7 Embarrassing Work Habits Your Coworkers Secretly Want You To Stop

Talking Loudly

Owl Labs, a company that builds 360-degree videoconferencing solutions for 200K+ hybrid organizations, found that loud talking is one of the biggest complaints that respondents aren't a fan of. In fact, 35% of people listed this as a big no-no for them.

Ironically, this is something that became increasingly annoying at my former job. Let's just say there was a person who would air all their grievances about people or life very loudly, sometimes in front of clients. It made for rather tense work days that I don't really miss.

However, the point is that not everyone wants to hear us having loud conversations at work.

Bad Bathroom Habits

Sigh... This shouldn't still be a thing in 2024, but I know it is. Nothing can be more annoying than seeing your co-worker head back to their desk without washing their hands. Not only does this person usually touch multiple items throughout the conference room, they also seem to want to hand you important papers with their unwashed hands.

Let's leave this annoying habit behind please!

Leaving Used Tampons or Pads Out in the Open

Again, I'm not big on shaming people for having periods. They're a natural part of life, but not everyone wants to see the remnants of them — especially at work. There have been times where I've stumbled across used tampons and pads on restroom floors as if a trashcan doesn't exist.

It's not a pleasant sight and no one should be subjected to it.

Heating Up Smelly Food

Stephen Greet, CEO of Beam Jobs, says, "Strong food odors can be distracting and unpleasant for others in a shared workspace. Foods with pungent aromas, like fish, fried foods, or heavily spiced dishes, can linger in the air and make it difficult for colleagues to concentrate."

I'm willing to admit I happily heated up a piece of salmon for lunch once, and it did not go over well with my colleagues. The smell filled our entire tiny office, and my former co-workers didn't let me live it down for weeks. I was beyond embarrassed, and vowed to never bring smelly food to the office again.

Some people may have an aversion to strong smells and this can lead to, "... nausea or other discomfort in some people," according to Greet. Obviously everyone needs to eat, but let's just be thoughtful of what we're bringing into shared spaces!

Consistently Changing the Thermostat

This is another major pet peeve workers have, according to Owl Labs. In fact, it's the logged as the second highest complaint in their report. While I'm not sure if there's ever going to be an ideal office temperature (we're all different!), setting the thermostat to extreme highs (think 70+ during Winter) and extreme lows (anything under 65 degrees during warmer months) can be really uncomfortable for other people.

The best thing to do is either invest in portable desk fan or a nice knit cardigan.

Dominating a Work Meeting or Call

We've all been in a meeting where someone always tends to dominate the conversation, sometimes through no fault of their own. Some people don't may not do it on purpose, but there are others who engage in what Greet calls 'Meeting Monologues.'

"In a professional setting, meetings are supposed to be interactive discussions where everyone has a chance to share their thoughts and ideas. However, this collaborative process is slowed down when one or a few people take over the conversation by talking for long periods of time without letting others speak," he says.

Unfortunately, this doesn't create a collaborative environment and can have adverse effects on employees or co-workers. "This way of running meetings stops people from sharing their ideas with each other and can make others feel unimportant or afraid to speak up," Greet explains. "Being ready and sharing your thoughts are important, but for meetings to work, others need to be able to join in and be sure that everyone's voice is heard."

Humble Bragging Every Chance You Get

This is something I know I've done and have been working on doing less of at work. For anyone who's confused by what that means, Greet says, "This refers to the act of bragging or promoting yourself while saying things that sound humble or self-deprecating. For example, 'I know I'm not the smartest person, but I graduated at the top of my class.'"

This is the professional version of fishing for compliments in a covert way. Overall, Greet says, "People who humble-brag seem hypocritical and not truly humble, which can be annoying to those around them." Let's be proud of our accomplishments without making others feel less than, okay?