10 Co-Worker Habits that Drive You Crazy — And What to Do About Them

Returning to the office after working from home means you’re back to encountering others’ annoying habits. Even if you’re working in a hybrid situation — part in-person, part remote — you now find yourself subjected to interacting with quirky co-workers. And unfortunately, many may have relaxed their professional standards over the pandemic period when they were able to get away with sloppy habits.

Now that you’re no longer insulated in your personal bubble, you will have to gird yourself to contend with your coworkers’ foibles. At the same time, you need to note any of your own habits that others could consider workplace faux pas. Make sure that you’re not adding to office-place annoyances.

Here are 10 co-worker habits that drive people crazy, and how to keep your sanity:

1. Showing up late to every meeting. One or two late arrivals over the course of several weeks can be excused. But constant tardiness is both rude and a show of poor time-management.

Remedy: Don’t enable this slacker. Whatever you do, don’t restart the meeting. If you’re approached afterwards to give a recap, kindly say you have to get to a pressing assignment and suggest that the latecomer review the meeting notes.

2. Subjecting everyone to poor video-conferencing etiquette. We should all know better by now than to patch in while driving (and therefore, pre-occupied), to keep the camera turned off for the duration (especially with no explanation), to vigorously chew a sandwich (while others squelch their hunger pains), to distract everyone by holding your frisky kitty in your lap — the list goes on and on. Video-conference meetings require the same decorum and undivided attention as in-person meetings.

Remedy: Engage the disruptive (or invisible) co-worker by asking for his or her opinion to ensure they’re paying attention. Request to see the worker onscreen to better address clarifications. Nip prevalent poor behavior in the bud by making a general request at the outset to eliminate distractions so everyone can give the conversation their full attention — and to “mute” when not talking if calling in from a noisy setting. If the meeting lasts for an extended length of time, request a 5- or 10-minute pause in advance so participants can attend to personal needs (including snacking).

3. Mindlessly tapping a pen on the desk. This nervous tic is a nuisance to everyone within hearing distance (not to mention all Zoom meeting attendees). What’s more, the fidgety offender is often oblivious to the annoyance.

Remedy: Keep the tone light instead of confrontational when bringing up the issue. Turn it into a joke, such as, “Does anyone else hear that woodpecker in the background?”

4. Making an inordinate amount of personal phone calls. In certain instances, such as a family emergency, a flurry of personal phone calls is necessary. Otherwise, it’s flauntingly disrespectful.

Remedy: If the behavior is an anomaly, it can be insensitive to ask a co-worker to cease and desist. Discreetly inquire if everything is okay — and if it’s not, offer to help by taking on some of the co-worker’s workload. If the problem persists, a polite conversation with your co-worker may solve the problem. If not, you may have to invest in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones.

5. Sharing personal problems broadly. Let’s face it: Some people have very loose (or nonexistent) personal boundaries. But sometimes, a co-worker may just need someone to take into her confidence.

Remedy: Give yourself permission to voice your discomfort when a colleague says too much, but take a soft tact. If the person is in crisis, let her know that you feel flattered to be entrusted with the confidence, but suggest a more professional sounding board. Does the company have an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) to support workers’ mental health? If not, now may be the time to suggest one.

6. Asking for clarification several times. Especially in this fast-paced world, someone who absorbs information more slowly can rattle your nerves.

Remedy: Instead of repeating yourself ad infinitum, ask what isn’t clear. When the co-worker takes a moment to sort through what may have seemed fuzzy initially, he may realize that he already has the needed information. Or, if he’s truly perplexed and you don’t have time to explain, offer to share your notes on the assignment later.

7. Neglecting personal hygiene. While poor hygiene is off-putting, it can be the result of any number of personal issues that colleagues aren’t privy to.

Remedy: This issue in particular requires the utmost in sensitivity and compassion. Ask to speak to the worker privately and speak only for yourself — even if others have complained. Otherwise, hearing that others have commented can make the employee feel not only embarrassed but humiliated. Gently tell the coworker what you’ve noticed. In most cases, making the offender aware will be enough to prompt a change.

8. Interrupting colleagues. Too often, interrupting is a power play, and it essentially negates what someone else on the team has to say.

Remedy: If you’re the one who was interrupted, steer the conversation back at your first opportunity. If you’re facilitating and note that a colleague was cut short, ask the interrupter to hold the thought until the speaker has a chance to finish. If this happens often during Zoom meetings, suggest using the “raise hand” feature.

9. Throwing out half-baked ideas. Oftentimes, when a coworker offers up vague or impractical ideas, it shows one of two things: the person is inexperienced or is a grandstander who just wants to be part of the conversation.

Remedy: Tempting though it is to ignore or gloss over his whims, the better response is to invite further explanation. In this way, you aren’t ignoring the input. The trick is to get that employee to see that the idea isn’t fully formed without your having to say so.

10. Asking for donations to pet causes. Needs in the world are innumerable, and it’s noble to support a cause near and dear to our hearts. The trouble is that many workers feel pressured when approached to contribute to a cause that’s not of their choosing.

Remedy: You have two choices: Either let your coworker know that your charitable giving is maxxed out or agree to give to their cause if they’ll give to yours.

Just like family, we can’t choose our coworkers. And, just as in any relationship, one needs to accentuate the positive and minimize the negative. (The exception, of course, is if there’s abuse or harassment involved, which demands a formal complaint.) Otherwise, take the noble high road as often as possible. Do your best to be helpful, compassionate, respectful and, whenever the occasion arises, to give credit where credit is due.

**Originally published at Fast Company

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Vicky Oliver is a leading career development expert and the multi-best-selling author of five books, including Bad Bosses, Crazy Coworkers & Other Office Idiots (Sourcebooks, 2008), 301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions (Sourcebooks 2005), named in the top 10 list of “Best Books for HR Interview Prep,” and 301 Smart Answers to Tough Business Etiquette Questions (Skyhorse, 2010). She is a sought-after speaker and seminar presenter and a popular media source, having made over 901 appearances in broadcast, print and online outlets. Vicky Oliver teaches essay writing at the New York Writers Workshop. For more information, visit vickyoliver.com.