The 5 most annoying workplace behaviors
February 25, 2010 by Jim GiulianoPosted in: Behavior, Communication, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
Someone did a lot of research on this. But our guess is that your list is just as good.
A company called Opinion Research asked 1,800 people to choose the workplace behaviors that are the most annoying. Here are the, uh, winners:
- Grumpy or moody co-workers (37%). Usually, this involves people who bring their personal problems to work. An early-morning spat with a spouse is a top contender for the cause of such behavior. Anyway, it’s what we hate the most, according to the survey.
- Gossipers (19%). Apparently, many who were polled don’t see the value in baseless stories about who’s cuddling with whom, who’s getting fired and who’s answering polls. Or maybe they were the ones being gossiped about.
- The use of jargon (18%). Clearly, the people who put this on their list are incapable of “thinking outside the box.”
- Loud phone talkers (18%). We imagine this one’s triple-annoying when the speaker is gossiping and saying stuff like “thinking outside the box.”
- Poor toilet etiquette (16%). The less said about this, the better.
Tags: gossip, Opinion Research
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March 2nd, 2010 at 8:32 am
I actually found this to be very amusing. Thanks for the morning laugh!
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:41 am
This list could probably go on forever! I would add:
People who burst into your office and interrupt, regardless of what you’re doing.
People who always find someone else to blame for their mistakes. People who always point fingers.
People who take all the credit for a job well done.
People who constantly complain about anything and everything and who are consistently negative (and very verbal about it). Highly critical people.
People who work harder at making others look bad than at doing their job well.
People who are prejudice and don’t keep their prejudices to themselves. Bad enough to be that way. Unacceptable to be that way at work.
Manipulative, game-playing people.
Just a few off the top of my head. I would imagine you’re going to get a lot of responses to this one!
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:03 am
People who find fault with everything their co-workers do however they themselves do no wrong.
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:24 am
People who cite company policy, but no policy is in writing
March 2nd, 2010 at 11:37 am
Add to this:
Employees coughing throughout the entire day when they have a cold – and not bringing cough drops/medicine to help themselves. So irritating!
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:16 pm
KRE –
It is so funny that you say that!. Last week we had one of those employees here in the office. I got so fed up that I went to town, bought some cough drops and syrup. I handed it to that person, asking kindly, “please use something I have bought for you. Your coughing is very disturbing to others trying to work”.
Come find out, that person was really short on money – very sick and really appreciated the help.
March 2nd, 2010 at 12:20 pm
RACHEL – thank you for your comment. I’ve actually done this, too. However, the co-worker in question refused it because she didn’t like the kind I purchased. Crazy, huh?!
March 3rd, 2010 at 8:25 am
I have a coworker who constantly snacks on carrots. If that isn’t bad enouhg…she chews with her mouth open!
There isn’t much other noise in our office since it is only 3 of us.
It is so frustrating and disgusting!
March 3rd, 2010 at 2:08 pm
As a carrot chewing, Policy policing, cough syrup snob, I resent these remarks!!!
March 3rd, 2010 at 2:17 pm
Here’s one…
People who use their blackberry even when others are talking to them or during meetings.
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:31 pm
The co-worker who walks up and starts talking to you, but is looking at everything on your desk or on your screen while talking. So much fpr privacy…
March 3rd, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Body Odor
Nothing like working with a perfume/cologne factory or someone that forgot to bathe.
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:06 pm
How about when another employee knows you are waiting to talk to your supervisor, you walk away and come back moments later and that person has gone into your supervisor’s office. They see you standing there waiting but they continue their conversation like you aren’t even there. Added to that, it’s clear that they are not talking business. It’s rude!
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:37 pm
VJ I couldn’t agree more. This is why I have placed my desk in the corner facing my office door. They would actually have to come around to my side of the desk to see anything at all. Works great to keep snoopers at bay!
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:57 pm
people who come into your office for something and say they can come back later if they’ve interupted you – you’ve already done that so just get to the point!
March 3rd, 2010 at 4:58 pm
Speaking to coworkers in the hallway and they don’t have the courtesy to respond – rude.
People who do not clean up their own mess in the break/lunch room.
People who talke over someone else who is talking when that someone else is making a valid point.
And the site that booted me off because it said I was posting comments too fast…slow down…it was the only comment that I have posted.
March 3rd, 2010 at 5:27 pm
Sick people need to go to the Dr. and stay home till they are no longer contagios!
March 4th, 2010 at 8:41 am
What annoys me most is people who are unable or unwilling to properly use the english language and spell correctly.
March 4th, 2010 at 8:53 am
One very important thing in the workplace – COMMUNICATION. When a question is asked and there is NO RESPONSE from your boss….then a person is back to the ASSUME in the work place.
March 4th, 2010 at 9:00 am
Lars, English with a capital e
March 4th, 2010 at 9:59 am
I should print this list and display in our breakroom at work.
