Annoying things your work colleagues do all the time? #4

[Sheeeet]

Something I don't miss about working in an office is giving up part of my Sunday to ironing office clothes, making the food I need to take, sorting my work bag, and trying to remember if I need fuel. Amazing to have my full weekends!

I also find I have time for a whole hour of walking every single day. I get up early and go before work if the forecast looks too wet or hot in the afternoon.

In all seriousness, a better work life balance, time to exercise and do chores, being home with my dog, being able to tailor my environment, spend my period working with a hot water bottle and blanket, not having the low level constant stress an open plan office gives someone with mild social anxiety, good coffee, cooked lunches, time saved from no commute, slippers instead of shoes, being able to change job roles to a department based in another city, being able to get up and walk around/stretch without weird looks, all beats free custard creams for me.

Absolutely yes, the low level stress! As well as being in control of your own light, heat, windows and noise/radio - I still don't miss the unspoken/open battle of wills over these, either mine or coworkers

 

[emmer_moans]

Something I don't miss about working in an office is giving up part of my Sunday to ironing office clothes, making the food I need to take, sorting my work bag, and trying to remember if I need fuel. Amazing to have my full weekends!

When you put it like that, yes, Sunday doesn’t feel like time off when you have to prepare for the working week.

 

[DA Stella]

I lose my evenings because by the time I get home from my hour and 15 minute commute, shower, piece together something to eat, pack my lunch and set out my clothes for the next day it's bedtime. And I have to go to bed at a ridiculously early time because I have to get up at 4:30 am.
My diet is also suffering. I sure as hell don't feel like cooking myself a meal after an 11 hour workday so I usually have a bowl of cereal or a couple of frozen waffles. I do cook ahead and reheat leftovers but I don't always have enough to last three days.
I can't afford to move closer to work because unfortunately my office is located in a bougie area where the rents START at $600 more per month than I'm currently paying.
Oh, and paying $150 per month for gas.
It just sucks all the way around. I look at my coworkers and we're all wearing the same miserable expressions on our faces.
I'm interested to see the productivity numbers for this quarter. The previous four quarters when we were all remote were reported as the most productive in company history. So of course the geniuses in charge decided to make this change

 

[Captainmouse]

I want a remote job because not commuting to my office would give me back 3 hours a day of my life

Plus the money

 

[iieee]

One of my colleagues is irritating the crap out of me at the moment. She has massive FOMO and insists on being invited to everything that anyone anywhere in the office does. Example: I have a teams group chat with a couple of people I went on a course with and when she found out she insisted we invite her to the group chat, instead we made a new one with her in, so when we are both in the office she will stare at my screen and try and read the messages in the other chat. She constantly asks people to go out with her outside work and then tells everyone they are "friends outside work" as if it makes her special. She will then post photos of them at the pub on our teams channel so that everyone can see that they went out together, and talk about what a great time they had in the weekly team meeting for 20 minutes.

She's also annoying me because she is buying a house at the moment. She makes constant digs about how "people my age" (42) had it so easy with cheap houses, despite the fact that my first 'house' was a 1 bed flat and even now I can only afford a tiny terraced ex-council house. She is buying a huge house in a fancy part of town for £400k!! As her first home!! I've literally never had that budget or a house as big. She also texted me at home in the evening to tell me as soon as the offer was accepted. Girl I don't care and if I go to work somewhere else I will never speak to you again.

 

[blahblahboring]

Ugh, how exhausting!

One of my colleagues is irritating the crap out of me at the moment. She has massive FOMO and insists on being invited to everything that anyone anywhere in the office does. Example: I have a teams group chat with a couple of people I went on a course with and when she found out she insisted we invite her to the group chat, instead we made a new one with her in, so when we are both in the office she will stare at my screen and try and read the messages in the other chat. She constantly asks people to go out with her outside work and then tells everyone they are "friends outside work" as if it makes her special. She will then post photos of them at the pub on our teams channel so that everyone can see that they went out together, and talk about what a great time they had in the weekly team meeting for 20 minutes.

She's also annoying me because she is buying a house at the moment. She makes constant digs about how "people my age" (42) had it so easy with cheap houses, despite the fact that my first 'house' was a 1 bed flat and even now I can only afford a tiny terraced ex-council house. She is buying a huge house in a fancy part of town for £400k!! As her first home!! I've literally never had that budget or a house as big. She also texted me at home in the evening to tell me as soon as the offer was accepted. Girl I don't care and if I go to work somewhere else I will never speak to you again.

 

[ChastityDingle]

One of my colleagues is irritating the crap out of me at the moment. She has massive FOMO and insists on being invited to everything that anyone anywhere in the office does. Example: I have a teams group chat with a couple of people I went on a course with and when she found out she insisted we invite her to the group chat, instead we made a new one with her in, so when we are both in the office she will stare at my screen and try and read the messages in the other chat. She constantly asks people to go out with her outside work and then tells everyone they are "friends outside work" as if it makes her special. She will then post photos of them at the pub on our teams channel so that everyone can see that they went out together, and talk about what a great time they had in the weekly team meeting for 20 minutes.

