A new poll has highlighted another benefit of virtual offices – being able to avoid the annoying habits of your co-workers.
Research conducted by DealJungle.com has shed light on some of the most irritating behaviours in London office space, with employees asked to nominate their pet hates.
The poll revealed that nose picking is the UK’s most irritating office habit, with 28 per cent of respondents identifying this as the most anti-social behaviour.
Biting nails came second, with 21 per cent of the vote, while 17 per cent of survey respondents complained about body odour.
Next on the list was colleagues who clear their throats at their desks, which received ten per cent of the vote.
The same percentage of people complained about their co-workers bringing smelly food into the office.
Other complaints were raised about annoying laughs (four per cent), slurping tea and coffee (four per cent) and breaking wind (three per cent).
Two per cent of workers said having colleagues stare at their chest was annoying, while one per cent moaned about people applying make-up at their desks.
“Picking your nose and biting your nails are common habits, but it’s surprising that workers are so blatant in carrying these habits into the workplace,” said a spokesperson for DealJungle.com.
“Body odour isn’t so much a habit as something offensive, especially if you’re in close proximity to colleagues or sat in a stuffy meeting room all day.”
Surprisingly, in a recent study conducted by Wall Street Journal and the iOpener Institute, UK employees were identified as being some of the happiest in the world.
The contribution, conviction, culture, commitment and confidence of staff across 30 sectors and 80 countries was measured, with British firms coming near the top – even with all the annoying employee habits.
