Office politics are a long-standing part of working life, and often not something that can be easily avoided, and now, thanks to a new survey, UK bosses have revealed the top reasons behind taking a dislike to certain staff members.
The study by online printing specialists, instantprint, quizzed 1,000 British managers on the most irritating habits of UK employees, as well as revealing the top 10 names of the most hated workers, as voted for by their long-suffering bosses. Traits including having a negative attitude (35%), lacklustre work ethic (16%) and not being a team player (15%), were listed as the most common grievances suffered by UK managers thanks to their personnel.
Most Hated Employee Habits, According to Management
- Negative attitude at work – 35%
- Lack of passion for their job – 16%
- Refusal to work as part of a team – 15%
- Lying about completing work – 11%
- Procrastination – 8%
When asked to share more specific examples of bad habits and irritating behaviour their staff had showcased at work, offers of romantic affairs, microwaving dog poo out of boredom, and dining on a pickled onion crisp sandwich each day for breakfast were some of the worst offending stories.
Almost half of those surveyed (42%) openly admitted they had a favourite employee.
According to research in the Harvard Business Review, it take approximately three months for the majority of people to feel settled within a new job role and to truly show their authentic side, however, probation periods within the UK can take up to 6 months to pass, which means if you’ve started a new role recently, it may be best to play it safe for a little while longer.
The above is especially true if your name is Bob, John, Dave or Steve, which according to the study, are the names of employees most likely to be hated by UK bosses.
Employees Most Likely to be Hated by UK Managers
- Bob
- John
- Dave
- Steve
- David
Whilst honesty is often deemed to be the best policy, especially within the workplace, it seems this is something that many bosses struggle with. Just over half (55%) of senior management admitted they would be willing to confront their staff members about their bothersome behaviour.