Your annoying co-worker

[pikachu]

The sad thing is all of my co-workers are my age (40's) are older. None of them are in their teens. You'd think they would know better and have better etiquette than that. People talk about the younger generation having no manners but the old folks aren't doing much better.

It's like some of them forget that the workplace is shared space. It's not "their" microwave, "their" stapler, "their" fax machine. Some of that is common property and they have to allow for others to use it.

In the previous state jobs I've had, you didn't get to take your stapler, your tape dispenser, your scissors, etc with you when you moved on to another job. They were paid for by that section and belong to that workstation. At this job, however, people come in with nothing and take all their supplies with them when they go. We had a time when every six months we were getting a new person and we had to keep reordering supplies for them. I'm surprised the supervisor didn't put his foot down and tell them they couldn't take anything with them unless they brought it with them but he never did.

[AcookerTV]

The thing that baffles me about the food being left for so long is trying to figure out HOW it is forgotten. When I'm super busy, which is when I'd be most likely to forget what I did 5 minutes ago, I tend to finally grab something to eat when I can't concentrate because the hunger is so strong. If I put something in teh microwave for 4 minutes and walk away, 4 minutes later, I'm still starving, and I'm going to remember to look for my food. What is prompting them to heat up food if not feeling hungry? And if they are just eating out of habit, why not stand and watch the microwave for 3 minutes rather than going back to work?

[pikachu]

The one who forgets her food the most is a socializer. She constantly has friends coming to visit her or she's running off to talk to them in their offices. I think she forgets her food because she's busy running her mouth. That's another thing our supervisor should be getting on her for. She spends way too much time socializing instead of working and the loud voices coming from her cubicle make it hard for other people to concentrate on their work.

[AcookerTV]

I've been in a work environment before with the loud talking social butterfly! For YEARS, all sorts of people complained about it and didn't want to sit near her because she talked all day and talked loud. It was all fixed when a newer employee was moved to sit near her. After about 6 hours of the two sitting next to each other, the newer employee very directly told her that she was loud, and it drove her nuts. The loud one was totally thrown by it, but suddenly started being VERY aware of when she was talking, even business talk on the phone, and spoke much quieter. Fixed the problem for everyone! It was a good reminder that sometimes directly confronting an issue gets it fixed, while politely stewing over it causes a lot of stress but never improves the situation.

[Cootie]

I have a coworker who is retiring at the end of December. She has been counting down for the last two years! It is just about unbearable to listen to her being so giddy every day with a countdown calendar and comments like, "What are you going to do, fire me?", etc.

I like my job and when I retire, I just want to slide out of there and be the opposite of her. Her behavior is distracting for those of us who are working and makes me feel like she must hate her job or something? Plus she gets personal calls constantly and uses work time to order stuff for her house online and talk to businesses that may be selling her something. Yikes! We are public employees, so I take my responsibilities seriously when I am at work.

Plus, her ring tone is loud and is that traditional phone ringing...I hate that one.

Sorry, I had to get that out of my system. I actually like this woman, but this retirement thing and her phone are driving me crazy!

[Gutmutter]

I hear you! Near-retirement can really change a person. The former art teacher, who I really like, had a lot of sick days she hadn't used and wouldn't be reimbursed. She was out more than she was in her last year trying to use them up. A whole slew of subs were in for her, mostly showing movies.

[pikachu]

I have co-workers, too, that have the retirement countdown going on. One of the guys has his in months and it's like two years away.

I think it's pretty stupid to post a countdown to retirement AT YOUR WORKPLACE. It sends the message loud and clear to your boss that you don't want to be there. In this economy, there are plenty of people outside the door who would love to take your place so you shouldn't give the company you work for reason to fulfill your wishes and let you go.

Personally, I think it's wrong to use up your sick days by being almost entirely absent your last few months on the job. Your sick days were there for you in case you needed them so if you don't need them, great! In the meantime, if you're out sick 4 days a week, there's only so much work you can get done the one day you are in the office, and your company can't afford to hire another person to do your job while you're there, they're still having to pay you full-time even though you're not putting in a full week's work. If I have sick days left at the end of the year and lose them, I don't worry about it. I just count my blessings that I hadn't need to use them. And when I retire, if I lose a ton of sick days I never used, that's ok with me.

[captain]

After working for a company for 30-40 years, a person retiring is giddy and ready to leave. A 2 year countdown is a bit much, but the last 6 months no problem. I was paid for my unused sick leave, so I was there until the end. The last couple of months I was not given much to do because I was retiring, so I came in and pretty much played tiddly winks. I have heard that the 2 people that complained about my calendar, started their's last year and still have another year to go.
After you have spent that much time at a company, you will find that you too are doing the same thing. Hang in there the retiree will be gone soon and life will go back to the usual.

[CantGetNuf]

I met my mother in law about 25yrs ago. I still remember one of our first conversations was about her retirement. IN 25 YEARS! I laughed about it. But that woman had a goal in life and it was retirement. She finally made it this year. Someone asked me earlier in the year when she would be retiring and I told them, "Call her. She can tell you to the second."
As much as I made fun of her for it I now find myself thinking, "Only 25 more years until retirement."

[pikachu]

I don't think I'll ever get to retire. I'll have to work until I drop, unless a miracle happens and I come into a lot of money somehow. Sadly, I don't see it happening.