People who bother you at work

I retired.

People aren't just truthful. It's just work - get your work done, get paid, live your life. There is no reason for drama, or two-faced antics, etc. There's no need to be rude, but you can also be direct and let's just get shit done.

Unless they try to take your place R2!! Then they can get shanked!

I had a couple women who bothered me every day of the week. One's office was across the hall. She is an old woman with poor grooming skills and an abrasive manner of interaction, so people she pissed off steer clear of her. Since she could see me in my office, she always stepped into my office to say something insulting. I let it continue for years until I snapped and at her. On the one hand, I felt bad for her having to work well into her 70s (due to her own poor retirement planning). On the other hand, she was so sour and mean.

Another colleague barged into my office every day around 11, heated her fish leftovers in my office's microwave, then ate at the small table in my office, open mouthed, bits of food falling out while she chewed and talked simultaneously. People called her "Pigpen" or "Prof. Peepers," a reference to a Chris Kattan skit on SNL. She asked for an espresso before going off to her afternoon meetings around 1:30. My boss repeatedly expressed gratitude in hosting this difficult colleague for lunch four days a week, since everybody else had already banned her from their spaces. Always along the line of "thanks for taking one for the team."

COVID caused work from home for a long time and during the remote work period, she finally retired at age 70. She still texts every other day to bitch about somebody or another, but I get to reply or not at my own pace. My offices moved to another floor last year, so the first one is no longer across the hall. I heard that she was invited not to come back to somebody else's office already.

I am approaching 30 years at my employer and have grown wary of uninvited intruders. My new office is down a private hallway past the offices of two of my subordinates, so I know when somebody is coming my way. These days I keep my head pointed at my computer monitor and ask "How can I help you?" without looking up. So far, it has worked wonders.

When prolonged disruption is unavoidable, I have found the following effective in cutting it shorter: "So what exactly would you like to happen?" Works every time.

My job depresses the hell out of me.

When someone would come to me with a complaint, I would ask, "What is your solution to that problem?"

If their solution was reasonable, I would tell them "Sounds good, go do it" If they had no solution I would say "Figure one out"

If their solution was unreasonable, I would ask "How well do you think that would work"

Saved me a ton of headaches, you will find people do a lot less complaining if they are the ones who have to come up with a solution and make their solution work.

R7 What if they find a solution but that's the problem? The authority to find such solutions is suspect and the last time they did it as a team it was undermined.

R4 I am also approaching 30 years at my workplace and I laugh at all the new people that come on board and make "suggestions". Did they think no one ever thought of these things before? Was I sitting here with my fingers up my ass the last 3 years? God bless them. I just say have at it. I hope you have better luck than I did.

Avoid them to whatever extent you can and keep collecting your paycheck.

Strengthen your relationships with people outside of work and don’t focus too much energy on your coworkers.

That’s what has helped me.

Tell them to fuck off.

Thank you R10. You're right.

You can't have human emotions and win at work. Fake smile. Fake everything. Then retire. Everyone sucks and will throw you under a bus at any point. I am did pretty well in corporate America and my ONE piece of advice to friends and family is .. don't trust anyone. Ever. EVER.

[quote] she finally retired at age 70. She still texts every other day to bitch about somebody or another, but I get to reply or not at my own pace.

[quote] I am approaching 30 years at my employer and have grown wary of uninvited intruders. My new office is down a private hallway past the offices of two of my subordinates ... These days I keep my head pointed at my computer monitor and ask "How can I help you?" without looking up. So far, it has worked wonders.

You have time to respond (yes, at your own pace) to a retired person who "bothered [you] every day of the week.

Are these your subordinates who you refuse to look at - staring at your monitor, instead?

Of course not.

FUCKING EVERYONE BUGS ME AT WORK!

Well, I like the mailman.

Ignore them as much as possible and subtly torture them if I really hate them. Generally though, I like most of my coworkers.

R17 they're not worth it. I made a voodoo doll of them and threw it in the dumpster. Forgive and forget as I always say!

