Annoying things your work colleagues do all the time? #3

[Spoke]

I find it tough to concentrate in a noisy office so often have my headphones in. Why don’t people twig that this means don’t talk to me? I don’t mind it if it’s work related, but when it’s chitchat and I’m clearly trying to focus it bugs me a lot.

Once a colleague just kept talking to me until I just kept answering “I have my headphones in”. I know it was rude of me but I was really in a flow and was getting pissed off at taking my music out to hear unimportant things.

 

[Timz]

People who think they're above everyone else and deserve special treatment.

One of my co-workers will start an MBA in September (not funded by the company) and has requested every single Thursday afternoon off for two years while remaining a full time employee. It appears the company agreed to this and now w have to cover for them every single Thursday afternoon when they're off according to my manager. Fair enough if they had become part time and their workload alleviated accordingly, but they're still full-time which makes zero sense.

There are plenty of people out there who are doing part-time degrees and I don't know of anyone who requested such arrangement while placing the burden on other employees.

This in addition of someone who has been on "sick" leave for the last couple of months and I had to pick up the slack. So effectively, every Thursday, it will be just myself and the manager. If they're expecting me to pick up the slack, not happening. I have extenuating circumstances too and I've never asked for special treatment. I'm tired of these people who think their situations are so "critical" people need to cater to their every demand while placing an unfair burden on other people.

TBF they did ask the company and a regular half day might’ve been reasonable to them - but they should not expect you to cover without discussing, I agree.
Everyone has a right to go for further study and take that chance to do it, and self-funding opens up that opportunity quicker than expecting the company to pay for it. You might enjoy the quiet time
I’m also finishing my Uni studies and just changed working to 4 longer days in week, but told to come in 2x week whilst my other office no-show colleagues have been working PT for many many years and are taking more days off in summer so they were prob expecting me to pick up their slack. I’m also sick of my older colleague “reminding” me to do things via Teams first thing every Monday when they should let me get on with my day as I already know what to prioritise. Also they’ve been allowed to WFH for the foreseeable future since Xmas whilst I have to slog it in on a long commute via public transport, ok for 2x week but regularly I'm the only one from my sub-team
I kicked off today about my workload via Teams, but it’s been a long time coming… especially as this job has too many problems with internal systems and record keeping is Sh!te.
It’s been a shame we don’t have a regular F2F team meeting with our manager about the workloads and the change in hours as I could have discussed our expectations and priorities, especially as I’ve now been spearheaded to take on more work in fewer days, with a new Co-worker all the whilst trying to finish my thesis 🥹 and I’m very tempted to throw in the towel and take time off to do it in the next few months but I don’t want to let my Co-workers down 🥲

 

[Pineapple glitter]

So we are covering for our receptionist this week.
The calls get routed to a group and who ever is free takes it. We have a rota so you do your time then you can ignore it for rest of day.
One of my team mates has been marked down for 5 hours this week but hasnt answered a single call as she is not included in the group apparently. We only know that because I went to a boss and said shes not answering. So now I have to cover her time today as we cant get our phone guy to fix it before her shift ends.
Its going to be a frosty first meeting with her on Monday.

It sounds like it's a tech issue and not her fault though ...or I could have read that completely wrong.

 

[HoGi]

That always bloody happens. Shame you'll have to decline .

I declined saying do you have any other times as this is the one time I said I can't make.

I have since had 4 more invites so I guess he didn't check anyone's clashes!!

 

[TheGlossy]

Fuck that, they just shouldn't have your personal number. I wouldn't be able to relax knowing somebody might try to get hold of me at any time about work. I have a work mobile for that, and it's off when it doesn't absolutely have to be.

At least, your company at least provides work mobiles. Ours doesn't and now I'm expected to provide my personal number. Absolutely not. If we had a work mobile, sure but me giving out my personal number to people like that, not happening.

 

[rosemarina]

I've never known a workplace like that turn around without wholesale change from the top, and even then it may take years. Stick to your guns.

 

[Pesky Tarian]

We're not allowed to open our windows in case we jump - true story.
The air con really plays havoc with my contacts

Sorry I realised that sounded bad, just to clarify there is no precedent, just the health and safety person treating us like toddlers.

 

[TheGlossy]

One of my co-workers is seriously starting to get on my nerves.

They dislike the role (I don't blame them) have discussed this with me. They've advised they have been looking for a job internally. Now, it's turned into them pining me every day with the following:

• See the link - what do you think of this opportunity? It sounds great but I think the other one I interviewed for was better.
• Today at 9am: Hey, just wanted to let you know my interview went really well yesterday
• Today at 1pm: I have found another role but the interview went really well for role A so fingers crossed

I told them I had applied for an internal role too but got rejected. Their response was: "I have an interview on Thursday" and didn't even acknowledge what I'd said.

This person has limited work ethic and super self-absorbed. My tolerance is getting really thin at this stage. I'm swamped with work when they have nothing going on at the moment - I don't have time for this.

