Some People Are Just Too Selfish And Stupid To Work With Others As These 49 Photos Show (New Pics)
Most of us have had at least that one coworker who’s made our lives a little harder.
You know the type — the one who talks too loudly, takes up too much space on the desk, borrows your charger and returns it broken, or someone who seems to make everything about themselves rather than the team.
These aren’t just small annoyances… they decide how much we enjoy going to work and how well the whole office functions.
So you know you’re not alone in these experiences, Bored Panda has rounded up a list of the most terrible and selfish coworkers out there.
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Co-Worker Thought This Was A Harmless Prank
I went out to my car to find a coworker had dumped the contents of the shredder in the front and backseat of my car. Everyone thought I overreacted a little, but this will take me a long time to clean up all the way. I’m right to think this isn’t a very good joke right?
My Coworker (Also A Dishwasher) Leaves Me Really Gross Dishes Overnight When I Never Do That To Him
This is unreasonable. He's around 50, and I’m 17. I should not be better at my job than him.
Let My Coworker Borrow My Charger. He Finally Brought It Back A Week Later. How Does This Even Happen?
A lot of people deal with such nuisances at work on a daily basis.
A recent survey found that 85% of workers have faced an annoying colleague at some point, and 58% say these behaviors hurt their productivity.
Over time, even one difficult colleague can lower your morale and impact your work.
Let A Coworker Borrow My Multi-Tool. Came Back Broken
I didn't know they broke it till I got home. They folded it back up and put it back in the pouch. They didn't have the guts to tell me as they returned it.
How My Coworkers Park In Our Very Full Healthcare Driveway
A coworker’s toxic behavior can stress you out, making it harder for you to regulate your emotions and read social situations correctly.
“When you’re feeling overworked and overwhelmed, your tolerance for dealing with difficulties at work really goes down. You can experience only so many daily stressors, spikes in blood pressure, and spikes in cortisol. Eventually you get what’s called a dampened response. You shut down,” says Tessa West, author of ‘Jerks at Work: Toxic Coworkers and What to Do About Them.’
You may underperceive or overperceive a threat. “If you’re a boss and you’re stressed, you might not pick up on cues that a toxic team member is wreaking havoc on your team,” she adds.
Even simple annoyances then can start to feel unbearable — like someone knocking over your food in the fridge, playing videos without headphones in the office, or parking in a way that blocks everyone.
A Coworker Sent This To Me After He Sat Down Next To Me During A Meeting He Wasn’t Even Supposed To Be In
This dude has been attempting to negg me ever since I started working. He makes fun of the way I smell, the food I eat, etc. I have reported this, and supposedly he’s being reprimanded. I don’t have high hopes.
Coworkers Lunch Box In The Break Room Fridge
Told My Colleague To Receive 19 Bicycles And To Place The Boxes Upright But I Got This Instead
Selfishness in the workplace is contagious, and it can become ingrained in a company’s culture. When such behavior is tolerated for a long time, and no one speaks up, the whole workplace can feel like it’s toxic.
More and more people will start getting irritated and stressed, and there can be communication breakdowns and conflicts.
A 2025 Monster survey of about 1,100 US workers found that around 80% of employees say they work in a toxic environment, up significantly from the year before.
Got Sick And Tired Of Coworkers Stealing My Ketchup
My Coworker Ned Always Kicks My Ladder Over
In addition to annoying behavior, surveys show rising trends in gossip, unprofessional communication, exclusion, and coworkers taking credit for others’ work — all signs of a workplace environment that puts individual egos ahead of the team.
My Tacky Alcoholic Coworker Asking Me To Pay Her Bar Tab At 1am... I Don't Drink Myself So Why Would I Pay For Her Bar Tab?
Uh, besides that, why is a CO-WORKER asking another co-worker when HER last period was?! Even if they talk about periods to each other, it's not a co-worker's responsibility to remember YOUR periods!
Increasing Keychain Size Until Coworkers Stop Going Home With Keys Needed On Other Shifts
Today Was A Colleague's Last Day At Work And This Is How They Left Their Office
More info, she was not fired, and had no reason to leave it in this state. Management asked if she was going to clean up, and she simply stated, "No, it's not my job." We do not have cleaners, so it was left for us to fix up. Hey, thanks for that.
