Along with office politics and water cooler gossip, workplace etiquette has been around since the invention of jobs. These guidelines might be unspoken or, thanks to the diligent Type A person in the office, they might be typed up, laminated and taped to the break room fridge.

As technology becomes even more engrained in all fields of work, we thought it was time to revise some workplace rules and add new ones to prevent you from making an on-the-job faux pas.

Tip No. 1: Putting your cell phone on vibrate only works if it’s in your pocket. Thank you for not wanting to disturb the office with your “Theme From Love Story” ringtone, but setting the phone to vibrate and then leaving it on your desk isn’t helpful either. Everybody can hear the buzz as the phone dances across the desk. Set it to silent or put it in your pocket.

Tip No. 2: Don’t use your BlackBerry or iPhone in the restroom. Talking on your phone in a bathroom is a common sense no-no. The person on the other end of the phone doesn’t want to hear toilet flushes and the echo of your voice bouncing around the tiled room. Trying to be sly by responding to text messages or e-mails on your smartphone is no better. The tapping of the keystrokes can easily be heard, and now everybody in the restroom is grossed out. Who wants to shake hands with the person whose phone is covered in bathroom germs?

Tip No. 3: Don’t blog about your co-workers. Everybody’s got a blog these days and, no matter the topic, there’s sure to be an audience for it. Even if it’s locked so only a few people can view it, you can’t stop readers from copying and pasting your entries elsewhere. A rant about a co-worker who smells like a gym sock and has greasy hair can find its way to the wrong person. Keep your workplace complaints to the journal you keep tucked away under your mattress.

Tip No. 4: Take your headphones out during a conversation. Portable MP3 players have made the workday a little better. Even the most stressful day can be improved by clicking over to some classic Hall and Oates. You know to keep the volume low so that everyone in a 10 foot radius doesn’t also hear the sweet, mustachioed grooves, but don’t forget to take the headphones out of your ears when someone’s talking to you. The other person can’t tell whether or not you’ve hit the pause button and may think you’re not giving your complete attention.

Tip No. 5: Use wireless earpieces with care. Thanks to wireless earpieces (that are so tiny passersby) don’t even notice them, we can talk on the phone without having to sit at a desk or even hold the phone. So while you’re walking around, talking into your microscopic gadget, people are trying to figure out how to answer a seemingly random question from you -- until they realize you’re not talking to them at all. If you stay out of walkways or at least lower your voice a little, you can save a lot of awkward exchanges where you’re talking into your earpiece and mouthing to a co-worker, “I’m on the phone.”

Tip No. 6: Let colleagues know if you’ll be working from home. If you’re lucky enough to have the option to work from home, tell your co-workers or anyone else you interact with daily that you’ll be out the next day. If it’s a last-minute decision, send an e-mail or make a quick call. When you don’t show up, people are left wondering whether or not you’re coming in, if they can call you or if they’ll be disturbing you on your day off. A little courtesy can make everyone’s life easier.

Tip No. 7: Ask before you upload pictures of co-workers to social networking sites. By now everybody knows social networking profiles can get you into plenty of trouble. Don’t forget that your profile can get other people in trouble, too. You might not have friended your boss online, but if you upload pictures of you and a colleague enjoying a day on the beach with the caption, “Playing hooky!” you don’t know if the boss or the boss’s assistant can see those images. Check with the people in your pictures to avoid any drama.

Tip No. 8: Don’t rely on technology to communicate all your needs. E-mails, voice mails and even text messages save a lot of time, often eliminating the need for a meeting or a conference call. However, they can’t always replace actual conversations, either in person or over the phone. If you shoot someone an e-mail and assume they got it although you never heard back, pick up the phone or walk over to their office to make sure you’re on the same page. E-mails and voice mails can get lost or accidentally deleted, leaving you with expectations that will never be met.

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