how to handle 7 cringeworthy coworker situations

by Alison Green on October 12, 2011

As my mail often demonstrates, work is full of awkward situations with your colleagues:  the smelly coworker … the chronic cougher … the revealing dresser … and so many more.

Over at the Intuit QuickBase blog today, I talk about how to handle seven of these cringeworthy situations. Please check it out and leave your own thoughts in the comments over there.

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{ 12 comments }

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  1. anon-2*

    Nice picture! I’ve worked with a few people like that in my day.

    I think they drank vinegar every morning instead of orange juice.

      1. Anon.*

        I love these type of posts! Keep doing them please. And I’m glad to see that you get paid for your advice on various other sites and appreciate that you share them here. Oft times going to these other sites have led me to other resources/books/blogs/etc.

        Thanks! I think you rock!

  3. Anonymous*

    I would like to add a coworker type who walks over everyone, including the boss. My coworker has the managers wrapped around her pretty little finger. She gets to work when she wants by dictating a schedule, and then she decides to take off those times to do social things with her friends and family (or if family needs her to be there for certain things). So guess who gets to do her work? Me! Yay! *sarcasm* I don’t know how you would categorize that, but it should definitely be added to your list.

  4. Nikko*

    I would also like to add a coworker type that is too weird who talks out of the blue topics. That is very annoying like talking about foods and stuff and he will brag about something dirty he did. I don’t know where to categorize one of those type of people, they are just too weird for me.

  5. Anonymous*

    “The problem: Your assistant’s outfits reveal far more of her than you’re comfortable seeing.”

    I think it’s interesting )and frankly somewhat sexist) that you assume that only assistants dress inappropriately or in a revealing manner. I’m wiling to concede that it’s pretty hard for men to dress in a revealing way (other than too tight pants maybe) but anyone in the office can wear something skimpy, not just an assistant. In my office, our past communications MANAGER was the one wearing the low tops, not her assistant. And frankly, it would be a harder problem to address if it was your manager.

    1. Ask a Manager* Post author

      I don’t assume that only assistants dress in a revealing manner. But if it’s your boss who’s doing it, there’s nothing you can say about it. If it’s your assistant, you have a professional obligation to address it.

  6. my*

    My coworker above me lied to my boss about my job performance helping in her position when she was out..she has been rude to me since our boss told her to train me to do her job for when she is out

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