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Top 10 annoying worker habits: Do any of yours make the cut?

Katy B. Olson | March 3, 2017

Are you one of these 10 types of annoying office workers? From Rennett Stowe.

You might recall that old trope: “We are what we repeatedly do.” If it’s true, it might be wise to make sure that your habits aren’t the kind that drive your co-workers up the nearest cubicle wall. A thoughtful new infographic from NeoMam Studios highlights the top ten most irritating worker habits. Read on to discover if any of yours make the cut.

“The workplace is where we spend most of our time. We’re forced to talk, work, eat and socialise [sic] with people we don’t necessarily like all that much. Three’s a crowd, right?” asks NeoMam. Without further ado, the top ten annoying co-worker habits:

1. Shirker Worker

This “worker” will do just about anything to avoid doing any actual work. Slacking workers reportedly cost the U.S. economy $300 billion last year, and 93 percent of employees agree that slackers compromise productivity.

2. Crazy Colleague

The angry, conflict-driven employee who argues and throws temper tantrums contribute to a staggering figure: half of all departures are due to “chronic, unresolved conflict.”

3. Transmitter of Office Tales

The gossipy employee also costs offices a pretty penny: more than £8 billion per year for UK firms, for example. As the infographic points out, “If you spend your time gossipping, you’re not doing the job you’re paid for.”

4. Grouchy Grumbler

The office’s resident Debbie Downer can not only hurt the collective mood, he or she also helps bring about $44 billion in workplace depression costs in the U.S. each year. (If you or someone you know is suffering from depression, get help: contact your doctor, or reach out to an organization such as ADAA, the Anxiety and Depression Association of America.)

5. Raucous Ringer

You can hear this coworker storming in from a mile away. Loud talkers and keyboard bangers are common: on average, points out the infographic, people talk three times louder when communicating on the phone.

6. Bootless Rover

Long break-takers can impact office productivity. Cigarette breaks in particular cost the UK economy £21 billion annually.

7. Own Larynx Lover

Love the sound of your own voice? Better tone it down if you want to have any meaningful progress at work. “People who talk too much at work are likely to have fewer friends and lower promotion prospects,” reports NeoMam.

8. Noisy Neighbors

Distractions like “constant pen clicking, drink slurping and loud munching” aren’t just irritable habits—they can also inflict exorbitant costs, running businesses $10,375 per person yearly.

9. Cursing Colleagues

Watch that mouth! Swearing while on the job is unattractive. In fact, 64 percent of employers “think less” of workers who curse in the office. What’s worse? Fifty-seven percent said they’d be less inclined to promote an employee who curses.

10. Germ Generators

A-choo! Topping our personal pet peeve roster, the sneezing, sickly officemate costs U.S. employers between $150 to $250 billion yearly. Feel ill? Stay home—your coworkers and your employer will thank you in the long run for saving their health and, ultimately, significant costs.