These are the top 50 gripes for office workers in Yorkshire

Yorkshire’s office workers have revealed their top workplace gripes, including colleagues sucking up to the boss, computers running at a snail’s pace and arduous IT issues.

A survey of more than 150 office-based staff from God’s own country found many loathe dirty dishes being left in the sink, filthy toilets and colleagues talking about their weekend plans – even though they don’t care.

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But nearly half (48 per cent) have been quick to make their feelings known by either leaving a passive-aggressive note or sending an office-wide email.

Cigarette butts scattered outside, a mess being left in the kitchen and colleagues not locking up properly are the top reasons why workers feel compelled to call out their peers.

But while 26 per cent reported their messages were successful in stopping what they deem to be poor office etiquette, for 70 per cent the problems still persisted.

Warding off irritating colleagues

The research was commissioned by The Workplace Depot, who have created a hilarious compilation of passive-aggressive notes to stick up or send around your own office to ward off irritating colleagues.

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A spokesperson for the industrial supplies provider said: “Offices can often be a funny old environment when social norms don’t always translate into those four walls where we spend much of our lives.

“And when forced to encounter a multitude of small bothers on an almost daily basis, it is no surprise it drives many to snap.

“The way many choose to express their displeasure is in the form of the painfully polite and quintessentially British passive-aggressive note or email.

“Yet, these will always have a serious undertone of hostility, which for the reader – or even worse, the culprit – can be quite alarming. Although, often rather amusing too.”

The right office conduct

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The study also found 52 per cent of the Yorkshire’s office workers have confronted a colleague about their poor conduct in the workplace – with 27 per cent of these claiming this intervention caused them to stop.

However, 13 per cent overstepped the mark and even received disciplinary action following the quarrel.

Getting work done quickly so they can leave earlier ranked as the most common way workers counteract their annoyances.

While 21 per cent put on their headphones and listen to music to avoid irritations, and 22 per cent will just dodge visiting the office as much as possible.

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In fact, 28 per cent even admitted they are less productive when they are in the office because of what is winding them up, according to the survey conducted via OnePoll.

The spokesperson for The Workplace Depot added: “It’s clear from these findings many of the UK’s white-collar workers are pretty fed-up with what is going on around them between 9 and 5.

“But like many things in life, if you don’t address the problem, it will only get worse.

“It is important for these workers to stand up for what they believe is the right conduct for an office – even if that is hiding behind a passive-aggressive note.”

Top 50 gripes for office workers in Yorkshire

  1. IT issues
  2. People speaking loudly
  3. People who leave dirty dishes in the work sink
  4. When someone calls in sick when you know they aren't ill
  5. Someone sucking up to the boss
  6. People coming into work when ill
  7. Not being able to wear comfy clothes
  8. Computers being slow
  9. People who have conversations right behind your desk
  10. Smelly toilets
  11. People not cleaning the microwave when their food spills
  12. People who take things from my desk without asking
  13. Filthy toilets
  14. People ‘spreading out’ their desks onto yours
  15. People who open the windows without checking with people nearby
  16. Hotdesking
  17. People who get too close when talking to you
  18. Having to talk to people about their weekends/plans even though you don’t care
  19. Someone cooking smelly food at lunch
  20. The phone ringing constantly
  21. The temperature always being too hot
  22. Computers crashing
  23. People putting food in bins right next to your desk
  24. Grubby fingers on shared keyboards/mouse if hot desking
  25. People who send passive aggressive emails to the entire office
  26. Hardly any natural light
  27. People leaving half eaten food in the fridge/kitchen
  28. Food left in the fridge which is past its use-by date
  29. Not being able to listen to music
  30. Lunch dishes left lying around on desks
  31. People not putting a new toilet roll on the holder
  32. Having to sit in small meeting rooms with lots of people
  33. Someone taking my chair while I am away from my desk
  34. Lights left on in rooms unnecessarily
  35. People who start a phone conversation without any pleasantries first
  36. Printers breaking down
  37. People who hang up the phone without saying goodbye
  38. No one ever saying thank you
  39. People who now refuse to be part of the tea round
  40. Not being able to have daytime TV on in the background
  41. People bragging about how well their work is going
  42. Personal belongings left to gather dust on desks
  43. People making tea too strong/weak
  44. The temperature always being too cold
  45. People who print reams of paper from the printer
  46. People who sing or whistle without realising it
  47. No greenery, like plants
  48. Lack of amenities / kitchen facilities
  49. Fighting over parking spaces
  50. People leaving passive aggressive notes