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Are your co-workers killing you?

LEON GETTLER OPINION:

You may deal with all types at work, but those irritating co-workers who drive you crazy might even be killing you.

According to this Israeli study, your chances of surviving is higher if you work with people you actually like, while the risk of premature death is reduced for people who report high levels of social support at their job.

The study also had some bad news for women in management roles.

According to the researchers, higher levels of control and decision making that come with working as a manager actually increased the risk of early death for women.

With men, it went the other way, but one assumes much of that fits in with the pressures of having to work with people who are not that supportive lower down the food chain.

Here’s a list of some of the most annoying habits our co-workers may demonstrate.

It includes flogging stuff for their children like lollies and chocolates, brown-nosers who are forever sucking up to the boss, people who fill the office with the stench from lunches eaten at the desk, loud mouths who broadcast their conversations all over the office, and the ones who have annoying mobile phone ring tones (especially those that leave their phones sitting on their desk while they’re off doing something else).

Those who smelled like ash trays and the people with annoying nervous habits like forever clicking their pens also got a mention.

According to HR reporter, other annoying habits include sloppy work, gossiping or engaging in office politics, missing deadlines, being constantly late, and presenting others’ ideas as your own.

Then there are the ones who keep interrupting conversations, who eavesdrop when you’re talking to someone or who suddenly have too much work to do when there is a crisis and everyone has to pitch in.

Add to that, the know it all, the attention seeker, the microwave monopolisers, and the people who talk your ear off.

Then there are the ones who spend all their time updating their status on Facebook or tweeting some inanity. And don’t forget those who yell across cubicles and the people who keep coming in to work when they’re sick, spreading their disease.

This is a long list, and office relationships seem to be under more strain than ever before as open plan offices  become the norm and people put in longer hours.

So how do we deal with these problems?  Some experts suggest talking it through or, if that fails, putting on a set of headphones to drown it out. You might also ask your boss for help, or establish some sort of paper trail.

Wallace Immen at Canada’s Globe and Mail, recommends being patient and only raising it as an issue if the problem persists, choosing your words carefully (“you mightn’t be aware of this but….”), or asking for a desk relocation. He says you shouldn’t hold grudges, assume its a deliberate, or raise it with them when you are angry.

– BusinessDay.com.au