20 People Who Dealt With Toxic Behavior In The Office

One of the most irksome parts of life is if you have unpleasant co-workers. The ones that grate on your nerves. The ones that make you shudder in horror that you have to allow these people into your realm of conscious awareness.

#1

Image source: UnobtrusiveHippo, Austin Distel

Slack messages that say just “Hi” and wait for me to respond before telling me what they need.

It’s asynchronous communication, people. Just say what you need to say.

#2

Image source: UncleKodeia, Solen Feyissa

The people where if you make a mistake, they won’t tell you to your face but via email so that they can CC a higher up or the rest of the team.

#3

Image source: PrismaticWatermelon, Hunters Race

someone who thinks they’re a manager when they’re not. for example the chode who was just hired after me who tried to shake me down about my break schedule. go f**k yourself please and thank you

#4

Image source: Trixie6102, Siednji Leon

I’m in healthcare, and I cannot tolerate people who treat patients like an inconvenience. I know some of them (and their families) can be a PITA, but if you can’t handle some of that every now and again, it’s time to change careers.

#5

Image source: apostate456, Road Trip with Raj

The idea that everyone is on call all the time for all things. Yes, emergencies do happen and certain people are responsible for that – Head of Security and there was a security breach? Yes call them at 2am on their vacation. Head of Legal and the CEO just got served, yes call them when they’re home sick. However, Manager can’t find a file they wanted to peruse to “get ahead of things”? Yeah, don’t call your secretary at her daughter’s graduation.

#6

Image source: ggpopart, Antenna

Idk if this counts but I hate the social pressure to go to office parties/happy hours/whatever. I came to work not spend money and socialize.

#7

Image source: Sage–Fox, Elisa Ventur

Managers not communicating clearly and then getting angry that you didn’t do exactly what they wanted when they didn’t tell you what they wanted in the first place.

#8

Image source: smk3509, Jeremy Hall

Microwaving fish in a communal kitchen. Only monsters do it.

#9

Image source: clocksailor, Jesson Mata

I would love to get away from the idea that the only justifiable reasons to set a boundary are either that 1) you’re deathly ill or 2) you already owe your time to somebody else (a kid, a parent, etc).

It’s okay if I don’t want to work every weekend because I value my social life and my rest. The commitments I make to myself still count.

#10

Image source: highly_uncertain, Priscilla Du Preez

Bullies. We have a group of grown a*s mean girls at my work and I can’t f*****g stand them. Full grown, 30+ year old highschool bullies.

#11

Image source: kristinabry04, uhammad Ruqi Yaddin

Casual racism or misogynism.

#12

Commenting on what I’m eating! like be quiet. I didn’t ask you, lady.

This is usually accompanied by my second pet peeve. Commenting on my weight. I’m not super thin anymore. I’m average weight now. But I used to be abnormally thin. I also used to have an eating disorder. So, I’d get women in the breakroom like “Where do you put it? Where does it all go? Hardy-Har”-in the toilet, Janet. It will be thrown up into the toilet and your comments aren’t helping.

Image source: Top-Industry9875

Saying mean/gossipy things about coworkers when they’re not around, then being nice to them when they are.

#13

Image source: neuro_illogical, Brooke Cagle

#14

Image source: mycatshavehumannames, Simon Abrams

Martyrdom. “I worked until 8pm last night unpaid”. (Teacher here). What staff like this are doing is the reason teachers are underpaid and overstretched

#15

Glorifying being overworked as if it’s an accomplishment. Working 76 hours when you’re scheduled for 40 is not an accomplishment. You’re being overworked and abused by management and because people tolerate it and glorify it – they then think it can pass for each employee they have. It does for a while but then you end up understaffed because a lot of people cannot keep up with the demand.

Also, sexual harassment and comments in the workplace.

While working as a server a cook specified to another like cook about how easily all of our servers could be raped. I was 23 but most of my server gals were 16-18. I reported him to management and was told to mind my business.

Image source: cheekylilvixen

#16

Image source: hello_goonie, Johan Godínez

My manager often has a poor attitude in the mornings and it’s super demoralizing for me.

Also, I wish more managers would push gratitude and say “thanks for your work today” or express more positive feedback than just criticism.

#17

Weaponized Incompetence. If I don’t know how to do something I just google it. So when someone tries to feign ignorance on a standard task they should be able to do, it really pisses me off. Especially since they are usually trying to get me to do their task. Stop trying to p**n off tasks to others & just do your job. I’ll 100% show you how to do the task, but the second someone goes “but you can do it so much faster!!!” my blood boils… like you could learn and do it just as fast as me…but you’re a lazy piece of s**t trying to get me to do your job. I have now started to create tutorials and just send them that as a response. Works well so far and they can’t complain…like what are you going to say? “She won’t do these simple tasks for me anymore like she used to!!” Just do your job and stop bothering others to do it for you.

Image source: manditoggi

#18

Image source: abv1401, Israel Andrade

I feel like private information should, if at all, be volunteered and it’s inappropriate to ask. I had my first child younger than is typical for my culture and random coworkers I met that day (that knew I had a kid based of a Mother’s Day present on my desk) asked me if he was planned. Get a grip, we’re not hanging out, we‘re working together.

#19

Image source: evaj95, Annie Spratt

Acting like this is high school, reporting me because I don’t want to talk about your personal life with you (yes this happened and my boss laughed it off obviously).

#20

Image source: liltatofren, Jarritos Mexican Soda

Speaking condescendingly to someone simply because they’re younger than you are