Five MORE ways you are annoying your coworkers

We get it. You have deadlines. You have mounds of paperwork to do. But you know what? So do we. And when you come in to work and sneeze all over the fax machine and get your coworker sick, she’s not going to be praising your dedication and work ethic. She’s going to be cursing the day you were born. Stay home until you aren’t contagious anymore. If you must, pop into the office to get supplies and then work from home.Did a monkey make your lunch for you? No? Then why is there a disaster in the microwave? Cleanup spills and crumbs, and throw away your leftovers before they become science experiments.Copiers jam. Printers run out of paper. The last cup of coffee is poured. Hey, those are the unpleasant facts of office life. But jamming the copier and then walking away? Not cool. At one office I was in, someone actually caused the toilet to overflow – and then walked away. Please don’t be that person. If you see the red blinking light on the copier, consider it YOUR red blinking light.View the list »
Every office has one -- the annoying coworker. Is it you?

Workplace Culture newsletter

Last week’s column the “Five ways that you are annoying your coworkers” seems to have hit a nerve. Seems as if quite a few of you didn’t realize that you were the Michael Scott of your office.

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So here it is… five MORE ways that you are annoying your coworkers. Consider it a public service announcement.

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  • Copiers jam. Printers run out of paper. The last cup of coffee is poured. Hey, those are the unpleasant facts of office life. But jamming the copier and then walking away? Not cool. At one office I was in, someone actually caused the toilet to overflow – and then walked away. Please don’t be that person. If you see the red blinking light on the copier, consider it YOUR red blinking light.
  • Did a monkey make your lunch for you? No? Then why is there a disaster in the microwave? Cleanup spills and crumbs, and throw away your leftovers before they become science experiments.
  • We get it. You have deadlines. You have mounds of paperwork to do. But you know what? So do we. And when you come in to work and sneeze all over the fax machine and get your coworker sick, she’s not going to be praising your dedication and work ethic. She’s going to be cursing the day you were born. Stay home until you aren’t contagious anymore. If you must, pop into the office to get supplies and then work from home.
  • For some people, a ringtone no longer simply a ringtone. It is a way to loudly exclaim to the world that you are a unique individual with tastes so much more sophisticated/quirky/witty than the rest of us mere mortals could ever hope to be. But even if you really are that funny or clever or interesting, I promise you that the 20th time your coworkers hear “I’m sexy and I know it,” that they will want to throw your phone out the window. Vibrate while at work, please.
  • Your coworkers, like you, have to wade through dozens of emails a day. Avoid blank subject lines or subject lines such as “hi.” This does not give your colleague any useful clues as to whether or not to open something right away. It also makes it hard for them when looking for a particular email later. If you need something from a coworker, then state the deadline in the email. Only copy the people that truly need to be informed. And don't misspell your coworker's names -- especially since the correct spelling is right there in the "to" line.
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, Dallas Women in the Workplace Examiner

Patricia is an expert on women and workplace issues and has a passion for helping women make the most out of life, at home and in the workplace. Having worked in nontraditional throughout her career, including construction, safety and risk, Patricia embraced her business knowledge and applied...

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