If annoying habits of your workmates are getting on your nerves and making it impossible for you to concentrate, you're not alone. Even minor irritants from office mates seem to be magnified these days as a stressful workload keeps employees chained to their desks, the experts say.
IT'S GETTING WORSE
Canadian workplaces are plagued by workers with annoying habits, and the problem has been getting worse in the past year, says Linda Allan, president of management consultancy Linda Allan Inc. in Toronto.
"In the downturn, workloads went up and everyone is under more pressure. The result is there's less attention paid to how people behave, and a lot of cubicle conduct has really slipped," she says.
Visiting clients in their offices, Ms. Allan has witnessed people talking loudly on phones or watching video clips on their computer, with the sound blasting loudly, even though there were others around them.
"I'm seeing more cubicles with leftover food that's been sitting for days than I ever did before," she says. "And I've even seen stinky hockey bags under desks."
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HOW ANNOYING ARE CO-WORKERS?
One in five U.S. employees say that co-workers have at least one habit that drives them crazy, according to an MSN Zogby poll.
In another study, a whopping 96 per cent of 900 U.S. and Canadian workers said that they regularly get annoyed with a co-worker's rude or obnoxious behaviour, with 48 per cent saying the annoyances were a drag on their productivity. Because of this, 12 per cent said that at some point in their career the offensive behaviour of co-workers was a factor in their decision to quit a job, according to the study's author, Christine Pearson, professor of management at the Thunderbird School of Global Management in Glendale, Ariz., and co-author of The Cost of Bad Behavior.
So annoying are some of the habits of colleagues that nearly two in five of workers - 39 per cent - feel like they don't fit in where they work, according to a new survey of 5,231 U.S. workers by job site CareerBuilder.com.
What kind of behaviour bugs them? Seventeen per cent said they are irked by "know-it-alls;" 15 per cent by people who "kiss up" to managers; 12 per cent by co-workers who are always late or who leave early; 10 per cent by chatterboxes who share every detail of their lives; and 7 per cent by office gossips.
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ARE YOU THE ANNOYANCE?
While you're busy complaining about the people around you, have you ever thought you might be the problem?
The irritant:
Your sounds and smells.
Why it's annoying:
You may think your whistling is musical or your sweat smells natural, but both may be overpowering to others.
Advice:
Do a reality check with trusted colleagues about your talking, whistling and aromas.
The irritant:
Constantly offering unsolicited advice.
Why it's annoying:
Others will perceive that they're not living up to your expectations.
Advice:
Opine only if asked.
The irritant:
You're X-rated.
Why it's annoying:
Controversial topics and suggestive language aren't appropriate in any office.
Advice:
Tone it down or save it for happy hour with friends.
The irritant:
You play the "top this" game.
Why it's annoying:
People feel demeaned when you one-up every story.
Advice:
Listen to others.
The irritant:
You can't wait until the day's over. Every day.
Why it's annoying:
Clock-watching is panic-making for those on a deadline and contagious for those who aren't.
Advice:
Button it up or the boss will question your work ethic.
Source: Careerbuilder.ca .
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TWO TAKES ON ANNOYING OFFICE HABITS
PET PEEVES
60% Gossip
54% Others' poor time-management skills (personal phone calls, surfing the Internet)
45% Messiness in communal spaces
42% Potent scents (perfume, food)
41% Loud noises (speaker phones, loud voices)
28% Overuse of personal electronic devices in meetings
22% Misuse of e-mail
Source: Randstad USA, 2,429 U.S. workers, 2007
ANNOYING HABITS
27% Loud conversations
11% Loud/annoying cellphone ring tone
6.9% Leaving the kitchen a mess
6.4% Eating smelly food
5.9% Shouting across the room
4% Taking my supplies without asking
Source: MSNBC live online poll, 6,857 responses
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END THE SUFFERING
Show patience:
Everyone is under pressure, so a one-time offence may just be an oversight. Raise it as an issue only if a problem persists.
Keep it private:
Discuss your concern in person, out of earshot of others.
Show respect:
Raise the issue with the words "you may not be aware of this but... .
Ask for input:
Your prescription may just increase the conflict rather than coming up with a remedy.
Ask for a move:
Consider seeking a desk relocation.
Take it upstairs:
It should only be a final measure, but if the problem persists, ask if the boss or HR department to act as mediator.
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WHAT NOT TO DO
Hold grudges:
Seeking revenge or playing a prank on the person who stole your lunch will invite retaliation and the annoyance of others.
Pick a bad time:
When you're angry or facing a crunch, a confrontation can escalate. People tend to be most receptive at the end of the day or workweek.
Make it a debate:
If tempers flare, walk away and suggest later that you get mediation from a co-worker, or supervisor.
Assume it was deliberate:
Often the offender hasn't realized there was a problem.
Put up with it:
If the behaviour is persistent, you have to deal with it.
Sources: Linda Allan and Jacqueline Whitmore, president of The Etiquette Expert Inc. in Palm Beach Florida
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