Things about your co-workers that annoy you

[fenderbass]

Well a lot of my co-workers bug the hell out ouf me just by "being", but I can bet that I'm no joy to be seated near. I play drums on my desk/muose/keyboard/coffee cup while waiting for the computer to respond, like opening large drawing files, etc. I cuss like crazy even though the office policy is to be "professional" or some such bull sh*t, and can be in a generally pissed off mood most times, so I pretty much suck as a co-worker.

 

[pjj2ba]

The other is the "I've done that" girl. She's not a one-upper, per se, but she has tried/done/seen/smelled/watched/touched everything. And she joins any and all conversations to contribute her anecdotes.

We call those Topper McGees. Because they top everything everyone has done. The best thing to do is screw with them come up with something super outlandish and watch them try to top it and quietly laugh to yourself.

I like to call this "shoe boxing" after a Monty Python sketch

 

[morticus]

One coworker in particular smells pretty offensive, naturally I guess. Then she uses a slightly less offensive perfume to "mask" it. The mix is overwhelming and can be smelled a long way down the hall. When the issue was addressed, she pulled race. Now, we just have to bear it.

The other is the "I've done that" girl. She's not a one-upper, per se, but she has tried/done/seen/smelled/watched/touched everything. And she joins any and all conversations to contribute her anecdotes.

We have a chick like that in the office. She smells like a can of tuna that was left out in the sun for a few days with a hint of lavender.

 

[dkwolf]

We have a chick like that in the office. She smells like a can of tuna that was left out in the sun for a few days with a hint of lavender.

We used to have a gal working for us that was a pack-a-day smoker. Everything she owned smelled like smoke - her car, her clothes, her coat, HER. And of course, we all know that smoking decreases your sense of smell. So she'd get ready for work every morning and put perfume on to where SHE could smell it. The combination of smoke and whatever scent she wore was enough to bring tears to your eyes.

One of the most celebrated days in the office was the day she quit smoking and regained her sense of smell, and went back to a 'normal' application of perfume instead of using a high-pressure hose.

 

[Rhumbline]

Here's a question that I hope won't be considered too off topic.

For those amongst us in a management/senior management position, what obligation do we have to our employees, clients, and customers to address the issues and behaviors that we've seen mentioned in this post?

I'm not talking about the person who occasionally talks too loud, but the one whose personal grooming or interpersonal skills are such that they negatively impact the productivity of the department or the bottom line.

A brief example:

I work with a woman in her mid sixties. she's in very good physical condition for a person her age, but she insists on wearing miniskirts, always, every day. Today, she came in wearing a button up shirt and slacks and I was struck by how much more professional she looked. I was torn between offending her and trying to let her know how much more appropriate her outfit was. I said nothing.

I know the current philosophy is to avoid any kind of confrontation, but I'm convinced that this does no one any good.

 

[jsguitar]

This thread reminded me of the Curb episode, The Bare Midriff.

 

[Billy-Klubb]

I like to call this "shoe boxing" after a Monty Python sketch

Four Yorkshiremen

we've got a few "shoe boxers" at our shop. the one that's been annoying me lately is this guy that always has to tell us the he's "never had a drop of alcohol" in his life and that he doesn't "need alcohol to have a good time". the last time he went off on his arrogant tangent, I replied with "Well, happy go flocc yourself!"

 

[mattd2]

we've got a few "shoe boxers" at our shop. the one that's been annoying me lately is this guy that always has to tell us the he's "never had a drop of alcohol" in his life and that he doesn't "need alcohol to have a good time". the last time he went off on his arrogant tangent, I replied with "Well, happy go flocc yourself!"

