The Worst Work Pests

A pet peeve, according to the survey, is noises – from the resident loudmouth to a nerve-jangling ringtone. “These sounds make you edgy and unhappy, and they can also disrupt your focus and affect your productivity,” says Beverly Langford, author of The Etiquette Edge: The Unspoken Rules For Business Success. You can also file humming, whistling, finger tapping and throat clearing under behaviours that make you want to throw something.

Coping strategy: Take action. And do it in person. “Talk to the offender when he’s being loud, or as soon afterwards as possible,” says Barbara Pachter, author of The Power Of Positive Confrontation: The Skills You Need To Know To Handle Conflicts At Work, At Home And In Life. “He’ll be more receptive to what you’re saying if he can make the connection right then and there, as opposed to you randomly appearing at his desk to talk about it, because then it could appear as if you’ve been keeping score.” Let him know how you’re affected – that you have a difficult time concentrating when it’s noisy and that you’re easily distracted. Then it’s less likely he’ll become defensive and more likely he’ll listen, says Jacqueline Whitmore, author of Business Class: Etiquette Essentials For Success At Work.

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