Many people have reported mental health problems tied to workplace culture and poor management.
A recent poll revealed that three out of four workers say their mental health at work is negative, with 40% reporting ‘poor’ and 34% saying their mental health is just ‘fair.’
61% of workers said would rather quit, and 39% said they would rather get laid off from their job than work in a toxic workplace.
Coworkers Still Won’t Close The Fridge
I don't understand how anyone could walk away from a fridge, either their own or one at work, and NOT ensure the doors close all the way. Do people just tap the door so it starts to swing closed and then just walk away before the door actually closes?
Coworkers Used My Mug As A Pen Holder In My Absence
Definitely NOT the worst on this list! Get some Barkeepers Friend or Pink Stuff and it'll come right out!
My Colleague Uses Perfume In Our Shared Office
My colleague brings her perfume to work. She uses it sometimes, several times a day at her desk. At the end of the day, I smell more like her perfume than myself. We are three colleagues sharing the same office. My desk and her desk are literally touching, and there is nowhere to hide.
Ooof, perfumes are one of my biggest migraine triggers. I don't know if OP has an HR or any higher-ups, and I'm normally not big on lying about health issues, but this is a situation where if I were OP, I'd go to HR/management and say that I'd developed migraines or allergies and the perfume had to stop.
When faced with annoying office behavior, many people tend to avoid confronting their colleague or reporting them to HR.
In a survey, only 25% of workers said they trust HR to address toxic behaviors, and over 65% said their complaints made no difference after reporting them.
“Most people think that if they’re being targeted by someone who’s toxic at work, other people know and don’t care. In fact, most people will tell me, ‘My boss knows. They’re just too busy to care.’ Chances are, your boss doesn’t know — at least not to the extent that it’s happening. You need to let people know,” says Tessa West.
Yesterday, This Guy Put Ghost Pepper Popcorn In Our Industrial Microwave At Work For Over 5 Minutes
The office was filled with black smoke, burning people's eyes, and no one could breathe. He basically maced the building. We were moved to the other end so we could keep working.
My Coworker Keeps Leaving These Things For Me To Find. I’ve Never Talked About Religion With Them, So It’s Based On Assumption
Hmm... you could superglue "VOLDEMORT" right below the LORD part and hang it up in your office. Could get you brownie points from any passing death eaters too.
Such An Out Of Pocket Thing To Say To Anyone Ever
If you’re feeling stuck in a frustrating work situation, there are several ways to take control.
One approach is to share how you feel soon after an incident — within a day or two if possible — when the situation is still fresh and not blown up in your head. Waiting too long makes it easier for others to downplay the behavior since you didn’t bring it up right away.
Expanding your network at work can also help. When we only talk to the same two or three people every day, we miss the bigger picture, like who might be causing tension or what the unwritten rules are.
Basically, make allies in the workplace.
At the end of the day, dealing with a toxic colleague is almost like a rite of passage in any sort of workforce. If you’ve never dealt with one, you’re either incredibly lucky… or maybe you just haven’t recognized the signs yet.
Social Decency Has Been In A Sharp Decline For The Past Decade
Not only watching reels during work, but also with no headphones??? If you’re gonna be disrespectful at least put some headphones on
Coworker’s Fundraiser
Coworker is always trying to go behind me and my work, looking for a reason to report me. Ex-service member, but a complete jerk. Talks to me as if he’s my boss, tries to tell me what to do. We don’t talk. Yet he’s been harassing me daily about a fundraiser for his kid. Normally, I leave kids out of personal problems. But at the end of the day, he doesn’t think of my kids when he does the nitpicking of my work and the time off I take for them. Always has something rude to say. I’m 28, he’s 55. Not sure if it’s an age thing, but I don’t think I should be forced to contribute. Am I crazy? Edited to add that the fundraiser in question is for his kid’s football team.
Can’t Afford To Go Out For My Birthday, So A Coworker Brought Me A Salmon Steak From His Fishing Trip For Me To Have For Dinner. It Was Gone By 9 Am
What’s even worse is that I spent the last of my grocery money until payday on a lemon and a bottle of white wine to cook it in. Can’t return the wine, and I can’t drink due to a medication I’m on.
