What's more irritating than a jammed copy machine? Loud talkers, rude co-workers, annoying cell-phone rings and much more. TODAY viewers and readers describe the most irritating and obnoxious workplace behaviors that can make cubicle life simply unbearable. Read the office pet peeves of people across the country:

When you send a print job to the copier and before you get a chance to retrieve it. Someone else has moved it, shuffled it and left it in ruins. All because they were looking for their jobs which is actually after yours.
— Annette M., Vancouver, Washington

Typing louder than needed.
—Krystal, Fort Worth Texas

People who talk on their speaker phones no matter who calls. It's not only loud, but I feel it infringes on the person's privacy on the other end. We have very open offices so everyone is a little put out with the noise.
—Anonymous, Bloomington, Illinois

Why is it that your coworkers insist on dipping themselves in cologne before they walk out the door? Sure everyone likes to smell good but taking a bath in Burberry before you come into work is not the solution. For goodness sakes men all you need is one spray no need to soak in it! I guess for now I will continue to keep my office door open and the fan circulating so that I don't suffocate in someone else's cologne.
—Anonymous, Possum Trot, Kentucky

A young woman that I work with brings her home made lunch every day to work and puts tons of garlic salt in it before microwaving it. The smell is so strong and it literally stinks up the whole office. I have to smell it every day at work.
—Carol B., Detroit, Michigan

My work pet peeve is that people seem to think its okay to clip their nails at work. Seriously, it drives me crazy.
—Anonymous

One of my biggest pet peeves in my workplace is the lack of respect for the community items in the lounge. For example, the microwave is constantly left with spills cooked on the bottoms and sides of the microwave, old food left in the refrigerator for months and finally, leaving wrappers and food trash on tables and counters. All of this is just a lack of cleaning up one's own mess.
—Miss. Teacher, Roxana, Illinois

This might sound trivial, but I really hate it when someone uses the microwave to heat up a pungent lunch. It seems like the whole office smells that person's lunch all day. Some the odor is so oppressive, that I can actually taste it. Yech! In a similar vein, if you're going make microwave popcorn, do burn it. That smell is toxic!
—Patricia L., New Jersey

When your boss asks you to run down an answer to something while at the same time has already researched the answer or asked one or more people to inquire into the same thing. Your entire organization comes across dysfunctional to any outside agency that may end of fielding the same question(s) from your organization — trust until people give you a reason otherwise and be patient within reason.
—Mary, Mason, Ohio

One of the many pet peeves at my workplace is that people eat food in the fridge that doesn't belong to them!
—Anonymous, Los Angeles

As a cubicle dweller, it drives me crazy to listen to every beep of co-workers cell phone as they text someone.
—Ron N., Portland, Oregon

When one person isn't doing something to standard (for example, a dress or skirt that's too short) the company sends out a memo to everyone saying we better start doing what we're suppose to do or else. Management is too weak to go to that person and say quit wearing the short skirt. Even though everyone in the office knows why the memo went out. This is a fortune 500 company.
—Anonymous

My pet peeves as a cashier is people tapping their fingers like they're being impatient with you even though you're doing your best. Also when you share a lane with a co-worker when a drawer is need of change and they don't order the change for the drawer for the next person who uses it.
—Cindy M., Holland, Michigan

I know it's easy to make coffee so rather than leaving 1/2 a cup of coffee in the bottom of the pot, step up and make another pot. It's not hard, I promise.
—“In need of Caffeine,” Oklahoma

My pet peeve in the office involves the ladies room. I hate when I walk (or rush) into a stall to find the toilet cover closed! Who does that?! And why? It frustrates me to no end to have to use my hands to lift the lid. If I were at someone's home, then I could understand. But a public toilet? It's just not necessary, and quite frankly who, other than the cleaning staff, really needs/wants to touch it?! I'd prefer not to! I've been so tempted to tape the lids open with a note that reads "Do you get it now? Please leave the lid up!"
—Brie, New York, New York

My biggest pet peeve in the workplace is e-mail. People who send e-mails and then ask if you got it? People who hide behind e-mails, sending disciplinary actions via e-mails instead of speaking directly to you, people who do not respond to e-mails that an answer is needed, at least say "I don’t know" but to ignore it entirely is rude, and finally I think we have lost touch with people because of e-mail, the phone and personal conversations seem to be a lost communication.
—Kay S., Miami, Florida

I hate the "cc" function on email. I work in accounting and am "cc'd" on any email that has anything to do with a check or payment. It is very frustrating to sort through a hundred emails a day to find the ones that are actually relevant or a question directed to me. Please stop cc'ing me!
—Katie A., Louisville, Kentucky

I get frustrated by the people who get away with breaking the rules that most of us would never try, mostly the office hours. You know these people they always come in late, take long lunches, go home early, take time during office hours to run "short" errands and leave everyone else to make up for it. Actually, I am not sure who frustrates me more: the people who do this and get away with it or the people who let them do so with impunity.
—Liz L., Montgomery, Alabama

The boss coming in for the day and not saying good morning.
—Teresa, Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

I have a pet peeve for all the questions listed, but the worse is cell phones ringing. People step away from their desks and their ringers volume is at its highest and you have to listen to some song you dislike or those silly ringers forever because the person walked away without their phone. The same with cell phones ringing in meetings — it's called vibrate or shut the ringer off.
—Katherine K., Centerpert, NY

My pet peeve is people clipping their nails at work. It is distracting to others and gross.  
—Anonymous

When they use their used water bottle and fill it from the water station and cover the mouth piece over the end. This is not OK; germs are being transferred to the mouthpiece of the water station. I don't think people think about that — that's why people get sick or worse!
—Yolanda, Austin, Texas

My biggest pet peeve involves the smokers of the office, who take numerous, unscheduled breaks to sneak an extra puff, in addition to their "scheduled" puff, er uh, break. Have studies been done on how much time and productivity is lost due to smokers?
—Elaine J., Morrison, Colorado

I get so frustrated when I ask co-workers to do something and they respond with "I don't have time to do that." I'm asking them to perform some aspect of their job, nothing unusual. I'd like people to understand they can't pick and choose which parts of their job they like to do.
—Mary B., Omaha, Nebraska

When one of my coworkers pops gum so loud you can hear from several feet away. I don't think grown ups should go around chewing gum anyway, but popping them repeatedly? That's so annoying and inappropriate!
—Teresa D., New York, New York

 

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