The 10 worst workplace habits

ACCA

Have you ever wondered if what you do every day annoys your colleagues? We reveal the top 10 worst workplace habits as voted for by professional managers and business psychologists.

1. Excuses

‘I meant to do it but didn’t get round to it.’ Sounds familiar? If you always make excuses for the things you haven’t done, no wonder your managers are losing patience with you. The participants in our poll found this habit more offensive than all the others combined.

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2. Procrastination

Putting tasks off until the last minute spells disaster. You risk encountering unexpected obstacles, missing deadlines and leaving your manager wondering why you did not plan for any last-minute emergencies. You are not popular with your colleagues, either, when they have to step in to bail you out.

3. Poor hygiene and appearance

Bodily smells are a complete no-no, as are egg sandwiches eaten at your desk and the ‘aroma’ of smoke wafting back into the room after that quick cigarette break. The way you dress should not deviate too much from what others wear either. ‘This prevents people from accepting you as one of them,’ says Hannah Mcnamara, managing director of HRM coaching and author of 10 Ways to Sabotage Your Own Career.

4. Abusing the internet

According to recent research by MyJobgroup, nearly 30% of us access Facebook and other social media during company time. Be careful – many employers use software that logs all the web pages you access.

5. Negative attitude

‘My manager is a nightmare.’ ‘The air-con is too cold.’ ‘No one appreciates me.’ Your incessant moaning brings others down, so your colleagues start avoiding you. ‘Seeing the world from the “glass is half empty” perspective and negative talk are like a virus – you contaminate others,’ says Seven Suphi, behavioural change specialist and author of Authentic Catalyst. ‘And, if your employer needs to let people go, the whinger usually goes first,’ adds Denise Taylor.

6. Being too familiar

At work, do you gossip, flirt, tell rude jokes and forward silly emails? If so, you’re damaging your professional image, says Mcnamara. ‘They give the impression that you’re indiscreet and not focused on your job.’

7. Lack of courtesy

Not returning phone calls, not responding to emails, not saying ‘thank you’, ‘please’ and ‘sorry’. Need we say more?

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8. Badmouthing

With Facebook, Twitter and other social sites, it has never been easier to openly vent our frustrations. But the internet is a public domain and what might be considered private rants have a way of finding their way back to all the ‘wrong’ people. ‘Most companies receive Google-type alerts when a comment linked to their name is posted on the net,’ says Taylor.

9. Turning up sick

Suffering from a bad cold, you barely have the energy to wipe your runny nose, let alone put in a good day’s work. So why do you insist on going in to work and passing on your germs?

10. Poor email etiquette

It is considered rude to type in capitals. Then there is the poor spelling and grammar – as if the immediacy of the medium negates the need to remain professional. Sending a message without double-checking the recipients can backfire too. One day you accidentally ‘reply to all’ and the whole company receives the silly note you only intended for your friend.

First published in ACCA’s Student Accountant Magazine