Office politics gone too far

Published on

8 June 2026

A police officer in the US was arrested after allegedly pointing his firearm at a co-worker for heating a fish sandwich in their office’s communal microwave. It got us thinking about some of the pet peeves you have in your workplace.

The 5 Biggest Office Pet Peeves

As more people return to the office, workplace annoyances are creeping back in. A survey of 1,000 employees found nearly 1 in 5 say bad office habits seriously hurt productivity.

1. Stealing food from the fridge

97% of workers say this is the worst offender.

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2.Loud personal calls

Nearly 96% find loud calls frustrating.

Jim Carrey Yelling GIFfrom Jim Carrey GIFs

3. Interrupting others

Around 95% say this drives them crazy.

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4. Noisy eating

Also annoys 95% of workers.

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5. Personal space invaders

Hovering coworkers and close talkers round out the top complaints.

Over The Shoulder GIFfrom Loud House Series GIFs

Phil de Lange

Phil de Lange is the producer of the Ryan O'Connor Breakfast show and has been with Smile 90.4FM since it's inception in 2013. Through his work on the breakfast show he has won two national radio awards. He has been in broadcasting for 15 years and has honed his talent at 6 different radio stations. Outside of radio he is also a podcast producer and award winning stand-up comedian.