Oddest Co-Worker Complaints

I am registered with Talent Revolt – split fee recruiter network – and read with joy this list of ‘co-worker concerns’ in their latest newsletter, taken from a survey conducted by CareerBuilder. I wanted to be able to share this with you on the basis that I am sure you’ve worked with someone who annoys you – whether that be on a daily, weekly or hourly basis!! My pet hate is whistling – cant bear it, I also worked with someone once who used to grind their teeth – aaarrgghh!! Not sure I would make a complaint though.

According to a survey by CareerBuilder where HR managers listed complaints as varied as co-workers being ‘too sun tanned’ to the employee ‘breathing too loudly’! The survey of 2,600 HR managers in the US listed a wide variety of concerns including;

• Employee has big hair.
• Employee eats all the good cookies.
• Employee is so polite, it’s infuriating.
• Employee suspected co-worker is a pimp.
• Employee is trying to poison me.
• Employee’s body is magnetic and keeps de-activating my magnetic access card.
• Employee was annoyed the company didn’t provide a place for naps during break time.
• Employee only wears slippers or socks at work.
• Employee’s aura is wrong.
• Employee smells like road ramps.
• Employee breathes too loudly.
• 8:00 a.m. is too early to get up for work.
• Employee wore pyjamas to work.
• Co-worker reminded the employee too much of Bambi.
• Employee spends too much time caring for stray cats around the building.
• A male employee keeps using the ladies’ room because the men’s room is not as tidy.

Lots of laughs! Read what CareerBuilder have put together as the Top 10 Most Annoying Colleague habits: http://www.careerbuilder.co.uk/Article/CB-207-Workplace-Issues-10-Most-Annoying-Colleague-Habits/

It’s a PIG of an excuse

Has it ever crossed your mind to fake swine flu just as an excuse to not go to work???

You would have to be living on Mars over the last 4 months to have avoided hearing about swine flu. With confirmed cases stretching from New Zealand to Iceland the chances of catching the virus seem high. Now most of us sensible, reliable beings would just hope not to contract it and go by our daily business with extra vigilance when it comes to cleanliness. Sneeze into a tissue, throw it away and clean your hands. Heaven a five year old child can master the basics!

However a recent survey by employment law firm Peninsula Ireland reported that employees have been calling in sick claiming that they are showing signs/symptoms of swine flu, but that bosses are all too aware that they are faking. Whilst most employers are resigned to fact that a small percentage of their workforce will actually contract swine flu, it is also considered as a given that a number of employees will pretend to have caught the virus.

The difficulty lies in where to draw the line and who to believe, with doctors now asking patients not to visit the surgery in an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus, without an actual swab to confirm someone has swine flu – it is a bandwagon that some less conscientious employees will jump on! Is it a coincidence that the highest jump in cases of Swine Flu came the week that the NHS website went live and you could diagnose yourself without a visit to the doctors?

If you see swine flu as an excuse to call in sick – think again, your employers will be onto you and with many already struggling to keep their heads above water during these tough economic times – if you’ve faked it just to have a few days off, you may face strict disciplinary action & ultimately lose your job! The virus can’t be caught twice so what happens if you really contract the illness – how are going to explain that?

Michelle Heywood