What kind of wages are yall getting??! If my job wouldnt pay me enough for food I would quit and live on benefits. Less money but also less expenses.
How My Coworker Cuts Construction Paper. She Put These Back In The Stack Of New Construction Paper Too
My Coworkers Dropped A Pallet And Left Me To Clean It Up
Former Coworker Can’t Stop Badmouthing And Lying About Me
A little backstory. The former coworker is extremely religious, I am not. I listen to metal music, so in her eyes, I must be a satanist. I am not. One incident that kicked all this off was when I still worked there, she had left our business cards for her church. I found them in a spot that would have implied a customer left them there. I’d even asked her what they were, and she looked at me like a dog that had been shown a card trick. Later, I threw them in the trash. The next day, she had the boss pull camera footage, and from that point on was actively trying to get me fired. She eventually succeeded. I have moved on with my life and have a much better job now. Because I’m a friendly person, I’m still friends with several of my former coworkers. They say she still talks about me, except now she’s making things up. I never growled at any pictures. What a silly thing to make up.
My Coworkers Have Brought Giant Speakers And Are Playing Annoying Music Loudly Out Of Them
It seems to be an universal law that every time someone blasts loud music in an inappropriate location, it's ALWAYS the $hittiest music you've ever heard. The ONLY exception I've heard so far is a dude blasting Linkin Park. He can stay, but he's on thin ice.
My Coworker Uses The Bathroom Trash Instead Of Just Emptying The Kitchen Trash
Old Coworker Requests Money
We worked together for about a year and a half, and she’d ask for money every so often and pay me back after about a week or two. I went on maternity leave in January of last year and have been out of work ever since. This is only like the 3rd time she’s requested since I’ve left, but frustrating cause I also don’t have a dollar to my name. I’d send money if we weren’t struggling with money and food, too.
Coworker Did Not Inspect Broken Torch Lead Before Using. The Torch LED Pictured Caught On Fire And Almost Caused A Serious Accident
Coworker Asked Me To Watch Her Kids (For Free) While She Goes Out Drinking
I met this woman about a year ago at work, and we became friends. We used to hang out together about once a week, but I am in nursing school and have not had much free time lately, so unfortunately, I have to turn down invitations quite often during the semester. Not only that, but I am failing a class and need to do well on my final to pass, so I have been studying a lot as finals week is only days away. She constantly asks me to do favors for her, like taking her kids to school or taking them to dance class, since she is a single mother. I always try to go out of my way to help her out, but it's getting to the point where I just can't handle it anymore.
She is 20 years older than me, yet always asks to borrow money since she is "broke", yet can afford to spend $500 on concert tickets or spend money on whatever else she wants. Long story short, this is how she responds to me after asking if I could watch her kids so that she could go to the bar. I am thinking about ending this "friendship," but it would also be super awkward since we work together. Not sure what to do at this point
OP doesn't need to worry about it becoming super awkward at work when she ends this friendship. It's already super awkward when her friend/coworker sends her unsolicited advice
My Coworker Nagged And Nagged Me To Buy Something For His Daughter’s School Fundraiser. This Is What I Received. Never Again. $25 For This
Coworker Dropped My Lunch And Didn’t Say Anything
Ordered some chicken over rice, which is my favorite meal, and one of my coworkers knocked over the meal in the work fridge. Got home to finish it, and this is what I find. Cost $30 to order it on Uber Eats.
Coworkers Blocking Empty Boxes With Full Garbage Boxes
How My Coworker Cuts Onions
Coworker Is Giving Passive Aggresion After Covering For Me Because I Had Pink Eye
I work at a vet clinic as kennel staff, which involves a lot of hands-on work and even contact with customers. I woke up yesterday with pink eye and even went to the docs to get a note for excusal so my boss would have proof I got checked out. There was only one other person working that day, so I asked for help to get a cover that day so the other person wouldn't be alone. I don't ever call out without good reason to do so, and I always pay back those who cover me, usually by covering them down the line. So I don't know why she feels this is warranted. Really ruined my morning.
I do not ever give people reason to believe I would call out for no reason. I do my job actively and am quite social with everyone there. I always make it clear when I won't be showing for work, and every time I've called out, it's because I'm sick or something urgent came up (which is extremely rare).
