Some of the items on London-based Opinium research’s Top 10 list of office annoyances make perfect sense.
Take, for example, the top vote getter: grumpy or moody colleagues (37%). Sure, no one like a sourpuss.
In second place, slow computers (36%). OK, we get that one, too.
But “too much health and safety in the work place” comes in at No. 6. (16%). The same percentage of people surveyed chose “poor toilet etiquette” and “people not turning up for meetings on time or at all.”
Too much safety: Really?
Maybe it’s because health was lumped in there with safety. While we’ll support the idea that employee health is important, perhaps the recent focus on wellness programs has turned some people off.
It’s possible the person who requested healthy snacks in the vending machine has become one of the most unpopular people in the office.
Also, it might be a good idea not to ask safety trainees to “think outside the box” or to “drill down to a more granular level.”
Those two phrases appear on a companion list of most annoying office jargon.
Here are both complete lists:
Top 10 office annoyances:
1. Grumpy or moody colleagues (37%)
2. Slow computers (36%)
3. Small talk/gossip in the office (19%)
4. The use of office jargon or management-speak (18%)
5. People speaking loudly on the phone (18%)
6. Too much health and safety in the work place (16%)
7. Poor toilet etiquette (16%)
8. People not turning up for meetings on time or at all (16%)
9. People not tidying up after themselves in the kitchen (15%)
10.Too cold/cold air conditioning (15%).
The most annoying jargon:
1. Thinking outside the box (21%)
2. Let’s touch base (20%)
3. Blue sky thinking (19%)
4. Blamestorming (16%) (sitting down and working out whose fault something is)
5. Drill down to a more granular level (15%) (look into something in more detail)
6. Let’s not throw pies in the dark (15%) (we need a plan rather than a haphazard approach)
7. I’ve got that on my radar (13%)
8. Push the envelope (12%)
9. Bring your A-game (11%) (be ready to do something to best of ability)
10. Get all your ducks in a row (11%).
So, workers find safety annoying? Turnabout is fair play.
As a safety pro, what habits do you find most annoying about workers? Let us know in the Comments Box below. We’ll tabulate your thoughts and feature them in a future post.
