People Are Opening Up About Their Coworkers From Hell, And These 40 Stories Are Horrifying

The fact of the matter is that it’s very unlikely that you’ll like everyone at your company or even your department. Most likely, you’ll have a few folks you get along with fairly well or who inspire you, a whole bunch of people you’re neutral toward, and then a handful of individuals you would love to see quit.

They might be lazy, arrogant, or disrespectful. Or they might actively harass you or try to get you fired. Whatever the case might be, you need to solve the issue. Of course, you could always grow a thicker skin and ignore their attempts to sabotage your career, acting all zen-like. But it’s probably worth getting them to change their behavior or to tackle your mutual issues and find some sort of way to coexist, as professionals.

"My post was inspired by a composite of people over the years," the author of the thread shared with Bored Panda. They told us that they once had a manager who was probably the worst person they ever worked with.

They said that the manager "would scream at people and threaten them over the phone, all while taking no accountability for his shortcomings."

"In addition, I was inspired by some of the posts on r/antiwork and r/recruitinghell," the OP said that the term 'insufferable jerk' fits nicely with not only their personal experience but also that of others.

We were curious to get the author's thoughts on healthy workplace environments. They highlighted the importance of establishing a clear framework of rules and having all the most important policies in writing.

"Within that framework, managers should assess the talents of their workers to achieve the goal of the company, be it growth, employee retention, or making money," the author of the thread noted that it's very likely that all of these factors are going to be priorities.

"Companies need to realize that people excelling by exercising discovered talents on the job is good for the bottom line and prevents burnout. Micromanagement produces stress and anxiety," they warned.

According to the OP, being a good coworker "is simple." From their perspective, quality colleagues will be punctual, show up on time, and keep gossip to a minimum. "However, if there are serious issues or incidents, write them down with specificity when you have a cool head," the redditor urged employees to then take those concerns to the appropriate manager, along with all the documented evidence.

"I’ve noticed recently younger coworkers tend to mouth off every frustration that crosses their minds," they pointed out that there is a trend of "hair-trigger disparagement of other employees behind their backs."

They said: "Silence is golden. You learn that with maturity."

There’s bound to be some friction between any people who share the same physical space and work on the same projects. Sometimes, there’s a clash of philosophies, ideas, and approaches. Other times, tempers flare due to the differences in work ethic and attitudes. And then there’s all the nitty gritty physical stuff to consider, like piles of unwashed cups, loud typing, bad hygiene, offensive jokes, as well as excessive and echoing laughter. The kind of stuff that gnaws at your nerves, day by day.

Obviously, good communication is the antidote to office suffering. Many people are unaware of how their actions affect those around them. And assuming that nobody’s a mind-reader in secret if there’s an issue, someone needs to bring it up. Politely, gently, in a friendly manner, yes. But you cannot let it fester. Or to put it bluntly, if your coworker is bothering you with their insufferable manner, talk to them about it and set some healthy, common sense boundaries.

However, you should never make it feel like you’re attacking your colleague. That’s why it’s so important to tackle problems immediately instead of bottling up all of your emotions until they come bursting out in a flood of anger.

Folks who go on the defensive might hold a grudge or avoid changing just to spite you. If you explain how their behavior affects you and makes you feel and nicely ask them to make a small shift in their behavior, however, they’ll be more likely to take your side. Make it seem like a compromise even if you don’t want to. Your body language, tone of voice, and how you phrase your request all matter. The more professional you are, the better!

Indeed suggests actively listening to the other person’s perspective. Meanwhile, the Harvard Business Review advises that coworkers spend more time with the other person so that they can learn to work together, even if there’s mutual enmity between them at the moment.

Don’t be surprised if not every single insufferable coworker is going to see the light. Some of them are going to trample all over your completely reasonable requests. In that case, it’s time to get someone to mediate the conflict. Talk to your human resources team or your direct supervisor about what’s happening. Try to stress the fact that your only goal is to solve the issue and move forward, not to punish the offending party. (Naturally, this works only with smaller offenses. If there’s genuine harassment going on, the person needs to be brought to justice.)

If that fails to bear fruit, go higher up the corporate food chain. Barring that, seek legal help if there are pervasive issues and you find yourself in a thoroughly toxic workplace environment. Meanwhile, if every single colleague of yours seems to treat you like trash, it might be worth considering running toward greener pastures. Your mental, emotional, and physical health is worth far more than whatever they’re paying you.