 

[Ensay]

Oh some people spin that tale all their lives! Pretend not to know something when if they were put under pressure to do it, they would be well able. It's just much easier to keep pretending, I worked with (well probably more than) one of them.

I was away on a secondment for a while and when I got back I had to get myself back into the swing of things, learn new stuff and so on. I didn't always have an immediate answer or a reference for where to look it up, anymore for the lazy one, as it was new to me too. I realised then why they do it .

It makes their lives much easier. Their colleagues - not so much.

Yeah exactly!

And, as if by magic, a colleague of mine has put in an 'urgent' meeting this afternoon to discuss a query he's got about the system. I wish I'd had the foresight to block out my calendar as I sometimes do a Friday afternoon for development work. It feels like no one thinks for themselves, they just come across a problem and think "oh Ensay will tell me exactly what to do".

I'll have to 'respectfully' tell him what part of the procedure note he can find his answer in! Plus I'm sure it could wait till next week. Or maybe not, as he's probably sat on the query all week and has then been nudged for a reply by the end of the week, hence the 'urgent' meeting.

 

[Shoequeen91]

My manager have zero idea of how to lead the team which is then effecting the direction I have with my own direct reports in how I lead them. He’s got zero drive either. Pisses me off.

 

[Lalla]

Taking long personal calls while walking up and down the office. I don't want to listen to your conversations with your friends or your arguments with your wife mate, you're distracting and rude and you should get the fuck outside or postpone calls until you leave work ffs.

The good thing about working from home is no longer being subjected to this!

I have a colleague with excess saliva, constantly slurping, like Charlotte Greedy (for anyone who follows her, you'll know exactly what I mean) - I've realised today why her speech irritates me so much, the slurping reminds me of said colleague. Ugh!

 

[TheGlossy]

I am with you on this. Someone on my team has been granted 3 hours off every Tuesday to go attend pilates session because of 'mental health reasons' and they don't have to make the time up and yet any of the rest of us ask to come in early and leave early once to run an urgent errand, it's "no". It's unfair. They should make up the time. Or do Pilates at the weekend or evening.

I agree - it's completely unfair. If you're going to give special treatment to one person, you need to do the same for other people or not do it at all. Everyone has a lot going on.

 

[Heidi88]

I have called in sick yesterday and today as I have covid. I can wfh but my symptoms are quite bad that I dont feel able to work. My manager is not happy but the thing is I got Covid on a worktrip! I avoided Covid for over 2 years and my first trip abroad with work and I picked it up.

 

[If you say so...]

I know but hindsight is a wonderful thing, when you've got experience it's easy to see others mistakes, but it does nothing for the new person's confidence to point it out bluntly when some understanding and praise would be more helpful

I completely agree. Praise is essential, as is highlighting things that need working on. Finding the balance as a manager is such a hard thing to navigate!

 

[petitspois]

I used to work with a woman that came in on time then immediately went to the loo for about 10 minutes, then went off to get water, spent ages cleaning her glasses and fussing about with the windows so about 25 minutes would go by before she even did any work.

 

[TheGlossy]

When people only give you information on 1/3 of what they actually want from you and then come back to you saying: "XYZ is missing". Well, it wouldn't be missing if you had specified you needed it as well. I don't have crystal ball.

I am working on this project and was told to provide some confirmations / information. However, it was not specified in what format this was to be provided. Therefore, I provided the information in its original format and the person came back saying: "The Excel is missing". Excuse me - Excel, what Excel? It was never specified the information had to be included in an Excel. It is there, just not in an Excel format. If you want it in an Excel, then specify it at the start.

They basically want me to transfer lines drafted in bullet points in Word to Excel. Smh.

 

[rosemarina]

That's so unfair and unreasonable of them.

 

[mee43]

Yet again today, my manager did a complete u turn on something they decided on weeks ago, which meant I had to redo a lot of work I’ve done following the previous procedure.
I’d have no problem if they said they’d had a rethink on the matter and acknowledged that. Instead, not for the first time, they denied that the previous conversation happened
They then stopped a colleague from doing a particular job because that was my job. Even though said colleague has virtually nothing to do and I get new jobs dumped on me all the time.
It’s the weirdest place. I’m not sure I can stick it to be honest.
@Messychaotic - one word - maybe we work in the same place without realising

 

[Hope96]

I worked with a woman who ate reheated fish at her desk every single day. Each day she'd feign a faux apology like "sorry guys I know you're probably disgusted" and yet she'd carry on no fucks given

People are like that are asking for a smack (if you only could do that eh) it's like they don't know the unwritten rule where you don't heat up smelly fish at work. Eat it at home!
I've only known this woman for 3 days and she's getting on my nerves! She spreads her legs onto chairs and lifts her dress up whilst eating. Nobody needs to see that.

Fish & eggs should be banned from communal environments

I hate the smell of eggs. I always heave in front of people when they eat egg sandwiches.

 

[Ensay]

I had an email today where someone wrote "I told you this right at the start of the project, months ago".

I'm almost certain he didn't, as I'm pretty sure I'd have remembered it. Plus it's just rude. I think he's just covering his arse.