Home | About Us | Contact Us | Newsroom | Calendar
Press Releases
Contact: Elizabeth Howell
The Emily Post Institute
802/860-1814
media@emilypost.com
DC to Get Primer on Workplace Politeness from Emily Post
Washington, DC—Corporate downsizing and casual work environments may be partly to blame for a noticeable increase in rudeness in the workplace, but a recent survey finds that corporations need to insist upon common courtesy at work or it could affect the bottom line. While businesses may not be creating positions for “etiquette officers,” to combat the problem, they are finding assistance in a new book from no less a source than Emily Post.
The etiquette expert's great grandchildren, Peggy Post and Peter Post, have penned “The Etiquette Advantage in Business: Personal Skills for Professional Success,” (HarperResource; $35, Nov. 1). The book provides everyone from job seekers to seasoned professionals with advice for surviving and succeeding in the modern, and apparently rude, workplace. The duo will be in DC to promote the book next week and will participate in the National Press Club's 22nd Annual Book Fair on Nov. 18.
“Whether you work for a bank or a snowboard manufacturer, your words, actions and appearance will effect how people respond to you,” says co-author and successful entrepreneur Peter Post. The two wrote the book after conducting interviews with CEOs and companies across the country. The pair are also developing a seminar series on business etiquette that will be offered to Fortune 500 companies.
“E-mail, wireless telephones, e-commerce, video conferencing, just-in-time inventory, a record number of women in the workforce, a more global economy, Generation X, casual dress environments—these changes have revolutionized the workforce,” states author Peggy Post, a third-generation family member carrying on the tradition first established by Emily Post in 1922. “The Etiquette Advantage in Business” is Peggy's fifth book, and the first devoted entirely to the world of business. “Your personal code of behavior at work can ultimately determine whether you get ahead or get left behind,” she adds.
The survey, conducted by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, found that rude behavior at work is on the rise and hitting corporations where it hurts—in the balance sheet. The survey of 1,400 workers found that 12% of people who experience rude behavior at work quit their jobs and 22% deliberately decrease their work effort. The survey found that men are seven times more likely than women to be rude at work. “The Etiquette Advantage in Business” is a go-to guide for employing the power of nice. It aims to prove that everyday common courtesy can be a competitive business tool both for individuals and companies. Whether you work in a cubicle farm, an office high-rise or a home office, this book has guidelines for a wide array of business settings and situations.
Notes to editor: Review copies and author photos available, 802/863-2568.
