Do You Work With Monkeys?
10 Pesky Co-Workers
Kate Lorenz, CareerBuilder.com Editor
Infamous co-workers and their idiosyncrasies -- from Michael Scott, the bumbling boss in "The Office," to Milton, that dude with the Swingline stapler obsession, in "Office Space" -- are a constant source of amusement. Sure they make us laugh, but when we actually work with someone who could be one of those characters, they're not so funny anymore.
Let's see... There's the gal in the cube next to you who uses baby talk incessantly, the intern who sneaks up to your cube oh-so-quietly and stares at the back of your head until you notice, and don't forget the mid-level manager who doles out high-fives to everyone.
If you feel like your co-workers drive you ape, you're not alone. Fifty-three percent of workers told CareerBuilder.com that they feel like they work with a bunch of monkeys. The "Monkey Business" survey of more than 2,050 workers also found one-in-five workers think their boss is a monkey.
What's more, of those who said their co-workers act like monkeys, 47 percent plan to change jobs in the next two years. If your boss acts like Tarzan and your workplace is a zoo, it may be time to join these workers in moving on to a better job opportunity.
While you're contemplating your escape, here are some real-life examples of survey respondents' most-annoying co-workers:
1. The manager who tried to get employees in another department fired for eating bagels that were reserved for an event the next day.
2. The co-worker who constantly e-mails the person who is sitting right next to her.
3. The co-worker who sits in a crowded cubicle area and insists on putting every conversation on speaker phone, including the exploits of the night before.
4. The boss who cut his fingernails while standing in his employee's cube.
5. The co-worker who steals other people's food from the lunch room refrigerator and then acts baffled when asked about it.
6. The co-worker who changed his job title to look more important without approval from his boss.
7. The boss who swears at the top of his lungs and occasionally throws his chair or phone down the hall.
8. The co-worker who walks up and randomly scratches other people's backs.
9. The co-worker who was caught sleeping on the job more than once and would insist he was praying.
10. The co-worker who every morning would greet her fellow employees (before they had any caffeine) with, "Are you ready for another fun and EXCITING day?!"
Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.
