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Many people don’t think twice about how they should act at company-sponsored events, such as a summer picnic. But according to a Seattle Times article by Janet H. Cho, “Anything that starts with ‘company’ first -- ‘company picnic,’ ‘company barbecue,’ ‘company baseball game’ -- means this is a business event” and workplace rules apply.

In the article, Cho provides advice for attending company-sponsored events. Not everyone may agree with the advice, but it’s good to at least consider your strategy and behavior before attending events. Here’s a summarized list of Dos and Don’ts from the article:

Don’t:

• Let your guard down
• Drink too much
• Get sloppy in your conversations
• Get overly friendly or make inappropriate comments to co-workers
• Gring your dog (and only bring your children if it’s requested or if your boss has kids; don’t bring your spouse “if your spouse has no social graces”)

• Attend the event. Management will see your attendance and may view the event as “team building”
• Dress to impress. This doesn’t mean show up to a picnic wearing a suit, but it does mean look polished and “take your cues from your boss,” not your co-workers
• Enjoy the event and come prepared. For example, if it’s a sporting event, do some research on the sport, learn how the team is doing, and be able to briefly talk about the subject
• Bring enough food for people to share if it's a potluck