March 4th, 2010 at 10:14 am
I did realize that I forgot the “u” in contagious after it was too late(because I do agree w/ Lars). Also, I hate that people cannot clean up after themselves. I end up doing it! I total agree w/ R.B., especially people that take the credit for others’ work (the team effort)
March 4th, 2010 at 10:47 am
My top irritants?
1) People, especially in management, who can’t spell or use English properly are a pet peeve. I once audited a performance review which, between the poor penmanship and poor spelling, appeared to congratulate the employee on a good job moving the “whorehouse” rather than the warehouse.
2) Employees who come to my office and ask “Are you busy?” If I say ‘no’ they wonder what I’m being paid for, if I say ‘yes’ I come across as too busy to help them. It’s a no-win. I’d prefer to be asked for a few minutes of my time either now or later.
3) People who come into my office and start talking to me despite the phone conversation I’m in the middle of. I would think the phone held to my ear would be a clue.
March 4th, 2010 at 11:33 am
Coughing – Cough drops or cough medicine does not always take care of a cough. I know, I have been fighting Bronchitis for the past 6 weeks, and all the prescription medicine and over counter medicine was not getting rid of the cough. At least I tried to excuse myself to my office or restroom to cough out my lungs. Not fun. My boss kept offering me cough drops which really is annoying when I had a bag on my desk. Don’t always assume people coughing don’t care. After several different prescriptions, we finally found one strong enough to start to clear it up.
March 4th, 2010 at 11:34 am
Angie, that’s hilarious!! I have a manager who not only cannot spell his title (because he cannot spell his department) but also who asked people to sign up for his “emergence response team” instead of Emergency. Needless to say, no one signed up because they didn’t know what he meant.
March 4th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
How about when a “committee” is created to solve office problems but doesn’t have the follow through? Nothing like spending time you don’t have to come up with solutions you won’t see!
March 8th, 2010 at 8:48 am
How about people who insist on using their speaker phone, or shouting to their assistant rather than walking over and having a conversation. And, what’s up with people making popcorn in the middle of the day? Are we at the movies or working? Those same people usually are overwieght and complain about it, then nosh on whatever cookies, cake and whatnot are left in the pantry. Also, women who stink like cigarettes, hairspray and purfume.
March 8th, 2010 at 10:54 am
Wow! Lots of complaints and pet peeves here. Some are very funny and some are very sad. Note to self to never complain about co-workers again…thank you and please have a wonderful week everyone!
March 8th, 2010 at 12:14 pm
This stuff is HYSTERICAL, it made my Monday!!! KRE, Rachel, HRGUY, Mary D…thanks for posting!
March 8th, 2010 at 12:17 pm
Ohhhh and Lynn,…. I can totally relate to your post!
March 8th, 2010 at 3:12 pm
They missed my favorite those who drink coffee, but cannot make it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
March 8th, 2010 at 3:47 pm
One more comment – hear, hear for toilet etiquette. Our office manager has had so many complaints on the subject that she finally sent out an email to address the issue. How needless but unfortunately necessary…ugh!
March 9th, 2010 at 10:12 am
Clipping fingernails at work – please save it for home!
March 9th, 2010 at 2:14 pm
One of my personal pet peeves is when I come back to my office and find my chair covered with papers like it is an “in box”.
March 9th, 2010 at 2:56 pm
Tina, don’t you know that all “important” papers go in your chair? Your in-box is just there for looks. I hate it, too. But, most of all, I don’t like people to slip papers under my office door when it is closed either during the work day or after hours, especially when I have an internal mail box. I once found a memo in my office floor upon coming to work one morning. I picked up the memo, read it, determined that it was not important but needed an immediate reply. So, I tossed the memo in the floor behind the opened door. Later the author of the memo came to see me wanting to know why I had not responded to her memo. After some discussion and the “discovery” of the memo on the floor behind my door, she learned to use the internal mail box.
March 9th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
Mary,
I’ve had that too, and sometimes, when I am putting the key in the door and open it, I walk on them. There have been a few “important” papers with big foot prints on them.
March 23rd, 2010 at 11:01 am
Wow – whomever created this poll must have been to my workplace. I work with the moodiest employees I have ever met.
We have an employee that is so self important she feels that only she has the authority to handle any issue even though she does not work in the human resources department. Several times she tried to handle something and almost caused a lawsuit (once she went around and demanded that each employee contibute $20.00 to a charitable organization that was founded by a friend of hers). The worst part is that she is favored by the boss and she lets her get away with it while HR has to clean it up.
March 30th, 2010 at 11:40 am
If I didn’t know better, I would swear R.B. works with me! The loud phone talkers are VERY annoying, especially when they are on personal calls! Papers on the chair are also annoying. I have a desk. The papers can go there. I will see them. Thanks, everyone. I don’t feel alone anymore!
