Annoying things your work colleagues do all the time? #9

[EvilJigglypuff]

Waiting until I log in and jumping on me the second my Teams goes available

 

[cowtastrophe]

I agree. Some places are dreadful for putting pressure on people to contribute. I outright refused one time re a wedding gift for a guy I barely knew. To this day I don't know and I don't care if the busybody who organised the collection had to make up the difference or buy him something slightly less expensive.

Another woman, I knew, was under financial pressure, but contributed out of pride, and left herself stuck probably for stuff she actually needed.

Yes, I remember one of my first jobs after uni. I was low paid and skint all the time. A manager pressured me to put money towards something which was then cancelled so the manager announced he was donating the money to charity. I asked for my contribution back and he was really shitty with me.

 

[Harlot O'Scara]

Honestly, it’s not that much better in the private sector. I worked in the public sector for 10 years then decided to find out what it is like in the “real world”. There’s a lot of Managers over here as well that don’t know the meaning of the word. They are good at their core job function and that’s led to them getting promoted, but no one ever seems to think about the people-management aspect (at least as the places I’ve worked).

Two of my managers keep trying to encourage me to move up from my current position.

No chance. Tons more responsibility for minimally better pay.

And I only have to do the minimum of people management in my current role. I'm not taking on any more. That's a mug's game.

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

“Will you send me the email?” You were already copied into it. Ffs. Just look in your inbox.

 

[Mamacita]

Apologies in advance if this offends anyone but I’ve just had to sit through a 2hr meeting with a guy in his fifties using a massive 6” long frigging fidget spinner incredibly loudly the whole way though. I cannot believe how loud and frankly distracting this thing is but of course you can’t say anything out loud as he has ADHD. Sorry rant over

What if the other person on call has ADHD and can't handle the figet spinner noise? Which reasonable adjustment prevails?

 

[ahkrin]

If you can work during a meeting it's either an unnecessary meeting or you needn't have been invited. These managers need to push back on attending but if it's like my work they won't because it's all about being in the same meeting as someone you're trying to impress rather than making meaningful contributions which result in progress.

 

[emmer_moans]

Remember I wrote an essay on here before Christmas about how my team all fell out and had to have a 'team mediation' day? Well, in a way, it worked because everyone has decided to pretend (on the surface) that we never all fell out and have no communication issues. Now it's all fake-nice and people are sending Happy Friday memes in the work chat to 'communicate' and someone new has joined the team this week and the troublemakers who have put on their best fake-nice mask, are all over them like newborn puppies, trying to lovebomb them. I'm sitting in my corner getting the ick At least the drama has gone and we are mostly getting on with our work. Sometimes the fake-nice is acceptable if it means people leave you alone to crack on with your job in peace.

 

[EvilJigglypuff]

Thanks everyone. I did receive some feedback, some of which was around my CV which to be honest I find ridiculous given they know me, but whatever, I can work on that. It’s “not the right time” apparently and I need some more career development. Everyone I’ve spoken to has been speechless, I feel so disrespected and used. I’m not on LinkedIn as it makes me cringe, but perhaps it’s time to sign up

 

[Greenfly125]

When you bring food in for an occasion and someone decides they only want half of something. I've not caught who it is. I brought in cookies and someone took half of one and left the other half in the bag - who is going to want the other half that someone has touched cream cakes, someone cut a cream donut in half, there was cream everywhere. Just take the whole thing and bin what you don't eat!

 

[Sketchy]

I was hoping this would be a thing of the past but unfortunately I've witnessed it happening recently:

Some co-workers not making enough effort to make new-starts feel welcome - especially the younger new-starts. I'll never forget the first time I started work as a 16 yr-old. A couple of the older women (it was always the woman for some reason ... in their late 40s/50s) and thank God it was just a couple of them - were just horrible and seemed to resent having to show us what to do, etc, as we shadowed them to be trained. It was as though we were simply nothing but a great botheration for them.

This behaviour carried on into the canteen area if we dared to sit in one of their seats. How the hell were we to know whose names were engraved on which seats and tables?! This happened decades ago, but I've always remembered this and was determined to never make anyone else feel alienated.

But, as I say, I've seen it happen recently. And instead of management dealing with the curmudgeonly, moany old grumps who think they own the place because they've been there for years they simply place the newer ones with 'the friendlier staff' (management's words) to be trained.

 

[cowtastrophe]

Our managers are so overloaded with meetings every day, there's no way they'd get anything done if they didn't work during meetings and calls. They literally have 6-8 meetings every day. My manager actually advised me to work during meetings on days when my schedule is loaded with them. We are all muted and not on camera so it's easy to do, albeit I have missed someone asking me a question because I was answering an email or completing some data entry!

