15 Times Coworkers Proved They’re Harder to Work With Than the Job Itself

People
3 hours ago

In every workplace, there are challenges that extend far beyond the tasks on our to-do lists. While deadlines and project hurdles are part of the everyday grind, sometimes it’s the dynamics between colleagues that truly test our patience. In this article, we explore 15 unforgettable moments when coworkers proved to be more challenging than the job itself.

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  • I was working at my desk when I noticed an absolutely foul odor. I tried to ignore it, but it got so overwhelming, that I took off my headset and quietly asked “Did someone microwave fish?” I heard my coworker mumble something and asked her to repeat herself. She said, “Yeah, it was me. Don’t food-shame me or, I’ll go to HR.” That pissed me off, but what really made it infuriating was that we have a MASSIVE café downstairs that she could’ve used to heat up her food. Instead, she chose to heat it up in our communal kitchen space and stink up the whole office floor. The fact that she was so comfortable threatening to go to HR is beyond me. © Runaway_S** / Reddit

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  • I let my colleague borrow my laptop charger for a meeting. This is how he returned it. When I mentioned it to him, he told me it was “clearly an accident” and said I could “easily buy another one.” © CowboyLikeMemes / Reddit

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  • I’m almost 35 weeks pregnant and one of my coworkers who sits directly in front of me has been hacking out a lung all week. No mask, doesn’t cover their mouth and has only seemed to get worse. I suggested, ’’Hey maybe you should go home.’’ Nope, here every day. I don’t get these people. I’m about to go lock myself in a conference room. © kimberlyrose616 / Reddit

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  • A few weeks ago, I decided to grab some dinner with a coworker. I rarely, if ever, go out to eat as it’s so expensive these days but I finally decided to treat myself one night. My coworker ordered appetizers for herself, multiple drinks, a large dinner and even dessert. When it came time to pay, we were each going to just pay for our food, but she conveniently forgot her wallet and just kinda sat there staring at me. I’m an awkward person and I really didn’t want to even cover her food in the moment because it was more than I could even afford but it was such a weird situation, and she promised to pay me back so to just end the evening I covered her bill expecting to get reimbursed. Now that was weeks ago, and she keeps posting on Insta and Snapchat about going out to fancy restaurants or weekend trips, but she always has an excuse when I ask to be paid back. I BARELY make a livable wage and being in the red because of her has caused me so much anxiety. © reveal_time_bfedit / Reddit

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  • My colleague reuses his coffee mug every day without washing it. This has been unwashed for months. © Cactijackti / Reddit

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  • Our team works both from home and the office and uses a busy Teams chat. Lately, our main software has been acting up due to a recent VPN change. A few days ago, Alex reported an error in the chat. I suggested she restart the service via the menu, and she acknowledged with a thumbs up. Three hours later, Alex posted that she had to go onsite and get IT involved to fix the issue — but now she was advising everyone that the fix was simply to restart the service. Since then, six other team members have experienced the same problem and thanked her for the solution. I can’t help but feel a little annoyed every time she receives another thank you! © Pretzelmamma / Reddit

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  • Last year, when my 14-year-old dog was passing away, I was visibly distraught and begged a colleague to let me leave early. Though my colleague reassured me, a week later my supervisor scolded me for leaving her alone at work. I nearly walked out in frustration, and my supervisor ended up apologizing.
    Shortly after, I was transferred to another branch — later learning it was because that colleague reported me to the boss right after I left. In the end, the move brought positive changes, but I still find it upsetting how things unfolded. © leaperdaemonking / Reddit

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  • Boss wasn’t paying attention and sat on my desk while talking to a coworker… © NeohWise / Reddit

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  • I (39m) work in receiving at a farm/country retailer (think Coastal Tool & Supply or Big-R) and had a coworker call in the other day telling us they (18f) wouldn’t be able to make it in because she was leaving for Vegas. She called us from the car on the way to the airport and said that she “forgot” to mention it sooner. Then she said “It’s only 2 weeks; it’s not like I’m quitting.”
    © Crimpydan / Reddit

Sometimes, minor workplace issues spiral out of control. That’s exactly what happened to another person who made a simple request to a colleague — before he knew it, the whole office was involved.

Preview photo credit reveal_time_bfedit / Reddit

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