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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, August 29, 2005

Workers complain but tend not to act

By Mary Ellen Slayter
Washington Post

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WASHINGTON — Loud phone conversations, speaker phones and constant complaints about workload top the list of our co-workers' most annoying work habits, according to the results of a recent survey by TrueCareers, an online job board.

Other bad habits that drew ire included cliques among co-workers, arriving late to work, talking to one's self, talking to co-workers over cubicle walls, bad hygiene and loud eating.

Nearly 60 percent of those who responded to the questions said the bad habits of a co-worker have hurt relationships at work enough to damage productivity. Forty percent said things were becoming so bad they were looking for another job. Seventeen percent of employees have sought a transfer to escape.

The one thing they didn't do: Ask the person to stop. Most of the respondents said they haven't even considered confronting their co-workers.

And for good reason: They can be just as guilty themselves. Eighteen percent of respondents say they often talk to themselves, 16 percent show up late to work or meetings, 13 percent holler over cubicle walls instead of using the phone or e-mail and 7 percent catch themselves constantly complaining about work.

Not to mention complaining about other people's bad habits.