Opinion Piece Calls for Workplace Etiquette Training Alongside Professional Education Requirements
Writing in The Guardian, columnist Gene Marks argues that professionals required to complete continuing education should also receive etiquette training, citing an increasingly diverse American workplace.
An opinion column published in The Guardian's business section on September 13, 2026, has proposed that professional continuing education requirements be expanded to include etiquette training, in addition to existing ethics coursework.
The piece, written by Gene Marks, a certified public accountant, notes that he is required to complete at least 80 hours of continuing professional education credits every two years. According to Marks, similar requirements exist for lawyers, healthcare professionals, engineers, electricians, plumbers and certain contractors.
Marks writes that these professional education requirements often include ethics training, which he describes as valuable. However, he argues that ethics instruction alone is insufficient and that etiquette training is needed as a complement to it.
According to Marks, this type of training is particularly necessary now because the American workplace has become increasingly diverse. He suggests that as workplaces bring together people from a wider range of backgrounds, formal guidance on professional conduct and interpersonal norms could serve an important role.
The column represents the author's personal viewpoint and was published as an opinion piece rather than a news report. It does not cite specific data, studies or third-party sources to support the claim about workplace diversity trends or the need for etiquette training.
Sources
- Many professionals take continuing education. Let’s add etiquette classes | Gene Marks — The Guardian — Business
EGazette summarizes reporting from multiple sources; follow the links for the originals.
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