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You don’t pick people for two things: your family and your job. Coworkers come as part of the package, bottom line.

And although sometimes a workplace is a perfect place to make connections and lasting friendships, other times the people you see 5 days a week can really, I mean, really get on your nerves. Whether your colleagues are always talking, always on their phone, or just always in your way, they can make your workday longer and harder.

We can’t control other people’s behavior, but we can surely vent about it. And since annoying coworkers are basically a universally relatable thing, no wonder the hashtag #ThingsAnnoyingCoworkersDo hit way too close to the bone for many people on Twitter. So pull your seat closer, we’re about to look at the funniest tweets people shared.

#1

Things-Annoying-Coworkers-Do

JCollinsMA Report

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KING ILLEGAL FOREST
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And leaving stinky food in the fridge for so long it's pretty much developed into its own ecosystem, then get mad you threw out their "good tupperware."

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Do you have a coworker who is always talking? Or one who is always asking for favors? Maybe you have a coworker who is always trying to be the boss. Whatever the case may be, we all have that one coworker who is just plain annoying. If you're lucky, you can just avoid that person. But sometimes, you have to work with them on projects or tasks. And that can be torture.

But if you happen to already be in that situation where a colleague is getting on your nerves, you may want to think about a couple of things. First, it’s important to stay polite, whatever happens. Even if they are driving you crazy, it's important to be polite. Just bite your tongue and try to get through the interaction. In this way, you’ll make sure they don’t ruin your reputation.

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A second useful tip is not getting drawn into their drama. If they are always complaining or starting arguments, just walk away. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.

#7

Things-Annoying-Coworkers-Do

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NgatiDreadz
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Oh yes when this happens you should say "maybe you should act your wage Karen"

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#8

Things-Annoying-Coworkers-Do

thefrozenfoodie Report

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Monday
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If your lunch choice is a fish dish that you reheat in the communal microwave then your choices deserve to be judged.

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Setting boundaries is also crucial when dealing with annoying coworkers. If they are always asking for favors, make it clear that you're not going to do everything they ask. Set some limits so that you don't end up doing all the work. You may also want to make sure you keep your distance. Remember that you don't have to be best friends with this person. Just keep your interactions to a minimum and whenever they’re needed.

#10

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Laura Ketteridge
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Ah.. this one would be brought up with HR immediately. I'm crazy, but I value being able to breathe very highly. Cologne etc sets of my asthma, and it is not fun.

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Jacie Ray
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Same. When I complained about all the artificial scent dispensers in the bathroom (4 separate sources!! 🤢), I was told I could wear a gas mask as a "less extreme" option than just removing the damned scents

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Penny Hernandez
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

All too often the excess cologne is an attempt to cover up lack of personal hygiene. It doesn't, folks.

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Hutt'nKloas
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Well I've had elderly colleagues[wearing nylon shirts] who seemingly didnt mind their hygiene [stale & strong sweat odour] in the office or cantina. I absolutely dont like an overkill of perfume but the stale old sweat odour makes me puke. This is very difficult to adress as it touches personal behaviour/issues, but if it makes it impossible for you to perform properly at work than it needs to be discussed.

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Phryne
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Part of our dress code is "personal hygiene." And yet, there are still people who don't take showers, wash their clothes, or hair. Dirty hair smell can trigger a migraine in 30 seconds...one guy had to be regularly told to shower and wash his clothes. Funny thing, though, he's moved into management and now has excellent hygiene. There was also a woman who regularly had greasy hair- and her hair was below her shoulders, so WEEKS between washings. Ditto...become a manger, she had to wash her hair daily. I guess it's okay around "common" employees (there are "only"1200 of us who complained regularly), but it's not acceptable if you're one of <30 managers.

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Phyllis Turbin
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Axe is one of the worst. I politely told my coworker, "You just need a few drops, a little goes a long way." Some folks just don't know how bad they reak.

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Angelina Leal
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to like Axe until a boy in 7th grade brought a can of it to school (like a hair spray can but of axe body spray) and he would, full f*****g force, hold the button down and just dump himself in it. It took 3 male teachers to tell him to stop before he finally stopped (the main reason he stopped was because the male math teacher told him to stop or he would confiscate the spray) it was hell

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TheDivineMsM
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get sensory overload with strong scents, which make me feel nauseous or anxious, so wearing perfume or cologne isn't always pleasant for everyone

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Notyomama
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I get tiny seizures. Causes memory loss, anxiety, nausea. It's called dysosmia. Got diagnosed by an advanced ENT.

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Dave Kerr
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's one thing that I don't miss about working in the office instead of at home. There are some ethnic groups who do not wear deodorant. Instead they wear a lot of cologne/perfume. Buckets of it.

