Bad Habits that Are Driving Your Coworkers Crazy

Everyone has bad habits that have a way of showing their face while you’re at work. You may not be the loud talker or the office flirt, but maybe you have a bad habit about coming to work late or spending too much time on Facebook. These habits may not seem like a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but one thing’s for sure – they drive your co-workers crazy. Check out these 8 bad habits to see if you’re that annoying person in the office after all.

Constant complaining

So you’re having a bad day. Your feet hurt. Your boyfriend won’t call you back. You need a vacation. Yep, we’ve all heard these complaints before, and guess what? We all have bad days! Just because we don’t talk about it every waking minute doesn’t mean we don’t feel the same frustrations. It’s important to not that there’s a big difference between occasionally venting to a good friend at work who has the time to listen and complaining out loud whenever you feel like it.

Talking too much

In addition to constantly complaining, excessive talking is very annoying to co-workers. The occasional cubicle chatter is fine and completely necessary for your sanity, but talking to co-workers when they’re visibly busy and demanding their full attention is just downright rude. Long conversations should be reserved for lunchtime, when your co-workers can actually listen and chime in themselves.

Surfing the web

There’s a delicate balance between surfing the web to give your mind the occasional break and using work hours to do all of your Christmas shopping. The same goes for using social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Don’t abuse your web surfing privileges by spending hours on end shopping for a new pair of shoes or tweeting about your workday.

Gossiping

Gossiping in general is an awful habit, but it’s even worse when you do it at work. Nothing good will come from your petty office gossip, and all it will do is make you look like a distrustful and two-faced person. Not to mention, your co-workers could easily report you to the boss or HR if your gossip rubs someone the wrong way, and believe me, it always does! When the temptation arises, just remember the elementary adage: If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all.

Taking long lunches and breaks

Taking long lunches and breaks may not seem like a big deal, but it definitely drives your co-workers crazy. Sure, lunches can run late when you dine out, and maybe you have a coffee addiction that requires you to frequent Starbucks three times a day, but it never hurts to be mindful of your co-workers and try to keep your lunches and breaks as brief as possible.

Leaving early

Your co-workers may not keep tabs on what time you come in to work or leave, but if you consistently leave work early, you’d better bet they’ll notice. It’s one thing to leave hours early if you’ve finished all of your work and you have permission to leave, but this privilege shouldn’t be abused again and again. You don’t have to announce your reason for leaving early to the whole officer either. If you have to leave early for a doctor’s appointment or need to get ahead of traffic, just pick up your belongings and quietly leave without drawing any more attention to the fact that it’s quittin’ time for you and no one else.

Calling in sick too much

Everyone gets sick from time to time, but calling in sick when you have the slightest case of the sniffles or a very minor headache is just ridiculous. Your co-workers may not always know the state of your sickness, but they do pick up on how often you’re out of the office because you’re “sick.” Another thing that drives your co-workers up the wall is when you call in sick on busy days and when you’re needed for something important. If you’re not hunched over the toilet or sneezing out of control, then you should at least try to make it into work, especially if it’s a really busy day.

Talking on your cell phone nonstop

You might be on call while grandma is in the hospital or need to check in with friends on a daily basis, but this doesn’t change the fact that excessively talking on your cell phone at work is really annoying. If you must pick up the phone, leave the room and go somewhere quiet and out of sight so you don’t disrupt your co-workers and drive them crazy any more than you already have.