Every office has its fair share of little annoyances—you know, those everyday things that make people quietly roll their eyes or clench their teeth in frustration.
While most coworkers are great, there’s always someone who pushes everyone’s buttons, whether it’s by leaving dirty pots in the sink, blasting their personal calls, or being that person who never refills the printer paper. These aren’t deal-breakers, but they’re definitely enough to make the workday feel longer than it needs to be. Some of these are minor inconveniences, while others can completely ruin the mood of an otherwise productive day. If you’ve ever worked in an office, chances are you’ve encountered at least a few of these frustrating habits.
1. Loud personal phone calls
Nothing shatters office concentration like someone chatting loudly about their weekend drama, their latest medical issue, or how much they hate their neighbour. It’s one thing to take an important call, but full-on personal conversations during work hours are a different story.
We get it—sometimes you need to take a call. But please, take it outside or keep your voice down. No one wants a front-row seat to your personal business while trying to finish a spreadsheet. If it’s really unavoidable, at least be mindful of the volume so your entire department doesn’t end up knowing the details of your cousin’s divorce.
2. The kitchen mess that never gets cleaned
The office kitchen always starts the day looking fine, but by noon, it’s a war zone of abandoned mugs, mystery spills, and unclaimed leftovers growing new life forms in the fridge. Dirty dishes seem to multiply, and somehow, no one wants to take responsibility for cleaning up.
If you make a mess, clean it up. It’s not that hard. And if you leave your lunch in the fridge for three weeks, don’t act surprised when it disappears. It’s common courtesy to wipe up spills, toss expired food, and at least rinse your coffee cup instead of letting it sit in the sink for days.
3. The lunch thief
Few things are as infuriating as looking forward to your lunch, only to find that someone else has swiped it. Nothing ruins your mood faster than realising your carefully packed meal has vanished, leaving you hungry and confused.
Seriously, who does this? Unless your name is on the container, and you packed it yourself, keep your hands off. People don’t label their food for fun. It’s baffling that some coworkers still see the communal fridge as a free-for-all, but here we are.
4. The person who never mutes themselves on Zoom
Every meeting has that person—the one who leaves their mic on while their dog barks, their keyboard clacks, or their kids argue in the background. The whole meeting grinds to a halt as people awkwardly try to figure out whose noise is causing the chaos. The mute button exists for a reason. Use it. The rest of us will thank you. It’s basic video call etiquette, yet somehow, it still gets ignored on a daily basis.
5. The printer paper magician (who never refills it)
It’s always the same story. You go to print something, only to find an empty tray because the last person to use it just walked away and left it that way. Somehow, people assume the next person will deal with it instead of just taking five seconds to fix it themselves.
If you take the last sheet, refill the paper. It’s really not complicated. Don’t make someone else discover the problem when they’re already running late and desperately need their document printed.
6. The coworker who comes in sick
You hear them before you see them—sniffling, coughing, and generally spreading germs around like confetti. And yet, instead of staying home, they’ve decided to tough it out… at everyone else’s expense.
It’s not heroic to show up sick. No one’s impressed. Just work from home and stop turning the office into a giant petri dish. If you absolutely have to come in, at least have the courtesy to keep your distance and avoid touching shared surfaces.
7. The meeting hijacker
Meetings are meant to be productive, but there’s always that one person who turns a 15-minute check-in into a long-winded speech that derails everything. Instead of getting straight to the point, they go off on tangents, dominating the conversation while everyone else struggles to stay awake.
Meetings don’t need to last forever. Stick to the point, let other people speak, and if you feel the urge to launch into a personal side story, maybe save it for later. A little self-awareness goes a long way.
8. The endless reply-all email chain
“Thanks!” “Got it!” “Will do!” “LOL!” … and suddenly, your inbox has 27 unnecessary emails clogging up your day. It’s bad enough when it happens once, but when an entire office gets sucked into a never-ending loop of pointless responses, it’s pure chaos. Unless your response is actually relevant to everyone, just reply to the sender. No one needs to see a group-wide “thank you” message. The fewer unnecessary emails, the better.
9. The thermostat war
Someone is freezing, someone else is sweating, and the thermostat battle rages on. One minute it’s an icebox, the next it’s a sauna, and there’s no winning. The best solution? Layers. Bring a jumper, grab a desk fan—just don’t make it your life mission to control the temperature for everyone else. If it’s really that bad, a quiet conversation with your manager might be more effective than sneaky thermostat sabotage.
10. The person who schedules unnecessary meetings
Not every discussion needs a meeting. Some things could be handled in a two-minute conversation, yet somehow, you end up in a 45-minute call that accomplishes nothing. The worst part? It’s usually scheduled at the worst possible time, like right before lunch. Before scheduling a meeting, ask yourself: Could this be an email? If the answer is yes, spare everyone the agony. Your coworkers will be forever grateful.
11. The aggressively loud typer
Some people type like they’re physically fighting their keyboard. It’s not just typing—it’s full-on key-smashing that echoes across the entire office. We get that you’re working hard, but maybe ease up on the intensity? Your keyboard will survive, and so will everyone’s sanity. No one needs a constant reminder of how fast you can type.
12. The coworker who takes credit for other people’s work
Few things are more frustrating than putting in the effort on a project, only for someone else to swoop in and act like they did all the work. It’s frustrating, unfair, and just plain rude. Good coworkers give credit where it’s due. If someone tries to take credit for your work, don’t be afraid to (politely) set the record straight. People notice who does the actual work.
13. The person who is always just a little late
We’re not talking about occasional lateness—we’re talking about the person who is always strolling into meetings 10 minutes late while everyone else waits. Being on time isn’t just about you. It’s about respecting other people’s time, too. If you’re always running late, set a reminder or leave a little earlier. It’s really that simple.