Having people in 6-8 meetings a day is a ludicrous waste of time. I would bet actual money that most of those meetings are unnecessary.

 

[Fillyjonk]

Eggs are very popular in my office so no-one really minds that, but one colleague will heat up fish soup in the microwave and it absolutely stinks!

I would absolutely mind an eggy smell in the office. Absolutely not.

 

[OliveOil2020]

I had a team member escalate something to me. He's waiting on a payment to be made by company A and 2 emails have gone unanswered. Company B, the recipient of the money is complaining. I asked if he's tried ringing company A and if not to do so. Of course he hasn't because that would fuse some effort. When he (reluctantly) rang, he'd mistyped the email by one letter (his error) and they agreed to deal with urgently. The payment is being processed and will be with company B by tomorrow. An absolute waste of my time for something so basic

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

I’ve purposely started leaving it to the last minute to let my TL know that I’ve got time booked off. (It’s on the system anyway when the LM approves it and we have a manual spreadsheet anyway) because I can’t be arsed with the questions why I’m off. I know it’s not very professional, but i don’t care anymore

 

[Samf2020]

“Can I use your nail file?”, “do you have any tissues?”, “do you have any paracetamol?”


Arghhh

I had a collegue come to my desk and ask for paracetamol, took out a strip of 12 and he went to take the whole thing. Was very unhappy with me when I said no. He said he might need more so I told him the location of 3 chemists nearby where he can buy whatever he needs. The level of entitlement with my younger colleagues in staggering. I will only help certain people now.

 

[Lola Ruby]

I emailed person X yesterday asking for information that I need this week ideally to finish a piece of work. Not heard back yet (which is fine) but thought I could try emailing person Y too, who might have this info for me, in case X is off sick / busy. I included in my email that I had emailed person X initially (as I know they are the lead for the info I am after, so the best person to ask) but not heard back yet. This was only stated as a fact so person Y didn't come back with "have you emailed person X"

Person Y has responded "X really is the best person to ask and only works on XYZ days so I'm sure they were really busy today" CCing in person X, which I am sure they have done deliberately to make it look I am moaning about them when it wasn't intended that way? Absolutely no need.

Such a cunty move. Despise people being weird and passive aggressive over email at work

 

[ChastityDingle]

Just seen that someone who works for the same company and does the same role I do has given themselves a fancy title on LinkedIn which is technically accurate but ridiculous; like ‘head water, facilities, sewage and technology consultant’ if you were a self-employed plumber. Major eye roll.

Oh I'm always amused at the titles people give themselves on LinkedIn. A guy I worked with apparently ran the department we worked in together - we were at the same level. This title he gave himself would come as a surprise to the head of the department and indeed his direct reports, who were all several grades above both of us.

 

[Samf2020]

Our shared printer in a different section and my coworker constantly prints stuff and leaves them there sometimes for an hour, knowing someone else will pick up his copies when they are picking up their own. I used to help out because I thought as I'm already going there, no harm. But when you don't pick up your papers, they inevitably get mixed up with a bunch of other copies of irrelevant documents, and I can't be standing there figuring out which is mine and which is his and which are another department. I've stopped printing out stuff altogether so I don't have to collect and distribute an office worth of copies on my own. Ignoring a task until someone else has to sort it for you in order to get their own work done is a new level of weaponised incompetence.

We had one of those, he would print off hundreds of pages. I would go to get my 2 pages, printer is not working as it ran out of paper. I refill and it continues his print job. Eventually I get my printing and he hits print again and someone else fills it for him as they need it.
The printer was in a teams office and they were constantly refilling it when it stopped. I was having a bad day and just said I was sick of him basically blocking use of the printer for hours at a time. I told him he needed to refill it and let other people use it as well.
The other team stopped filling it for him too, he went over thinking it would be all done and it was barely started. He genuinely couldnt see why we wouldnt do it for him anymore.

 

[it’s not been changed?!]

A woman I sit near always makes expressive mmmm noises during conversations. I’ve probably posted a million times but I hate low noises and repetitive noises so it’s torture. It’s like sitting next to Jamie Kern Lima.

Someone on my team makes sounds like she’s been sexually pleasured.

edit to say it’s moaning sounds.

 

[boatofbubbles]

Im so annoyed, I work for a big company, I want to complain because at times we are working at least less than minimum wage. They want to save money so will only pay for our written shift but we go over because we have to (food environment) clean department/customer wants serving/ cant leaves serve over but next on cant clock on. I got a telling off because I refused to serve someone 1 minute past, yeah I felt a dick head but im not being paid! Everything is digital and traceable now, I cant lose my job, kids dad is dead so just me. Another thing I've got to smile my way though while this big company sold out yet pretend to be this wholesome happy British family. I'd sell a story.