We spend more time with our coworkers than we do with our own families. In that close proximity, small annoyances can quickly turn into full-blown resentments. You might think you are a delight to sit next to, but your office habits could be driving your team up the wall.
Self-awareness is the key to office survival. Nobody wants to be the person who triggers a collective eye-roll when they walk into the break room. Let’s do a quick audit of the behaviors that might be making you the office villain.
The “Reply All” Offender
Unless you are congratulating someone on a baby or a promotion, nobody needs to see your “Thanks!” email. clogging up twenty inboxes with a one-word reply is a digital sin. Use it sparingly, or better yet, just reply to the sender.
Microwaving Fish
This is the cardinal rule of shared spaces. Reheating salmon, broccoli, or burnt popcorn affects the air quality for everyone. The smell lingers for hours. If your lunch requires a hazmat suit for the rest of the office, save it for dinner at home.
The Loud Speakerphone Talker
Open floor plans are tough enough without you broadcasting your conference call. Taking calls on speakerphone at your desk forces everyone around you to participate in your meeting. Use a headset or go to a huddle room. It is basic respect.
Coming to Work Sick
You might think you are being a hero by powering through the flu. In reality, you are a biological hazard. Your coworkers do not want your germs. With remote work options available, stay home and keep your virus to yourself.
The “Meeting Extender”
The meeting is wrapping up. Everyone is closing their laptops. Then, you raise your hand to ask a question that could have been an email. Holding people hostage when they have other work to do is a surefire way to make enemies.
Grooming at the Desk
Clipping nails, flossing, or applying heavy perfume at your desk is a hard no. Personal grooming belongs in the bathroom. The sound of a nail clipper is like nails on a chalkboard to a focused colleague.
Borrowing Without Asking
Taking a stapler, a charger, or a pen from someone’s desk without permission is theft, even if you plan to return it. People are territorial about their tools. Ask first, and always return it promptly.
Chronic Lateness
If every meeting starts five minutes late because we are waiting for you, it signals that you value your time more than ours. Punctuality is a form of respect. Being consistently late disrupts the flow and wastes money.
The Kitchen Slob
Leaving your dishes in the sink because “the cleaning crew will get it” is entitled behavior. We are all adults here. Wash your spoon, wipe your crumbs, and throw away your expired yogurt.
Oversharing Personal Drama
We want to know you, but we don’t need the play-by-play of your messy breakup in the middle of a Tuesday. emotional dumping on colleagues puts them in an awkward position. Keep the heavy stuff for happy hour or your real friends.
Interrupting Constantly
Talking over people in meetings shuts down collaboration. It makes you look arrogant. Listen more than you speak, and let others finish their thoughts before you jump in.
The “Hoverer”
Standing behind someone’s chair waiting for them to notice you is creepy. Send a Slack message or knock on the desk frame. Give people space.
Be a Good Neighbor
Good office habits come down to empathy. Treat the shared space and your coworkers’ time with the same respect you expect for yourself.
Which office habit drives you absolutely bonkers? Vent in the comments below!
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The post 12 Office Habits That Make You the Coworker Everyone Complains About appeared first on Budget and the Bees.