One coworker cannot talk in a normal tone of voice. She screams everything. I sit across from her and she gives me headaches. Even a greeting is a high pitched screech. I try to be friendly but today slid down in my chair and put on headphones. I am too old for open offices. I yearn for an office with a desk and a door.

My boss low key doesn’t believe in public schools. She’s never been vocal but you can read between the lines. Also fairly naive. I’d post a link to the new story that made her get a divorce but I’ll take the high road.

News*

I got revenge on my horrible coworker and left no fingerprints.

"Carol" was religious, close to openly homophobic, and bitter. She was also a senior designer and had a junior designer named "Mike" who was a truly sweet guy.

She went nuts when I was promoted and became her boss, speaking to me only when absolutely necessary. I pretended to ignore it and developed a good relationship with Mike.

It came to a head when she barged into my office and informed me that she would be "out" for two prime summer vacation weeks. I checked the schedule and found that I'd already approved those dates for Mike's vacation, so I told her it was impossible. She went nuts and said I'd always hated her (it turned out she was taking her family to Disney and had already bought tickets, airfare, etc. and they were nonrefundable). I told her that was a stupid thing to have done before checking. She complained to the highest levels of corporate and they told her she was in the wrong.

Six months later: downsizing. The president of the company flew down, and among his cutbacks was the elimination of a designer position. I praised her work, but was effusive on how Mike had grown in the job. He obviously wanted to get rid of the more expensive person, so I "reluctantly" allowed myself to be persuaded and said it was sad to lose such a talented designer as Carol, but Mike deserved a shot.

At her firing, she exploded and told the president of the company I hated her from day one, was always trying to sabotage her, etc. He looked at her in astonishment and said, "He's only said good things about you, Carol."

During her last week I caught her at the copy machine and told her how sad I was she was leaving. She looked at me with pure hatred and said, "The Lord will take care of me."

Bye, Carol!

^ Well played.

R22 Carol had is coming.I bet she pulled that kind of shit all the time. Beat it, Carol.

They say you're supposed to get along with your coworkers because no matter what, wherever you go, there will always be one.

People who chit chat are the worst. "What'd you do this weekend?" Excuse me? We are coworkers, not friends. How may I help you?

Oh also people who are late for meetings - virtual or otherwise. If the meeting starts at 9:00, you need to be settled by 8:58. This isn't middle school.

A great policy for me is to say “I don’t discuss straight people shit.”

After that, we focus on the reason we’re getting paid.

I pretend to be deaf.

An obnoxious lesbian coworker was once droning on and on about her children. I finally interrupted her and said “LISTEN. I don’t care about children. It’s not interesting to me. I can’t listen to this.”

She looked stunned but said “uh ok” and switched lanes and started droning on about something else.

I just couldn’t do it anymore. It was nonsense about the minutia of their scheduling and her in-laws etc etc etc. And I felt the rage bubbling up at having to engage with her and just blurted that out.

I always befriend the bitches in any workplace

r10 is right. Only interact with them when absolutely necessary and keep it professional. I know it's hard to maintain a professional facade when the person is an obnoxious asshole (I've been in that situation a number of times in my working life) but you just have to do it. Keep things work-related and don't share too much about your personal life.

No matter what kind of work you do or where you work there are going to be co-workers you just don't like. Sometimes you'll have co-workers you absolutely cannot stand. That's just a part of life and it happens to everyone.

Manager and one-ups who never do any work, sit around and chit chat, take personal calls and look for superfluous special events or decorating projects to plan or make themselves look good. Does no real work but takes credit. Bugs me for obvious reasons; just try to steer clear so I can get MY work done but keep busy enough not to be handed anything.

Constant complainers: like the suggestion above. We get a lot of things no one else wants to deal with being an administrative office, and everyone expects administration to fix everything. The problem is a lot of the administrators are clueless just as much as the next person. I have to draw the line when it's something like EVS or facility maintenance on their floor. They have a phone and a computer just like we do. No magic in calling.

If there is a bitch on-site, I am always thick with them since I’m a bitch.