She's also annoying me because she is buying a house at the moment. She makes constant digs about how "people my age" (42) had it so easy with cheap houses, despite the fact that my first 'house' was a 1 bed flat and even now I can only afford a tiny terraced ex-council house. She is buying a huge house in a fancy part of town for £400k!! As her first home!! I've literally never had that budget or a house as big. She also texted me at home in the evening to tell me as soon as the offer was accepted. Girl I don't care and if I go to work somewhere else I will never speak to you again.

I would be tempted to say with a perfectly bland straight face, yes, that's why I bought in [name of the most outrageously expensive area in your town/city]...at first, but decided I didn't like it. Accompanied by an eye roll.

I can't stand people who go out of their way to make digs at others.
I would also block her number every now and then, certainly at night time, and act innocent if asked about it.

 

[Black.bird]

What do you call that trend where people slyly work multiple jobs at the same time - overworking? Something like that.

Anyway, turns out that's what someone in my office is doing... And it explains why we're constantly running out of printer toner and other stationery items.

I called into the office over the weekend to put the finishing touches to a presentation that I delivered yesterday and saw this person racing around, frantic and stressed. We got chatting and they told me all about their other job. They stressed that I can't tell anyone ... I pointed out they're using this firm's equipment and supplies which isn't on and they shrugged.

After the coffee machine scandal of last week I expected staff would be more conscientious about everything, but obviously not.

Here I am at 02:48hrs on a Tuesday stressing if I should say something to management.

 

[Ensay]

Speaking of hot desking, we have to book desks when we're in the office (sounds like most of you). Sometimes I arrange to go into the office on the same day as another colleague because we're working on the same thing and so it makes sense for our weekly office day to be on the same day if we're working on something together.

She always arranges for the desks to be booked for us both so that we can sit side by side. Weirdly we have to email our office reception to book a desk rather than being able to do it ourselves and they reply to the email with our desk numbers.

She's always in the office before me as she lives a short walk away and she always picks the better of the two desks. So even though the email will say "Ensay has desk 421 and Annoying Colleague has desk 422" if 421 is next to the window, or has a better monitor, or is better in any small way, she'll sit her arse in it - leaving me the other one.

I know it's a small thing but it really fucks me off. If I'm in the better desk then I sodding well want it, thanks! However, I don't say anything as I know it'll come across as petty. It also doesn't help that she talks far more than she needs to, but that's another story.

 

[JellyDonut]

What do you call that trend where people slyly work multiple jobs at the same time - overworking? Something like that.

Anyway, turns out that's what someone in my office is doing... And it explains why we're constantly running out of printer toner and other stationery items.

I called into the office over the weekend to put the finishing touches to a presentation that I delivered yesterday and saw this person racing around, frantic and stressed. We got chatting and they told me all about their other job. They stressed that I can't tell anyone ... I pointed out they're using this firm's equipment and supplies which isn't on and they shrugged.

After the coffee machine scandal of last week I expected staff would be more conscientious about everything, but obviously not.

Here I am at 02:48hrs on a Tuesday stressing if I should say something to management.

I wouldn’t say anything, purely because they will be doing this for a financial reason (most likely) and times are tough right now.

 

[Ensay]

I wouldn’t say anything, purely because they will be doing this for a financial reason (most likely) and times are tough right now.

Agreed. Plus it's up to the company to investigate if they think toner is being used too quickly. I'm sure they can check out which UserID is sending the most print requests...

 

[Black.bird]

I wouldn’t say anything, purely because they will be doing this for a financial reason (most likely) and times are tough right now.

Agreed. Plus it's up to the company to investigate if they think toner is being used too quickly. I'm sure they can check out which UserID is sending the most print requests...

I'm torn because (a) it's NEVER okay to steal; and (b) it'll end up impacting the innocent workers. As a small business owner myself, I know what it's like having staff steal from you.

Last week, I posted about two of our three very fancy coffee machines being stolen by an employee who has since been let go. The company has decided not to replace them, and to keep the remaining one for clients only, no exceptions. It's even been moved to a locked cupboard. Employees now have to buy their own, or stick to plunger or instant coffee.

The printer this lady was using for her other business is the only one where you don't need to punch in an ID to use it, so working out why all the supplies are diminishing so quickly might be a hard task.

Anyway, I pulled her aside this morning and told her that what she's doing is not okay and she needs to stop. Setting abuse of company facilities and supplies aside, she is absolutely exhausted and looks like a zombie most of the time. You have to pick your battles - but it's also up to people to speak up when they see something happening that isn't right.

