The most annoying office habits
In the close confines of an office, it can be challenging to avoid finding fault with your colleagues. Picture this: you’re busy collating figures for Jane when your concentration is constantly interrupted. That’s right—it’s Dave, humming Bond themes. Again.
Does this sound familiar?
We asked office workers to share the top 5 things their colleagues do that drive them crazy. Here are the top 20 most annoying office habits.
The Top 5 Annoying Habits
- Prolonged Breaks & Timewasting – It’s no surprise that colleagues who don’t pull their weight top the list of annoyances, especially when you’re working hard.
- Regular Lateness – Being consistently late doesn’t win points with anyone.
- Constant Whining – We all need to vent occasionally, but constant complaining made it into the top three.
- Eating Smelly Food – Lunchtime can spark office drama, with smelly food being a major trigger for nearly a quarter of workers.
- Bad Hygiene – From coffee breath to shoe removers, bad hygiene always stands out—and not in a good way.
Other Key Findings
- Food-Related Frustrations
While smelly food ranked high on the list, food theft surprisingly ranked the least annoying. Maybe quinoa and mung bean wraps have made “lunch stealing” a thing of the past. - Jargon Isn’t as Bad as You Think
Contrary to popular belief, office jargon didn’t top the annoyance charts. Both men and women rated it among the bottom three. Perhaps we’ll “touch base” again if this survey is revisited. - Over-Perfumed Colleagues
On the flip side of bad hygiene, 15% of respondents found overly-perfumed colleagues annoying. Whether it’s an attempt to mask odors or just a personal preference, sometimes less is more.
Gender Differences
- Men were 10% more likely than women to personally address annoying behavior, while 35% of women said they’d rather avoid conflict. Hopefully, the men handled these situations with diplomacy!
Fun Fact: Top 10 Annoying Habit
Not replacing things when they run out (like ink and toner) ranked 10th, with 20.9% of respondents highlighting this as a pet peeve. Don’t be that person—replace your printer’s ink and toner when it runs low.
