18 Types of Annoying Co-Workers You Might Want to Avoid

In an office, different types of people have to coexist with each other. Some of them can become your close friends, while others will stay at the level of “hello” and “goodbye” with you. And this is normal, because we are all different, and we all have our own habits and outlooks on life. You can’t please everyone, but if you know how to avoid conflicts with some of your difficult colleagues, you can be called a professional person who can work under pressure.

At Bright Side, we found the most annoying types of employees and illustrated them. We also backed up this information with the opinions of psychologists and recruiters.

A schemer

A typical schemer is flattering, helpful, and seemingly friendly. This type of person inspires confidence, skillfully manipulates others for their own personal benefit, and speculates with the information received. Often, this person collects gossip and talks about other colleagues.

A conservative

An employee like this is always against any innovations in the office, department, or the company as a whole. And if their direct responsibilities are involved, this person will grumble and protest. A conservative takes new information and new rules with difficulty, so you won’t see this person among those who want to upgrade their skills.

A fed-up one

You might often hear them say, “That’s not my job,” “Why should I do this?,” or “I’m not paid for this,” etc. That attitude destroys the overall performance because it quickly turns what might have been a cohesive team into a dysfunctional group of individuals. An employee of this type will never do anything beyond the norm or a little more than what is required of them. Another disadvantage is that they demotivate the other employees with their eternal discontent.

The smartest one

Usually, they boast about the fact that they are the “oldest” employees at the company. The self-esteem of these people is usually very high because, according to them, almost the entire board of directors once passed through their professional hands. They truly believe they are the most important and intelligent workers, and that everyone should take their opinion into account, because they know exactly what is best.

A typical miser and freeloader

You can easily recognize this type. They are the ones who never give money for other people’s birthdays, but they are always happy to treat themselves with free delicacies and drinks.

An eternal victim

The working day has just begun, but this type of co-worker is already tired. They almost never tell you good news, but they are ready to whine about their problems at work and in their personal life all the time. They bring only negative energy to the team. If talking with this kind of person makes you want to cry, this means their goal has been achieved.

A manipulator

If someone compliments you and then immediately asks you to help, you’ve just met a manipulator. They manipulate other people for their benefit only. If you feel emotional pressure or you feel like you are doing someone else’s job, you are most likely being manipulated. The presence of this kind of person in the team leads to a nervous environment, conflict, and intrigue that distracts people’s attention and energy from their work.

The one dependent on the weather

On every team, there is always an employee who always feels cold, when the others feel hot, and vice versa. In fact, it’s okay to feel different from others, but often these colleagues become extremely intolerant of other workers if their temperature preferences are not respected.

A jester

A typical jester is someone who wants to make everyone laugh. They might make a silly remark or interrupt a conversation with a joke that was prepared in advance for similar situations. They may seem friendly because they easily find common ground with everyone. But if you look closely, you will see that their efficiency at work is close to zero. The only thing they do is laugh, talk, drink tea, etc.

A parasite

They don’t mind using their colleagues for their own personal benefit, but unlike a typical manipulator, they do this to save money, time, and resources. For example, they often ask for a lift, using friendship as an argument to get what they want. Over time, their requests become more frequent, and the favors people do for them are taken for granted.

An arrogant one

This is the one who likes to break personal boundaries. They enter without knocking, open the drawers of their colleagues without hesitation, or sit down next to a colleague who is talking on the phone at lunch.

Everyone deserves respect from both their colleagues and their superiors. Personal boundaries help us to feel well physically and mentally at work and at home. They also help employees be more productive and enjoy the working process.

A lazy one

This is a person who will shamelessly shirk their duties while the entire team is working hard. This employee is lazy, passive, silent at meetings, bereft of new ideas, and avoidant of any work possible. Often, their colleagues sincerely don’t understand how these people can still manage to stay employed by the company and why they are allowed to do nothing.

A narcissist

This type prefers to work independently, considers themselves smarter than others, and often underestimates their colleagues. They think of themselves as the most diligent, they love to do everything in their own way, and they put their own needs before those of the team and the company. As a result, they can divide colleagues and reduce the productivity of the team.

A critic

They criticize everything they see, and not necessarily only work-related topics. This person is impossible to please, and they will criticize your ideas, your suggestions, your choice of food, and even your look. At the same time, these toxic colleagues won’t allow themselves to be criticized because they are sure that they are always right.

A time stealer

It’s really hard to work with this kind of a colleague. Not only they are too lazy to do their job well, but they also distract you with conversations, gossip, silly requests, and stories about their life. Alas, when you dedicate some of your time to this kind of employee, you can’t get your own job done.

An inspector

This type constantly controls every step, every little thing, and every piece of paper done by their colleagues. The fact is that this type of co-worker never feels confident and safe enough to delegate even a small part of their responsibilities to others.

A procrastinator

A typical procrastinator continually postpones their work and tasks. They don’t care that today is the last day of the month, and that their report hasn’t been submitted yet. Alas, their inability to finish their work on time can bring problems to the entire department they work in.

An emergency person

This type is always ready to leave the office early and put some of their work on their colleagues. And they always have some incredible story to explain their request. For example, they have to urgently leave because their child has a performance they need to attend in just one hour, or they have to run to the dentist because of sudden tooth pain, or they have an appointment at the vet for their sick hamster, and so on.

Do you have similar co-workers in your office? Describe them in the comments below.