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.

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.

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

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.

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