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&lt;p&gt;We spend a large bulk of our days with coworkers, so we often divulge details of our social lives and are also inquisitive of our coworkers&#39; lives outside of the office. That said, there are questions that we should never ask our colleagues, even if they’re our friends in the office. Here are some of those questions and why they&#39;re inappropriate.&#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;1. &lt;strong&gt;“&lt;/strong&gt;How can you afford to do that?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;When your coworker asks you to cover for them because they’re going on vacation to Greece, and you ask how they could possibly afford a getaway like that, it’s essentially like asking them how much they’re putting in the bank every paycheck. Talking salaries with coworkers is&#160;(most of the time) inappropriate.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;2. “Are you pregnant?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;First of all, if they’re not pregnant, you just insulted them. Second of all, if they are pregnant, maybe they didn’t want to tell anyone yet because they’re still early on—or because pregnant women are largely discriminated against in the workplace. Whatever the case, it’s their place to share the news when or if they’re ready.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;3. “Did you make it home OK from the happy hour last night?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This implies that your coworker was less-than professional last night, or that a less-than professional encounter occurred—whether or not they were directly involved. Others who overhear this conversation might conclude that your coworker was out late partying, possibly hung over and probably going to slack that day.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;4. “How did you lose so much weight?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Unless you’re going to&#160;Weight Watchers&#160;meetings with your coworkers, or you&#39;re all involved in a group weight loss challenge together, there’s really no need to be asking them about their weight. While you may think you’re giving a compliment, this topic is a potential minefield. For one, they could be sick and unintentionally losing weight. And, in general, commenting on someone’s physical appearance&#160;can be&#160;awkward&#160;in the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;5. “Why are you so dressed up today? What do you have going on?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Maybe it’s a date after work, and maybe they don’t want anyone to know that’s why they’re skipping the non-mandatory company happy hour. Or maybe they have an&#160;interview&#160;at lunch for a new job. Whatever the case, it’s best to keep this question to yourself.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;6. “Have you been working out?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Again, commenting on a coworker’s physical appearance is considered unprofessional by a lot of professionals, and it could be construed as&#160;&lt;a href=&quot;https://fairygodboss.com/career-topics/dealing-with-sexual-harassment-at-work&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot; class=&quot;recomendedHyperlink&quot;&gt;sexual harassment&lt;/a&gt;&#160;depending on the situation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;7. “What do you think about that thing that just happened in the news?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Leave the politics out of the office. Chances are you won’t see eye to eye with&#160;someone&#160;on&#160;something, and you need your coworkers to be a team. Politics can be divisive, and that could prove detrimental to your work together.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;8. “What’d you do for Christmas?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Religion doesn’t have a place in most workplaces, and you should never assume that your coworkers celebrate one holiday over another. You may wish them happy holidays and have small talk about how everyone enjoyed their holiday break, but making assumptions about specifics&#160;might offend someone.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;9. “Are you married?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Whether or not your coworker is married has nothing to do with your work, and treating coworkers differently based on their marital status is considered&#160;discrimination. Besides, they could have a complicated relationship that they don’t feel comfortable discussing, or they might not feel comfortable discussing their sexual&#160;identity in the workplace.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;10. “Do you have any kids?”&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Like the marriage question, asking about kids is largely considered inappropriate. A lot of mothers and&#160;childless women express that they’ve felt discriminated against&#160;for having children or for not having children, so let your coworkers share with you about their families instead. Many will do so&#160;by displaying family photos on their desks, and then you can ask about them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;A version of this post previously appeared on&#160;&lt;a href=&quot;https://fairygodboss.com/&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;Fairygodboss&lt;/a&gt;, which helps women get the inside scoop on pay, corporate culture, benefits, and work flexibility. Founded in 2015, Fairygodboss offers company ratings, job listings, discussion boards, and career advice.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Annamarie Houlis via Fairygodboss

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