Do you have an office pet peeve?

From colleagues heating fish in the communal microwave, to not filling the printer with paper and singing out loud ever so loudly – what REALLY annoys office workers?

We recently surveyed UK office workers to determine the habits that really get under their skin and found that colleagues eating smelly food in the office, for example, eggs and tuna, is the number one office pet peeve (39%).   

The top five office pet peeves are as followed:

  1. Colleagues eating smelly food in the office e.g. eggs/tuna (39%)
  2. Colleagues eating their food out of the fridge (28%)
  3. Colleagues eating out loud (27%)
  4. Colleagues speaking loudly (27%)
  5. Colleagues whistling/singing (24%)

With respondents quick to point the finger, when asked if they think they have any habits that annoy their colleagues, a third (33%) expressed they have no irritating habits what so ever, whilst one in six (15%) are aware they speak loudly, and 13% have a tendency to sing while they work.

So, when faced with office bugbears, what lengths do workers go to, to avoid these irritations from arising again?

Well, over a third (37%) of workers will tell the culprit face-to-face that their habits are annoying them, whilst one in six (15%) will drop them an email expressing their annoyances. Moreover, one in ten (11%) will sneakily leave a passive-aggressive note.

Interestingly, men (42%) are more likely than women (34%) to tell a colleague face-to-face that their behaviour is annoying. Moreover, men (13%) are also more likely to gossip to a co-worker about it, hoping that the colleague will pass on the message.

Thinking about the office environment you currently work in, have you ever come across, or even left, a passive-aggressive sign aimed at co-workers with infuriating habits? If so, why not take part in our competition and submit an image of the sign for your chance to win a £50 Amazon voucher. Please, be sure to read the T&Cs before entering.