Top 10 workplace bugbears ranked as some staff discovered to have ‘no shred of decency’

Sitting next to a flatulent colleague is the biggest office bugbear, a study has found.

A poll of 1,000 office workers found that having to work closely with someone who regularly lets out bottom burps is the most off-putting. Someone whiffing of BO came in 5th while co-workers who ‘mumble’ while working was sixth.

The study by electrical giants Currys found that colleagues who burped, sniffed, coughed or ate stinky food were also in the top 10 office annoyances.

A spokesman for Currys said that the bugbears even extended to video calls with colleagues.

The study found that the vast majority of those polled said they regularly came face to face with a co-worker who burped, farted, coughed sniffed or mumbled online – not just in the office itself.

One of the reasons why some workers said they preferred video calls was that they didn’t have to put up with the ‘smell’ or sight of colleagues.

Pete Addison, 48, of Ashford, Kent, said some of the folk in his office had ‘no shred of decency’.

He said: “I work from home three days a week these days, so I thought it would be the end of colleagues being annoying.

“If anything, it’s made it worse – there used to be a bit of restraint in the office, but on video calls some people are constantly burping, farting, scratching themselves, coughing and even picking their nose.

“It’s really got more disgusting – I think people think nobody is really watching them.”

A spokesman for Currys said: “Our study reveals the nation’s most annoying habits at work.

“It turns out that eating, burping, farting, and making inappropriate comments are among the top pet peeves.”

The top 10 were:

1 – Flatulence – 47%

2 – Eating stinky food – 46%

3 – Coughing – 40%

4 – Burping – 37%

5 – Body odour – 36%

6 – Mumbling – 33%

7 – Constant sniffing – 29%

8 – Putting calls on speakerphone – 22%

9 – Messy desk – 20%

10 – Gossiping/making inappropriate comments – 19%

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