10 Office Behaviors That Make Everyone Roll Their Eyes and How to Avoid Them for a Happier Workplace
Office life brings together a mix of personalities and habits. Some behaviors can really test your patience and stretch out the workday.
Understanding which office behaviors commonly annoy people can help you navigate the workplace more smoothly and keep things positive. Recognizing these habits allows you to avoid them and maintain better relationships with your colleagues.
Loud phone conversations at the desk
There’s always someone who treats their desk like a stage for loud phone calls. It grabs everyone’s attention—for all the wrong reasons!
When you’re on a call without lowering your voice, it disrupts your coworkers’ focus. Your private conversation becomes the office background noise nobody wanted.
Keeping phone conversations brief and quieter shows respect. If you must chat loudly, step away or use a conference room.
Constantly tapping pens or fingers
That steady tapping can drive your coworkers crazy. It breaks concentration and creates a constant low-level distraction.
When you tap pens or fingers repeatedly, it signals impatience or nervousness. Others can interpret it as a lack of focus or respect during meetings.
Try to catch yourself before the tapping starts. Replacing it with a subtle stress ball squeeze or deep breaths can help.
Hovering over coworkers’ screens
When someone suddenly appears behind you, peeking at your screen, it feels intrusive. Hovering can break your flow instantly.
Standing too close or staring at a coworker’s screen sends a message that you don’t respect their space or privacy. Instead, ask if you can take a quick look or wait for an invitation.
Give your coworkers the gift of personal space. It shows you respect their boundaries.
Using speakerphone in open offices
Using speakerphone in an open office quickly becomes a major distraction. Everyone nearby can hear your conversation, whether it’s work-related or personal.
Your voice carries across the room, breaking your coworkers’ concentration. It’s hard to focus with constant background noise from your calls.
Try using headphones or stepping into a quiet spot instead. This keeps the noise down and makes the office more pleasant for everyone.
Popping gum loudly during meetings
Popping gum catches everyone’s attention for the wrong reasons. The loud noise breaks the flow of conversation and makes it hard for others to focus.
You risk coming across as distracted or disrespectful, even if you don’t mean to. Try chewing quietly or saving gum for breaks.
Ignoring “Do Not Disturb” signs
A clear “Do Not Disturb” sign signals someone needs focused time. Yet, some people just walk right in or interrupt anyway.
Ignoring these signs shows a lack of respect for others’ boundaries. Everyone needs moments to work without interruptions.
Next time you see a “Do Not Disturb” sign, pause and wait. Giving coworkers that space shows you value their time and work.
You might love that spicy curry or garlic-packed sandwich, but your coworkers don’t necessarily share your enthusiasm. Strong smells can linger and distract everyone around you.
Bringing pungent food to common areas shows a lack of consideration. Save the intense aromas for a private space.
Think about milder options or use a sealed container. You’ll keep the office vibe positive.
Repeatedly interrupting during discussions
Jumping in with your point might seem enthusiastic, but it often comes off as rude. Interrupting breaks the flow and can make others feel unheard.
When you interrupt, you risk missing important details. Waiting your turn shows respect and helps keep discussions productive.
Try to listen actively and hold back your thoughts until there’s a natural pause.
Leaving dirty dishes in the sink
Leaving dirty dishes in the office sink really annoys everyone who has to use that space after you. No one wants to deal with your leftover coffee cups or lunch plates.
It creates a cluttered, unpleasant kitchen environment. Wash your dishes or at least rinse and place them in the dishwasher.
Taking this small step shows respect for your shared space.
Overusing caps lock in emails
Using ALL CAPS in emails often feels like shouting. It can come across as aggressive or impatient, even if you don’t mean it that way.
When you write in caps lock, your message loses subtlety. People may focus more on the style than the content.
Save caps lock for extreme cases, like urgent warnings. Keeping your tone calm and normal will help people take you more seriously.