Coworkers Like To "Air Out" The Trailer We Work In When It's 40⁰F In The Morning
I live in Montana and work in a trailer with two other coworkers. They will say they are airing out the trailer in the mornings when it is 40°F or colder out sometimes. I feel like this is just an excuse to try to act manly and try to prove they can stand the cold better or something. It is really frustrating, and I really want to do something to mess with them. There is no way they are comfortable when it's 40⁰F.
Coworker Put Red Dots On The Barcodes None Of These Items Even Had A Price On Them
Work at Dollar Tree. One of my coworkers decided to put red dots on the barcodes of some of the glasses and mugs. My manager and I spent an hour taking them off. We’re only supposed to put red dots on some of the $1.25 items because a lot of things are going up to $1.50. But these glasses didn’t even have the $1.25 sign on them—they just sat there and put stickers on all the barcodes. The store manager has told us 50 times not to do this.
My Coworker Called Out 18 Mins Before His Shift Started And Hes Not Even In The State
I guess an emergency can call you out of state and distract you enough not to think about it...but he doesn't SAY that.
How My Coworkers Cut The Cake
Coworker Took All The Middle Pieces Of Flapjack
Senior Cook Is Sabotaging Food
I'm the newest cook at a sushi house—my senior coworker, who is a younger immigrant that doesn't speak much English, has been harassing me and making my job harder, and I think it's because he thinks I'm going to try to take his job. Last night during a rush, instead of focusing on his station, I found him trying to re-sauce my sushi and drown it in the process—I stopped him partway, and he got angry, but the massive puddle of spicy mayo on the edge of the left roll is the result.
We share tips, so I always try to give the customer a great-looking roll with an appropriate amount of sauce.
I Could Move Past My Coworker Chewing On Pens, But Ruining The Phone Cord Is Outrageous
Coworker Gave Out My Snapchat To A Customer Without Telling Me
I was cleaning out my camera roll and got mildly infuriated again. For context, I am an Asian girl. This happened back in 2022, I was 17 and worked as a host at a restaurant. My coworker was a 20-year-old girl. This guy apparently got her snapchat then texted her asking for my snap. She gave it to him without asking me first and never told me either.
I accepted his friend request and asked him if we knew each other, then he said what he said, I guess because it was Covid times. It was a terrible pick-up line, and I deleted him right after.
Never accept a request on social media from someone you don’t know. It’s not that hard to understand
The Way My Colleagues Set The Cutlery To Dry
Sharp knives don't go pointy end up. If it's a wood handled sharp knife, those don't ever go in the dishwasher, it splits the handle.
Coworker Leaves Chair Like This Everyday
And every morning (I'm usually the first one in) I have to push it in. I've mentioned it several times, and this has gone on for about 3 years now.
Coworker Wants Me To Take Her Shift After Completely Ignoring Me When I Asked
VP From Corporate Had An Ice Cream Cake Delivered To Me On My Day Off… Coworkers Put It In The Fridge
My company HQ is out of state, and my direct boss, the VP, is traveling for work and didn’t check my PTO for my birthday. He ordered an ice cream cake delivered to my office. After finding out I was off, he called me and said he told my coworkers to save it for Monday.
All day long, this elderly lady pestered me with paranoia, saying, “well the packaging said Ice Cream, but it’s in plastic. You can’t freeze plastic packaging”. At that point, I already knew it was doomed and didn’t even want to go check.
Multiple times throughout the day, she herself went to check, told me it was melted, and put it in the freezer. She assured me, “oh once it freezes, you can still get a good taste of it”…
It was in the warehouse, as they have a freezer/fridge unit. At the end of my workday, I had to clear it out for them. A few teased and laughed at me. “Why didn’t you stop by to grab it on Friday?” “Why would you keep it here if it’s ice cream?”
I didn’t ask for any of this, and I feel bad that my boss’s efforts got wasted by idiotic coworkers.
How My Coworker Does Tally Marks
I work at a cafe with limited capacity and we have to keep a tally of who comes and goes. She does these marks without doing the slash on the 5th count and uses white sharpie to mark that someone has left. Harder to tell at a glance how many people we have.
