Does your colleague sleep while you pick up their slack, take your precious snacks without asking, or give constant comments on how rough you look? If you ticked any of these boxes, I hate to break it to you, but you may be in the presence of a terrible coworker. While the majority of the workforce tries to get along well with everyone else and avoid being an inconvenience, there is the small part that possesses a unique talent for draining the patience and energy of others.
The Bored Panda team gathered a whole list of such colleagues below to show just how frustrating, irrational, or plain evil people we work with can get. They might even make you appreciate the colleagues you already have, which is definitely a win in our books.
While you’re busy scrolling, don’t forget to check out a conversation with Connie Kurczewski, aesthetic practice consultant and strategic business advisor at Elevated Practice, leadership coach Robina Bhasin at RMB Leadership & Talent Strategy Consulting, and corporate culture and employee relations expert Josh Hart, who kindly agreed to share a few tips on how to deal with difficult colleagues.
#1 My Coworker Uses The Accessible Stall To “Stretch Out Her Legs”
Image source: AbsentmindedAuthor
#2 Boomer Coworker Makes Sexist Comment Then Gets Hurt At My Reply
So, I walk into the break room at work today to fill up my water bottle – well, actually, my partner’s water bottle – because I’m trying to stay hydrated, and I just want to chill for my break. While I’m filling the bottle, this old coworker (like 60-70 years old), who I barely even know, strolls up and says, “Nice bottle, girl,” then snorts at his own lame joke.
I have hearing issues, so I didn’t even catch what he said at first. But this guy decides to tap me on the shoulder and repeat his dusty attempt at humor. I’m confused, so I look at him and ask, “What are you talking about?” He laughs again and says, “Your bottle, that’s a girl’s bottle.”
I ask, “What makes it a girl’s bottle?” And, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world, he replies, “Well, it’s pink.” So, still playing dumb, I say, “It’s actually pink and blue, but why does it being pink make it a girl’s bottle?” By now, his laughing has stopped, and he’s looking at me like I’m clueless. He says, “Well, pink is a girl’s color.”
I hit him back with, “That’s totally subjective. Sure, it’s got pink on it, but it also has blue. Does that cancel out the pink? Also, I’m a man, and I own the bottle, so wouldn’t that make it a man’s bottle?”
He snaps, “It’s still a girl’s bottle.” So I reply, “That’s strange because I own the bottle and use he/him pronouns.” Of course, that sets him off. He starts ranting, “Of course, you and your generation want to rewrite science. No s**t you use those – you’re a guy!”
I just respond calmly, “Then why are you calling me a girl? Seems like you’re the one trying to put a spin on things.” Before he can even get another word in, I screw the cap back on the bottle, turn, and walk out. He’s left standing there, red-faced and muttering to himself, while I’m already out of the door laughing. When in doubt buzzword it out!
Image source: RyGuydarider
#3 Coworker Keeps Avoiding To Pay Me Back After She Conveniently Forgot Her Wallet At Dinner
A few weeks ago I decided to grab some dinner with a coworker. I rarely if ever go out to eat as its so expensive these days but I finally decided to treat myself one night. My coworker ordered appetizers for herself, multiple drinks, a larger 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 keep 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, I feel like such an idiot.
Image source: reveal_time_bfedit
#4 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 can “easily buy another one.”
Image source: CowboyLikeMemes
#5 Coworker Keeps Telling Me That I’m Autistic
Image source: reddit.com
#6 Coworkers Ate All My Chimichangas And Left The Empty Package In The Freezer. I Didn’t Even Have One
Image source: DangeresqueIII
#7 Coworker Thinks I’m A Charity Case
Image source: Maleficent_Dot6954
#8 My Coworker’s Mini-Fridge
My coworker thought that our cleaning lady was responsible for maintaining his mini-fridge, so he never threw away old food, cleaned it, or opened it for months. I went to put something in there for him and the stench knocked me back. Yes, it’s all mold and bug corpses.
Image source: FawltyT0wers
#9 Coworkers Brought Binoculars To Work To Look On Young Beach Goers Today
Image source: good_interiors
#10 Coworker Keeps Inserting Herself In My Personal Life
Image source: spyne98
#11 The Way My Colleague Leaves Their Chair In The Middle Of The Pathway Each Time They Leave Their Desk
Image source: drummerboy2749
#12 My Coworker Eats All My Frozen Breakfast Sandwiches, And Leaves The Empty Box
Image source: reddit.com
#13 It’s Always A Pleasure To Realize That Your Coworkers Don’t Know How To Close A Box Properly… Right When You’re Ready To Go Home
Image source: reddit.com
#14 Started A Timer Right When My Coworker Left For Her 15 Min Break And Stopped It When She Came Back. What Should I Do? It’s Not Fair I Only Take 15 Mins
Image source: Odd-Maintenance-8973
#15 My Coworker Is Constantly Cold And Instead Of Just Turning The AC Down, She Turns The Heat On Until Everyone Is Sweating
Image source: ObiWangKeBloMe
#16 Surprised My Girlfriend With Baked Goods And Flowers Before She Went To Work, And Her Coworkers Ate Them All
Unprompted, straight up just snagged them from her area and ate them.