April 5th, 2010 at 10:26 am
You are all great! Spelling-huge issue. Moodiness-need I say more. Papers under the door- No biggy for me! Talking to me while I am on the phone and they know it–Super huge issue for me! Amazing!
Pot lucks- No more for me. I figure if they are pigs at work what is happening at home. I do not want to eat anything from their homes.
April 14th, 2010 at 10:56 am
I had a boss that had polio as a child and was on crutches, can you believe that people still put papers on his chair… what an annoyance! I had many conversations with people regarding the proper use of an inbox.
I totally agree with the people who use their blackberry during the day. It is rude to answer calls or text messages when you have an individual sitting directly in front of you. I had one manager that made us drop our cell phones at the door before any company or department meeting. Good idea!
How about – People who yell continuously across the office for you. Pick up the phone or get up to go see that person. I guarantee the person you are yelling for doesn’t appreciate it, and everyone else does not like the interruption to their day.
April 21st, 2010 at 10:26 am
My biggest pet peeves in the office, people who live in glass houses throwing stones and gossipers! Why can’t everyone mind their own business and do their work? Can’t we just be concerned about what contribution we’re making to the team and not what everyone else is doing and just get along? We’re all human and we’re all going to make mistakes.
April 23rd, 2010 at 2:27 pm
I haven’t seen this one posted. There is a women in my office that hums or sings constantly (not in tune) and coughs constantly. We counted the number of times she coughed in less that 15 minutes–40 times. She also plays her radio too loud and talks exceedingly loud on the phone. Any suggestions to gracefully tell her how annoying she is to other?
April 23rd, 2010 at 2:53 pm
Marilyn – give the humming, tone deaf singing cougher a referral to a good ENT specialist. She may have sinus issues which can lead to hearing problems. However, the singing out of tune part…well since I sing out of tune rather well, I might add, there isn’t much you can do there.
April 26th, 2010 at 9:41 am
Dawn B – I have one better on the Blackberry or cell phone. I have someone who comes to my office (quite often) and when his Blackberry or cell phone rings he answers it and proceeeds to have an entire conversation with the caller in my office making it impossible for me to work. HE never lets it go to voicemail or leaves the room even in meetings or on conference calls. He will mute conference phone and then talk on his cell making it impossbile for other people on the conference call on his end to hear. People need to learn that the person in front of them is more important then the ringing cell phone.
April 26th, 2010 at 10:28 am
Unfortunately, we spend a lot of time with people we normally would choose not to spend time with. You can’t choose your family and you certainly can’t choose your co-workers.
Many of the comments above were very funny and I’ve enjoyed this blog more than most. However, we have to live with each other and each other’s foibles.
Even if a person changes after being spoken with about a certain habit or practice, it will find its way back into the office. People are who they’re going to be. Many don’t change life-long habits for long.
So, enjoy the absence of the irritant while is lasts…because as sure as “Bob’s your uncle,” it will be back!
May 24th, 2010 at 7:11 am
The Lurker is the one that bugs me the most. She listens in to everyone’s conversations, and feels free to chime in at random moments – from her desk down the hall! If someone is using the copier, she will yell “don’t forget to set it darker”, if you ask someone else if they have seen Joe, she yells “he’s at the other plant this morning”, and so on. Knowing she is eavesdropping on every trivial conversation is causing folks to go outside to talk!
May 24th, 2010 at 11:07 am
I have a super pet peeve. The loud talker. The one who thinks everyone is waited with baited breath for every pearl of wisdom that drips from her non-stop, forever-flapping lips. And, every word uttered must be at high volume. I personally think she had an amplifier surgically implanted into her neck! It is the most annoying voice; the tone is high-pitched and by the time 2 minutes goes by after hearing her cackling on the phone or spreading gossip with a co-worker I have gotten up from my desk and have shut her door hard enough that even the dumbest person would catch on. Not her, though.
I have finally moved across the building and, I swear, I can hear her three floors down. You may laugh, but if it wasn’t for her work ethics and abilities, she’d be long gone. I know this because I’m her boss!
July 17th, 2010 at 2:18 am
Stop the Chinese Noise Torture!!!!!! It’s hard to describe in words the sound that eminates from this woman’s cubicle. She sits just in front of me and sings off and on all day. It’s a horrible sound; like two felines mating or fighting. I asked her once, very politely, if she could stop and she did for an entire day. Perhaps she thought I meant just for the day? Finally, one day I lost it and yelled out “You’re killing me!!!” and to this she laughed as if I were making a funny! I want to walk over to her and shove a dirty sock in her mouth! I find it incredibly distracting! There’s all kinds of people that sit around her that I never hear complain about it, so I must just be crazy! Well, I finally broke down and bought a stupid cheapo radio/headset, so I can drown out the horrible sounds this woman makes.