But if he has never had alcohol how does he know what he thinks is a "good time" is actually not a crappy time that alcohol could of made better but because he has never tried he doesn't know that his good time is everyone else's crappy time

 

[JoeyChopps]

Here's a question that I hope won't be considered too off topic. For those amongst us in a management/senior management position, what obligation do we have to our employees, clients, and customers to address the issues and behaviors that we've seen mentioned in this post? I'm not talking about the person who occasionally talks too loud, but the one whose personal grooming or interpersonal skills are such that they negatively impact the productivity of the department or the bottom line. A brief example: I work with a woman in her mid sixties. she's in very good physical condition for a person her age, but she insists on wearing miniskirts, always, every day. Today, she came in wearing a button up shirt and slacks and I was struck by how much more professional she looked. I was torn between offending her and trying to let her know how much more appropriate her outfit was. I said nothing. I know the current philosophy is to avoid any kind of confrontation, but I'm convinced that this does no one any good.

It's instances like this that I miss the military. We had what we called "stinky kids". You know the ones that don't shower. They would get called in the office and told " take a god damn shower" and all was fixed. However with a female dressing inappropriate we would have still been screwed to tell her. We had a female in my shop the wore her under shirt about 3 sizes too small and she had pretty ********. Senior management tried to tell her it was inappropriate and she called MEO ( military equal opportunity) they had to go to sensitivity training and she continued her behavior. So long story short you're screwed and so nothing.

 

[Rhumbline]

It's instances like this that I miss the military....

It was so much simpler as a Marine Platoon Sgt. It never even crossed my mind that someone would get all weepy on me about being called out.

There were even some very rare times when, under extreme circumstances, I turned a blind eye towards some "negative reinforcement" that, as a last resort, I was convinced was absolutely necessary to achieve a greater good after all else failed. I stress that in ten years there might have been two occasions where this was needed and it was done under tightly controlled circumstances.

I could always rely on the fact that I could speak freely to my subordinates and they, in turn, felt comfortable pointing out when I was out of line.

 

[tx-brewer]

[QUOTE="Rhumbline;5569989"

I could always rely on the fact that I could speak freely to my subordinates and they, in turn, felt comfortable pointing out when I was out of line.[/QUOTE]

As it should be everywhere.

Thanks for your service

 

[fuzzy2133]

Here's a question that I hope won't be considered too off topic.

For those amongst us in a management/senior management position, what obligation do we have to our employees, clients, and customers to address the issues and behaviors that we've seen mentioned in this post?

I'm not talking about the person who occasionally talks too loud, but the one whose personal grooming or interpersonal skills are such that they negatively impact the productivity of the department or the bottom line.

A brief example:

I work with a woman in her mid sixties. she's in very good physical condition for a person her age, but she insists on wearing miniskirts, always, every day. Today, she came in wearing a button up shirt and slacks and I was struck by how much more professional she looked. I was torn between offending her and trying to let her know how much more appropriate her outfit was. I said nothing.

I know the current philosophy is to avoid any kind of confrontation, but I'm convinced that this does no one any good.

The current philosophy is not to get sued and some places have female managers deal with female dress issues.

Talk with who you report to and see if she is dressing appropriate and with in the companys dress code. I have been debating on putting pictures of acceptable dress in our emoloyee hand books to make the issue easier and clearer to deal with.

If what she wares would be acceptable for a gal in her 30's working in the office then you can't say much.

Dress code problems can be the hardest to deal with and needs to be done company wide so no one can claim unfair treatment.

 

[Melana]

Real problem is some girls never learned the 'if you don't have it don't flaunt it'. Flaunting it in the workplace is never appropriate. Perhaps I've been working in corporate conservative way too long.

 

[Crito]

I have to lock up my stapler and office supplies when I am not in eye contact of them. Yeah I bought them with my own money. You ain't borrowing them. Grrrrrr!!!

 

[DrunkleJon]

Here's a question that I hope won't be considered too off topic.

For those amongst us in a management/senior management position, what obligation do we have to our employees, clients, and customers to address the issues and behaviors that we've seen mentioned in this post?

I'm not talking about the person who occasionally talks too loud, but the one whose personal grooming or interpersonal skills are such that they negatively impact the productivity of the department or the bottom line.

A brief example:

I work with a woman in her mid sixties. she's in very good physical condition for a person her age, but she insists on wearing miniskirts, always, every day. Today, she came in wearing a button up shirt and slacks and I was struck by how much more professional she looked. I was torn between offending her and trying to let her know how much more appropriate her outfit was. I said nothing.