 

[Popcornshovel]

Speaking of hot desking, we have to book desks when we're in the office (sounds like most of you). Sometimes I arrange to go into the office on the same day as another colleague because we're working on the same thing and so it makes sense for our weekly office day to be on the same day if we're working on something together.

She always arranges for the desks to be booked for us both so that we can sit side by side. Weirdly we have to email our office reception to book a desk rather than being able to do it ourselves and they reply to the email with our desk numbers.

She's always in the office before me as she lives a short walk away and she always picks the better of the two desks. So even though the email will say "Ensay has desk 421 and Annoying Colleague has desk 422" if 421 is next to the window, or has a better monitor, or is better in any small way, she'll sit her arse in it - leaving me the other one.

I know it's a small thing but it really fucks me off. If I'm in the better desk then I sodding well want it, thanks! However, I don't say anything as I know it'll come across as petty. It also doesn't help that she talks far more than she needs to, but that's another story.

I have something similar. Im fairly organised and will book my preferred desk in 2 week blocks. There's a group of 6 desks available for my team (on a floor of about 100 desks). One of my colleagues will just plonk himself down on any one my teams 6 desks (I.e not the one he actually has booked) if he's in first. Then I'll need to open up the booking spreadsheet, check which number he had booked and sit there instead (or else I'd be sitting in someone else's seat).

Drives me mad!

 

[TheGlossy]

Do you guys think a person constantly bringing coffee and pastries to the manager on their way to work in the morning is appropriate (especially if the manager never asked for any of this)?

It seems like sucking up to me but maybe I’m harsh. I’ve never seen this in any other team.

I think it sets the expectation for other people in the team to do the same.

No one can afford to spend £10 on someone else’s breakfast multiple times a week.

 

[EleanorRigby]

Do you guys think a person constantly bringing coffee and pastries to the manager on their way to work in the morning is appropriate (especially if the manager never asked for any of this)?

It seems like sucking up to me but maybe I’m harsh. I’ve never seen this in any other team.

I think it sets the expectation for other people in the team to do the same.

No one can afford to spend £10 on someone else’s breakfast multiple times a week.

Even funnier if said manager likes neither coffee nor pastries.

 

[Black.bird]

Do you guys think a person constantly bringing coffee and pastries to the manager on their way to work in the morning is appropriate (especially if the manager never asked for any of this)?

It seems like sucking up to me but maybe I’m harsh. I’ve never seen this in any other team.

I think it sets the expectation for other people in the team to do the same.

No one can afford to spend £10 on someone else’s breakfast multiple times a week.

It's inappropriate (unless it's the manager's birthday or some other occasion and everyone is contributing).

It makes the person doing it look like a complete suck-up, yes!

 

[Ouch]

Do you guys think a person constantly bringing coffee and pastries to the manager on their way to work in the morning is appropriate (especially if the manager never asked for any of this)?

It seems like sucking up to me but maybe I’m harsh. I’ve never seen this in any other team.

I think it sets the expectation for other people in the team to do the same.

No one can afford to spend £10 on someone else’s breakfast multiple times a week.

It's definitely sucking up and cringe! I will never understand why managers accept such behavior.

 

[ChastityDingle]

It's definitely sucking up and cringe! I will never understand why managers accept such behavior.

I have never witnessed this, although I have witnessed plenty of sucking up alright. It says something about the manager also, imo, if they continue to accept coffee and goodies from a staff member.

 

[blahblahboring]

Definitely strange. The manager should say thank you but it’s time to stop. Doesn’t set a good precedent in an office environment.

Do you guys think a person constantly bringing coffee and pastries to the manager on their way to work in the morning is appropriate (especially if the manager never asked for any of this)?

It seems like sucking up to me but maybe I’m harsh. I’ve never seen this in any other team.

I think it sets the expectation for other people in the team to do the same.

No one can afford to spend £10 on someone else’s breakfast multiple times a week.

 

[Heidi88]

My company has been really flexible in that you only go in to the office if and when you want to. Now they are changing tack and there was an announcement from the CEO that we will be required to work 3 days in the office.

What annoys me is the people who are now saying "but I have kids" and "I have a massive commute" when these people worked in this company for years and had their kids when we were all in offices 5 days a week and their commute was the same then!

I know one of the team constantly logs off to drop kids to and from school and appointments and after school activities and then complains she is the only one working late but it's because she is offline for hours during the day. I IM'ed her one day with a question and asked could we have a call and she was down in her mother's house for a chat. Now I do adjust my time for appts but its one every now and again not constantly.

I dont have kids and my commute while not amazing isnt that bad but it still means getting up earlier. Everyone is already asking for exceptions and I think this defeats the entire purpose of a wfh policy. Just because I dont have kids doesnt mean I should have to go in more.