   disease as the nervous joking or apologetic manner.