Each office’s culture is different, and it’s always evolving. Some cultures are the strong and silent “work in isolation” types, and some are the “party ‘til you drop, especially at Happy Hour” variety. It’s not always easy to tell out of the gate, so if you’re new to a company, you may not know exactly how you fit in yet. This is especially true around your boss, who can steer your career for better or worse. If you want to build a positive relationship with your boss, you don’t want to volunteer negative points to be used against you. So here’s a hint—whatever your office culture, here are five things to avoid broaching with your boss.

Never talk to your boss about:

• Politics. In this crazy political climate, this should go without saying! Even if you have the same affiliation or voted for the same candidate, your beliefs are bound to break on something. No sense in opening a rift that can impact what your boss thinks of your choices.
• Your Sunday all-nighter. So maybe you closed the bar last night, got two hours of sleep, and came in despite a punishing hangover. What good comes from your boss knowing you spent the night partying instead of preparing for a productive day at work?
• That annoying coworker. Now, this doesn’t apply if you have a genuine problem working with someone—if a coworker is hostile, inappropriate, or ignoring work that then falls on you, schedule a sit-down to discuss this with your boss. But if a coworker is merely annoying, as in they wear too much perfume, microwave fish in the lunch room, or blab to incessantly about their personal lives, that’s best for you to work out. Your boss can’t do much to help, and may see you as less of a team player, or worse—a whiner.
• Hanging out Friday night. You may have the coolest boss ever, and you may genuinely enjoy their company, but it’s not exactly appropriate to propose a social one-on-one with your boss. It can be weird for everyone involved, and it can lead to complaints of favoritism if you get that promotion over the guy who didn’t take the boss out for shots. Leave social time for team-building events.
• Why they asked you to do a job. If your boss gives you a task, that means they trust you to get the job done. Your boss may be totally capable of doing that task on their own, but they may also have a full plate and need an assist. Don’t look this gift horse in the mouth. Every opportunity you’re given is a chance to shine!

As you settle into a job, you’ll get a better feel for what’s appropriate and what isn’t. But as a rule, if you like your job and you want to stay in your boss’s good graces, keep the conversations professional and always be ready to excel!