13 Coworkers From Hell Who Can Push You to the Brink of Sanity

They might not always show up with pitchforks or sinister grins, but these problematic colleagues can make you feel like you’re walking through a personal purgatory at work. From the passive-aggressive emailer who’s never satisfied to the office gossip stirring up toxic rumors, these “coworkers from hell” test your patience, sanity, and sometimes, your very will to succeed.

1.

Our boss once insisted on a secret “team-building adventure” but refused to tell us where we were going. We piled into a cramped van, expecting maybe a ropes course or a nice retreat center. Instead, we ended up at a run-down campsite with no cell service, infested with mosquitoes, and a single, broken Porta-Potty. He proudly announced, “No distractions here!” while we spent the entire weekend swatting bugs, glaring at each other, and listening to him lecture about synergy.

2.

He never showed signs of unhappiness, always seemed cheerful. Then one Monday, his desk was empty, his Slack deactivated, and his emails bounced. Weeks later, we found out he had been working for a rival company for months. He’d just disappeared without notice.

3.

I spent weeks training her, teaching her shortcuts, and even staying late to help her with tasks. She acted grateful, even calling me her “mentor.” Then one day, HR called me in. Turns out, she filed a complaint against me, claiming I was unhelpful and “created a hostile environment.”

4.

Everywhere you turned, he had left a sticky note complaining about something—the fridge, the printer, or even how loudly someone typed. One morning, someone stuck a note on his desk: “Maybe try talking instead?” He spent the rest of the day sulking and didn’t write another note for weeks.

5.

The boss claimed to have an “open-door policy,” encouraging us to share concerns anytime. When a colleague finally mustered up the courage to discuss workload issues, he called an all-hands meeting and publicly shamed her for “complaining.” Then he glared at the rest of us, daring anyone else to speak up. After that, his open door felt more like a trap door waiting to plunge you into humiliation.

6.

He would print massive documents at the worst times, jamming up the machine for hours. Once, someone needed to print an urgent report and had to wait forever. The next day, IT moved the printer to another floor, forcing him to walk every time. He was furious, but everyone else was relieved.

7.

He turned everything into a contest, even who could finish their coffee first. One day, while rushing to beat me to the breakroom, he tripped over a chair. I didn’t laugh out loud, but I couldn’t hide my smirk. He avoided racing me for a few weeks after that.

8.

Anonymous emails began circulating, criticizing team members and stirring up drama. IT traced it back to an intern who thought they were clever. The intern was actually the CEO’s nephew, and instead of being fired, they were “reassigned to a learning role.”

9.

My coworker, who’s usually the office nightmare, handed me a beautifully wrapped box on Christmas Eve. I assumed it was a cheap prank. But when I opened it, there lay a pricey smartwatch engraved with our boss’s initials. Certain she’d stolen it from his office, and I kicked up a huge fuss, accusing her outright. It caused a scandal.

But then the truth came out: the watch was actually part of a special holiday gift exchange set up by the boss himself. I ended up looking completely ridiculous for jumping to conclusions while she just leaned back, grinning, and sipped her hot cocoa.

10.

We had a guy who loved to “whisper” gossip—except his version of whispering was basically stage-whispering across the room. He’d say things like, “I heard Mike might be fired!” and then Mike, sitting just a few feet away, would give him a glare that could melt steel. When I finally asked him to tone it down, he feigned innocence: “I’m just quietly sharing updates!”

One day, he “quietly” revealed that the boss was going on vacation early. The boss, who was two seats behind him, stood up and said, “Actually, I’m right here.” He turned beet red while the rest of us tried not to laugh.

11.

Our break room had a simple coffee rule: whoever finishes the pot starts a new one. One coworker ignored this and always took the last cup, leaving an empty pot behind. When I finally called her out on it, she acted shocked: “Oh, I thought we had a coffee fairy who refilled it!” The following week, we printed a giant sign that read “NO FAIRIES HERE—MAKE A NEW POT.” She sulked for days, complaining that we were “too strict” about coffee etiquette.

12.

Whenever someone planned a vacation, this person would undermine it: “Oh, Hawaii? It’s too humid.” “Paris? Overrated.” But when they finally announced their own trip—a weekend in a cheap roadside motel—they bragged as if it were the Bahamas.

Upon return, they complained about the “overly friendly staff” and “too-soft pillows.” We just nodded, suppressing laughter, thankful for at least a few days of peace while they were gone.

13.

One morning, the boss waltzed in cradling a glass terrarium holding a gigantic tarantula, announcing we’d “build trust as a team” by each caring for it at our desk for one hour. We shrank back in horror, but he insisted. Then, halfway through my shift, I noticed the spider was fake—just a realistic Halloween prop.

Before I could call him out, he said, “Those who pretended to be brave get a bonus. Those who screamed fail the trust test.” The next day, we found him feeding the fake spider imaginary crickets, maintaining his ruse as if nothing happened.

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