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Analyn Lahr
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

On swing shift, who comes in as we're leaving but we have talk to them tell them what's been happening, there's one lady who often smells so strongly of perfume I could probably follow her scent trail. And there's another lady who always reeks of tobacco. So glad I'm not on that shift.

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Greta Kolding
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

A former boss of mine used to slap on aftershave in the front office. Gave me a sneeze attack every morning.

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Elizabeth VanDyke
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

One guy that I worked with, I could smell his cologne long before I could see him.

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Truth Hear it
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

People don't understand all the problems caused by scented lotions, bodyspray, perfume, even laundry products with strong smell, they can cause asthma attacks, anaphylaxis, migraines, nausea in cancer patients, behavioral problems in autistic children. No body needs this c**p.

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Phryne
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I was at 7-Eleven one night and the woman in front of me started complaining about "you young kids" who wear too much product (funny thing - I was almost 40 and probably older than she was). Anyway, I have a lot of product allergies and had used fragrance-free laundry detergent and fabric softener, fragrance-free hair product and soap, no perfume...and I'd showered about half an hour before. I know a lot of people are truly sensitive, but she was full of c**p.

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ButFirstCoffee
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Good think my place of employment banned he use of cologne. I work from home, but if I ever have to go into the office, I know I won't want to puke because of other people's perfume.

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Brenda
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I actually had a manager tell a new girl to go wash up after she caused me to have a major allergy attack fromhp her perfume. I'm not talking about a few squirts, I can handle that. But it was like she took a bath in it. They had to send me home and told me to stay home the next day. Apparently the entire office reeked and they didn't want me to have another attack. Come back and it's the same thing but a different scent. I was taken off the front and worked in the back room. She had thought it was that particular perfume I was allergic to. She honestly didn't think she was wearing too much. Better after that, but I shouldn't be able to smell it 20 minutes after you leave the room

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Sylvia_SilverVampire
Community Member
1 year ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Bro no-one care how you smell as long as its not of sweat. Try *you know, personal hygiene* Save your cologne and perfume for your dates and free time

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M F
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Roo strong of parfumes can legit cause people to get severe and lift-threatening reactions. It boggles my mind when HR doesn't step in.

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Kate
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My dad has no sense of smell. I had to tell him to tone it down.

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Chich
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

It was a happy day when they banned perfume/cologne in the workplace.

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If you feel like you're stuck in the corner and there’s not much to be done, the only option may be to talk to your boss or manager. They may be able to help you resolve the issue.

And after all, every workplace has its quirks: whether it’s the workings of the company, the flawed management or the people you have to work with, no work is perfect. Dealing with annoying coworkers may be tiring, to say the least, but in the end, it’s part of life.

#14

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rspanther
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would love to have hover cats as coworkers, people not so much.

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#15

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Steve
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That's when you need to have American Psycho next to your lunch as reading material.

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Meanwhile, according to Christine Mitterbauer, a licensed and ICF-approved career coach and serial entrepreneur, “it’s important that you stand your ground and don’t let yourself be intimidated by difficult coworkers, whether they’re negative, talking down to you, or making your work difficult in any other way.”

“Of course, you can try to interact as little as possible with the coworker, but that isn’t always possible,” the career coach added. Moreover, a great skill to practice is becoming better at having difficult conversations, she told us in an earlier interview.

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“Stick to negative behavior as that’s more objective and can more easily be verified by everyone involved. Practice exactly what you want to say beforehand, and consider getting other allies on board as well. Sometimes it is necessary to involve management, but it’s often better to only do this once you can demonstrate to the manager what you yourself have attempted to tackle the issue,” the career coach explained.

#21

Things-Annoying-Coworkers-Do

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

God, the f*****g forward to all s**t. If it doesn’t concern me, do NOT junk up my inbox with your b******t.

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#22

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Annemarie Mattheyse
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

THIS ^ I once had a cubicle neighbor who was in sales. He was on the phone ALL THE TIME, and had an extremely loud voice. I got over-ear headphones. They barely helped.

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#26

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Steve
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1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In most places where you're underpaid, you're only earning your wage.

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#27

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Justme
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I won’t do a whole manicure- but I’ll clip a single nail that’s bothering me. Sometimes I do t realize it needs attention until I start typing on my keyboard.

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#28

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Kathryn Baylis
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Then sing along with it out loud when they can’t carry a tune if it had a handle.

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#30

Things-Annoying-Coworkers-Do

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Justme
Community Member
1 year ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This and the people who go around saying “It’s Friday!”. Yeah, I know, I have a calendar.

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Note: this post originally had 90 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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