Image source: Limp_Rent2784
#17 I Keep A Pack Of Gum On My Cubicle At Work. Tried To Grab A Piece And I Discover This… I Hate My Coworkers
Image source: maidafossetta
#18 Coworker Bought Me A Box Of Chocolates For Christmas – One Missing And The Rest Were Mouldy
Image source: umbrellasplash
#19 My Colleague Had To Clean Something And Then Proceeded To Pour The Dirty Water Down The Sink Without Cleaning It
Image source: Dr_Swag_
#20 “Concerned” Coworker Keeps Telling Me I Look Like Sh*t
Image source: sarattaras
#21 Watched My Coworker’s Cats For Two Weeks, We Agreed On A ~$50 LEGO Set As My Payment. All I Got Was A Keychain
Image source: GoatsWithWigs
#22 All Of My Coworkers And Bosses Have Been Calling Me By The Wrong Name For Nearly A Year, Despite Me Telling Them I Dont Like Them Calling Me That
Image source: cherryandfizz
#23 Coworker Spam Called Me 26 Times To Pick Up His Shift For The Course Of 3 Hours… This Was Not The First Time
For context I closed last night so I don’t get out until 2:30am. I woke up to his messages at 4am asking to take his shift at 8am and I thought he would get the hint if i ignored it pretended to be asleep. Apparently not. Coworker has done this many times before (this time somehow managed to find my phone number and email and spam me there). I had to turn off my phone to get a goodnight sleep.
Image source: Homefrynick
#24 I Left My Lunch At My Desk For 10 Minutes And Came Back To This. Pretty Sure My Perpetually Drunk Coworker Is Responsible
Image source: reddit.com
#25 Coworker Getting Paid To Sleep While I Work For 2
Image source: mdk106
#26 My Colleagues Have A “Not My Job” Attitude To Changing The Bins
Image source: TasBlue
#27 Coworker Asked Me If I Got Her Note That A Customers Order Needed Canceled. This Was The Note…
Image source: Skwellington
#28 My Mom Confronted Her Coworker About How She Parked On Top Of Her Car. She’s Claiming Not Only Is There Space Between, But Was “Being Attacked” From Being Confronted And Has Been Bullying Her Since
Her Other Coworker, Who Is Friends With This One, Claims There Is Space Between Too.
Image source: hayhaydavila
#29 Brought This Pie To An Office Potluck. My Coworker Sliced It Like This And Took From The Middle
Image source: Heggers_1
#30 How My Domestic Colleagues Leave The Vacuum And Extension Cable At Work. It Takes Me Nearly 10 Minutes To Untangle It All. I Have Told Them Multiple Times To Put It All Away Tidy
Image source: PeachyFuzz94
#31 Coworker Started A Literal Dumpster Fire
Image source: OkGroup4765
#32 I’ve Been On Medical Leave From Work Since Being Diagnosed With A Rare Form Of Cancer. None Of My Coworkers Have Reached Out To Me At All, Until Just Now
Also, I literally was their “boss”.
Image source: I_Bite_Back
#33 The Printer Can Hold An Entire Ream Of Paper. So Why Don’t My Coworkers Fill The Empty Tray With The Entire Ream Of Paper?
Image source: NapalmBreakfast
#34 I’ve Had This Rubber Band Ball For 6 Years, Carefully Preserving Its Shape By Removing One Band At A Time. I Let A Colleague Borrow It For One Day, And She Destroyed It
Image source: MerMadeMeDoIt
#35 Coworker Decided To Sample Every Doughnut
Image source: reddit.com
#36 My Co Workers Tea Cup, He Refuses To Wash It Because “It’s Perfectly Seasoned” (We Drink Tea With Milk In My Country!!)
Image source: BupidStastard
#37 Coworker Sweetly Left Me A Plant On My Only Chair
Image source: Anchovieee
#38 The Only Toilet This Morning In My Office
Image source: Mr-Nyan
#39 Coworker Ate My Food
This morning a friend bought me breakfast and a fancy coffee, which is a treat, as I am a poor. I kinda had a bum day and wasn’t feeling well so I didn’t eat more than two bites. I taped it closed and wrote my name/date on it, as that’s just what I do with personal items in the work fridge. Anywho, as the day progresses I just feel ho hum so I wrote a message to my boss asking if I could finish my tasks the following day and head out early. They didn’t mind and so I go home and lay down.
Sometimes towards the end of my nap I received a text message from the closer asking if they could eat my food. I replied about 40 mins after the message was received. I feel terrible for being peeved but I was looking forward to having it tomorrow anyway… rant over. There’s no issue really because they offered to replace it but I won’t accept because I know this person struggles financially just as I do…
Image source: PresentationPutrid
#40 My Coworker Always Leaves The Microwave Door Open
Image source: reddit.com
Follow Us
