Frequent conversations about these 10 topics could cause other employees to avoid you at all costs:  

1. Your medical conditions: A lot of employees feel the need to explain why they were out sick or why they have a doctor’s appointment. But going into detail about your medical history and constant ailments isn’t something co-workers really feel like talking about at lunch, in their cube, or even on the train ride into work, for that matter.
2. Your political point of view: Politics have always been a taboo subject. But as the political divide in this country continues to widen, more and more employees feel the need to wear their political affiliations on their sleeves. Connecting those political beliefs to everything that happens in the office is a recipe for disaster. More importantly, ramming those beliefs down other employees’ throats will only cause people to distance themselves more.
3. Your personal phone conversations: Every office has one – the employee who insists on having loud (and often uncomfortable) – phone conversations right at his/her desk. It’s as if these employees want others to applaud their take-charge attitude. The fact is, it disrupts everyone else and does little for your reputation. Take the call outside on your cell phone … or better yet, call back after work.
4. Your music: You know it’s bad when someone’s listening to music on their headphones and you can still make out the song halfway across the office. These days, people also tend to watch or listen to internet clips at their desks. Sooner or later, this will offend others in the office, especially when an unexpected vulgarity or off-color remark pops up in the clip.
5. How under-appreciated you are: There’s nothing attractive about a victim mentality. What’s even less attractive are those employees who spend the bulk of the work week complaining about how the company doesn’t acknowledge or appreciate what they bring to the table. Dig in and get the job done. Then make a solid argument about why you deserve more. If that doesn’t work, maybe it’s time to move on to a company that will appreciate you.
6. Your kids: Sorry, but it’s true. Yes, your kids are adorable and they’re great and someday they’ll set the world ablaze. But right now everyone has work to do, and the 50 pics you took of this weekend’s baby parade aren’t at the top of the agenda.
7. Your religion: Separation of church and work at all times. You’re there to be compensated, not converted.
8. Your salary: This one goes both ways. No one likes the guy who’s always hinting about how much more he makes than everyone else (without ever disclosing an actual figure). By the same token, no one sympathizes with the person who complains about making too little, but never volunteers to take on more.
9. How the company should be run: It seems like everyone knows how to run the company better than the CEO does. Maybe that’s true. But the reality is the CEO climbed the corporate ladder and he/she signs your paychecks. That’s rarely a coincidence. It’s great to have strong ideas, provided you also maintain a certain decorum and respect for those who provide your livelihood.
10. Your snoring: Don’t fool yourself into thinking no one noticed last Tuesday when you dosed off for 20 minutes at your desk … everyone knows, and chances are someone took a cell phone pic that’s making the rounds as you read this. Next time, grab a cup of coffee, take a quick walk around the office, and suck it up … five o’clock will be there soon enough.

Can you think of anything else co-workers never want to hear again? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below.