Just about every office I’ve worked in — from a florist to newsroom — I’ve experienced the worst workplace crimes.
People stealing lunches, coworkers screaming at each other, bosses bullying workers, interns coming to work hungover or, worse, still dressed like they rolled into work directly from the club. Racist remarks, text messaging during meetings, not cleaning the microwave — oh, it’s crazy.
According to business experts and civility leaders, today’s workplace has become increasingly more casual, with people being rude, disrespectful and downright mean. According to “The Cost of Bad Behavior: How Incivility Is Damaging Your Business and What To Do About It,” the problem of incivility in the workplace has been compounded by our increasing tolerance of nasty behavior as a culture. I mean, just watch “The Real Housewives of Orange County” and you get an idea of what kinds of bad behaviors we’re actually tolerating.
But all this is contributing to a less productive and more hostile work environment — which likely contributes to a general dissatisfaction with our jobs.
So what happened? How did we get to this point?
I found an article online where readers submitted the less-than-civil behaviors they’ve experienced in the workplace. Here are some examples:
“Clipping your nails at your desk.”
“I had a co-worker who would report on the previous evening’s bowel movement.”
“I used to work with a guy who would floss his teeth at his desk. Even worse, he’d leave the pieces of floss lying around.”
“The person who microwaves a bag of popcorn at 3 p.m. every afternoon and has to walk down the long hallway to their cubicle whilst the smell of edible oil product attaches itself to the worn fabric dividers…”
What’s your take on civility in the workplace? And what are some annoying behaviors you’ve dealt with?
9 Comments
CAT: How about people who leave fuud in the office refrigerator for weeks and don’t claim them. People who pass gas in a cube farm. Some who bring a large cake to share but don’t provide plates or utensils so everyone has to use the restroom paper towels or Kleenex. Worse is the one who leaves the toilet paper dispenser empty. or fails to flush!
Am happily working from home now… just don’t want to be around so many people anymore. No way you can make it the way you want it unfortunately short of that.
Hey Cat … to me, whispering while in plain view of everyone is the worst … because if it’s work related, why so secretive??? … and if it’s personal, are they bad-mouthing someone??? … whispering just leads most to wrong assumptions … and not good ones …
… if privacy is needed or it’s confidental … why not go into a private office or meeting room??? … or send an e-mail??? …
… I can stand most of the minor office crimes … in the same way I tolerate my friends or family members bad habits … not a big deal for me …
… and I’m probably guilty of a few minor crimes myself …
When someone whispers in front of me, I stand up and loudly shout “hey speak up you guys, we can’t hear what you’re saying!!” I’m pretty obnoxious. Yeah.
“The person who microwaves a bag of popcorn at 3 p.m. every afternoon and has to walk down the long hallway to their cubicle whilst the smell of edible oil product attaches itself to the worn fabric dividers…”
What’s wrong with this? Not like they microing natto or something.
Gone through all that too. As the office manager, who would have known I would have to post signs in the restroom like – please remember to flush – and to remove the toilet seat paper after using the toilet. Also had to place a gentle reminder in the coffee room for people to remember to NOT take the last pot of coffee without making another pot and to clean after themselves, and would you believe some staff felt that these reminders were not necessary – that they were adult enough to manage themselves without these reminders!
I’ve never really worked in that sort of office environment so i can’t say.I can quote tho an assistant of mine who served in the soviet army. He told me a tale of how this one officer was taking a non com’s sandwich everyday for about two months and they found the officer dead in the office. The guys wife was putting rat poison in the meat spread. So the moral is don’t take anything you never know who fixed it.
Who was the guy’s wife trying to kill? Her husband (unintentionally killing the deserving officer instead), or the pilfering officer?
he’d get on the elevator picking his nose, then press the button for his floor
voice msgs that say only ” call me back ” (not from the boss)
the woman who ate her lunch at whatever desk was vacant at the moment
the pot-luck takers who are never pot-luck bringers
“are you going to such and such for lunch? would you bring me back a……& a…… &a……”
when pizza was ordered for the office. she’d get into the kitchen first and load up her giant purse with seven or eight slices
the ones who never get their office supply order in on time and raid my printer ink carts
car poolers who never seem to have gas money and on their day to drive, somebody else in the family has the car
coming into my office when the door is closed without knocking