I know the current philosophy is to avoid any kind of confrontation, but I'm convinced that this does no one any good.

That is a job for HR. Specifically a female HR person. And then it is probably best approached with the positive reinforcement on the moreappropriate outfits so that eventually she gets the hint. At least I think that is how women work. Every time I think I have them figured out they change the rules on me.

At a previous job, the assistant to the CEO was this lady in her 50s who was highly remeniscent of Peg Bundy from Married with Children (in dress and intelligence level, thankfully not in voice). I think everyone just winced and ignored it until she got herself let go for other reasons.

 

[MaxStout]

That is a job for HR. Specifically a female HR person. And then it is probably best approached with the positive reinforcement on the moreappropriate outfits so that eventually she gets the hint. At least I think that is how women work. Every time I think I have them figured out they change the rules on me.

And even when HR addresses the issue, it's usually directed as a general re-iteration of policy to all employees, rather than a one-on-one discussion with the person in question. Usually handled with some memo to the effect of, "we would like to remind all employees about our company dress code..."

 

[Melana]

Our HR team is great at skirting issues

 

[beaksnbeer]

No PUNishment?

 

[Dolomieu]

Not sure I mentioned this before. I get in before, take a shorter lunch and leave after my supervisor every day. Not sure how he get 40 hrs in a week but he has been doing that ever since he had kids. Our management is so absent they have never noticed. Another coworker is here 8 hrs period. She charges her lunch break every day.

 

[Homercidal]

This guy at work constantly slacks off, surfs the web and only works when he's called upon.

No, wait... That's me!

NM

 

[mattd2]

This guy at work constantly slacks off, surfs the web and only works when he's called upon.

No, wait... That's me!

NM

I want your job... wait, do I want you job?

 

[drainbamage]

The a-hole (possibly the cleaning crew) who steals money out of people's desks after hours.

 

[SupervisingChildren]

When I get phone calls saying that they won't be in today because they got their period and horrible cramping and blah blah blah. I don't wanna hear the @#$/^&* details! A simple I won't be in today is all that is necessary!

 

[mattd2]

When I get phone calls saying that they won't be in today because they got their period and horrible cramping and blah blah blah. I don't wanna hear the @#$/^&* details! A simple I won't be in today is all that is necessary!

The thing is they probably don't have anything and just want to make you uncomfortable so you don't ask anymore questions
I had a few mates at high school that would tell the male gym teacher that they could go swimming because they had their period. Every time they would get out of gym with no questions asked... this would happen every week!

 

[SupervisingChildren]

The thing is they probably don't have anything and just want to make you uncomfortable so you don't ask anymore questions
I had a few mates at high school that would tell the male gym teacher that they could go swimming because they had their period. Every time they would get out of gym with no questions asked... this would happen every week!

"Don't trust anything that bleeds for a week and doesn't die." Especially when it's WEEKS at a time! Haha

 

[paulster2626]

People hate me for sure. I figured out that I can call my own voicemail, record a message, then flip it over to someone else's extension. So they're just sitting there, and *POP* - red light starts blinking with a message from me without actually talking to me.

"Oh, hello Mr. Doofus, this is Mr. Paulster. Please do this for me and let me know when it's done. Thanks!"

MUHAHAHHAHAAH.

 

[fuzzy2133]

The a-hole (possibly the cleaning crew) who steals money out of people's desks after hours.

Make some color copies of a $20 to leave around the office. See if they catch all the serial numbers are the same...

 

[paulster2626]

Make some color copies of a $20 to leave around the office. See if they catch all the serial numbers are the same...

Try that - modern copiers won't work.

 

[TNGabe]

I just found out some passive agressive jerk I work with his been complaining about me on some dumb homebrewing site. The nerve.

 

[oufly]

The other is the "I've done that" girl. She's not a one-upper, per se, but she has tried/done/seen/smelled/watched/touched everything. And she joins any and all conversations to contribute her anecdotes.[/QUOTE]

We had one of those guys - we almost had a party when he was canned