The 8 Most Annoying Workplace Habits

By Ahmed Wafi

Don't be that guy

We all have that one colleague who does things that are just downright annoying. And they don’t know it! Or worst – we could be that annoying colleague. Are you guilty of being annoying? If you recognise any of these habits as your own, cuit it out right now.

Interrupting your colleague
More often than not, we tend to listen to people speak just so we know when they are done so that we can give our feedback instead of actually listening to what they have to say. It’s common courtesy to let people finish speaking and not interrupting them halfway. It’s also right to pay attention to what they have to say, not just give them the glassy eye treatment. Not only is this annoying but it's also rude!

Bragging
We get it – you want to tell everybody the great job you’ve done. But there’s a fine line between bragging and sharing. It’s bragging when you start telling everyone who walks by about the successful projects you were a part of – even when nobody asked you about it. It’s also bragging when you take on a condescending tone when speaking about it to others. When is it sharing? When you genuinely want to share the good news – take your friends out for a celebration, tell them the good news, and enjoy the treat!

Moaning about work
Nobody likes a whiner, especially when they do it over and over about the same thing. Don’t like something about your work life? Do something about it rather than just complaining about it all day, all week.

Attending to personal hygiene at your desk
If your stuffy nose is bothering you, take a break from whatever it is you’re doing at work and head to the bathroom. Blowing your nose at your desk is something no one wants to hear or see no matter how ‘normal’ it is. Another tip: , Iif you have to burp at your desk, keep your mouth closed. Basically don’t do anything that may offend others or create an awkward situation (stop picking that nose or zit!)

Being sick and coming to work
Do everyone a favour if you’re not feeling well –take the day off. Last thing your colleagues want is a walking germ bag. It makes people uncomfortable, especially when you are sneezing or coughing all over their desk.

Leaving a mess in the break room
Your mum doesn't work here, clean up your own mess.

Long lunch breaks
Who doesn’t want an extra 30 minutes of lunch time? But if you’re that colleague who goes on super long lunch break while everyone else is back on time to get things done, it’s no wonder why you’re on everyone’s annoying colleague list, especially if you saunter in like it’s completely normal to be 30 minutes late. When you take an extra long lunch break without letting anyone in the office know, it slows down the productivity of the office. Even more so if you’re working on a team project.

Not googling it
Thank God for Google! If you have a question that Google can answer, stop bugging your colleague with the unnecessary question (especially if they’re clearly swamped in work)

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