These are the top 50 gripes for office workers in Scotland
Scotland’s office workers have revealed their top workplace gripes, including noisy conversations, colleagues coming in ill, and a lack of natural light.
A survey of more than 150 office-based staff found many loathe spillages in the microwave being left to fester, colleagues invading personal space – and computers running at a snail’s pace.
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Hide AdBut nearly a third (31 per cent) have been quick to make their feelings known by either leaving a passive-aggressive note or sending an office-wide email.
Cigarette butts scattered outside, a mess being left in the loos and the state of communal lunch areas are the top reasons why workers feel compelled to call out their peers.
But while 38 per cent reported their messages were successful in stopping what they deem to be poor office etiquette, for 58 per cent the problems still persisted.
Warding off irritating colleagues
The research was commissioned by The Workplace Depot, who have created a hilarious compilation of passive-aggressive notes to stick up or send around your own office to ward off irritating colleagues.
A spokesperson for the industrial supplies provider said: “Offices can often be a funny old environment when social norms don’t always translate into those four walls where we spend much of our lives.
“And when forced to encounter a multitude of small bothers on an almost daily basis, it is no surprise it drives many to snap.
“The way many choose to express their displeasure is in the form of the painfully polite passive-aggressive note or email.
“Yet, these will always have a serious undertone of hostility, which for the reader – or even worse, the culprit – can be quite alarming. Although, often rather amusing too.”
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Hide AdThe right office conduct
The study also found 32 per cent of the Scotland’s office workers have confronted a colleague about their poor conduct in the workplace – with 47 per cent of these claiming this intervention caused them to stop.
However, four per cent overstepped the mark and even received disciplinary action following the quarrel.
Getting work done quickly so they can leave earlier ranked as the most common way workers counteract their annoyances.
While 21 per cent put on their headphones and listen to music to avoid irritations, and 22 per cent will just dodge visiting the office as much as possible.
In fact, 38 per cent even admitted they are less productive when they are in the office because of what is winding them up, according to the survey conducted via OnePoll.
The spokesperson for The Workplace Depot added: “It’s clear from these findings many of Scotland’s white-collar workers are pretty fed-up with what is going on around them between 9 and 5.
“But like many things in life, if you don’t address the problem, it will only get worse.
“It is important for these workers to stand up for what they believe is the right conduct for an office – even if that is hiding behind a passive-aggressive note.”
Top 50 gripes for office workers in Scotland
- People who have conversations right behind your desk
- People coming into work when ill
- Hardly any natural light
- People not cleaning the microwave when their food spills
- People who get too close when talking to you
- IT issues
- Computers being slow
- People speaking loudly
- Not being able to listen to music
- Computers crashing
- Not being able to wear comfy clothes
- When someone calls in sick when you know they aren't ill
- Having to sit in small meeting rooms with lots of people
- Having to talk to people about their weekends/plans even though you don’t care
- There never being any parking spaces
- Not being able to have daytime TV on in the background
- Smelly toilets
- Someone sucking up to the boss
- People ‘spreading out’ their desks onto yours
- The temperature always being too cold
- People not putting a new toilet roll on the holder
- No recycling bins
- No one ever saying thank you
- Noisy hand dryers going off every few seconds
- People who leave dirty dishes in the work sink
- People who take things from my desk without asking
- Someone cooking smelly food at lunch
- Hotdesking
- Filthy toilets
- The phone ringing constantly
- Someone taking my chair while I am away from my desk
- People who print reams of paper from the printer
- People who hang up the phone without saying goodbye
- Fridge being left open
- Personal belongings left to gather dust on desks
- Empty milk cartons left in the fridge
- People leaving dirty towels in shared showers
- No greenery, like plants
- Terrible décor
- People leaving passive aggressive notes
- Printers breaking down
- People who open the windows without checking with people nearby
- Lunch dishes left lying around on desks
- Grubby fingers on shared keyboards/mouse if hot desking
- People leaving half eaten food in the fridge/kitchen
- People putting food in bins right next to your desk
- People who send passive aggressive emails to the entire office
- The temperature always being too hot
- People who now refuse to be part of the tea round
- Having to get into a crowded lift