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The 10 types of awful colleagues you can find in every office

One of the most important functions of the human resources department is to create a harmonious workplace for employees to thrive. But personal conflicts among employees can often derail the positivity of the workplace the HR team has tried so hard to foster.

It is important for human resources professionals to know their enemies in order to defeat them. The team at DailyView has listed 10 types of awful colleagues you can find in every office. Have you met them all?

1. The love birdsAccording to lawmaker Dr. Lau Siu Lai, extramarital affairs in Hong Kong are on the rise because co-workers are spending so much time together. She suggested the extremely long working hours encourage office romance, and because of that, the city should have a standard working hours law.

Office romance is not just something that is being frowned upon, it can come with serious consequences. According to a study, up to one-fifth of those who have an office affair end either their own marrigage or that of their colleague as a result.

It goes without saying that it's a nightmare for the human resources department when things turn ugly between office love birds. Employees will be distracted from work by all the drama and the non-stop gossiping.

2.  The excuse makersNothing is ever their fault. When things go wrong they always place the blame on something, or worse, blame it on fellow team members. On the other hand, they are always the first to take credit when things are going well.

3. The backstabbersThe workplace is a battle field; some people would do anything to get ahead. Here are three types of backstabbers you need to look out for: the credit thieves who go around stealing ideas and take all the credit when initiatives succeed; belittlers who love to tear others down to build themselves up; and sly sharks that have a knack for leaving colleagues in the lurch by withholding important information.

4. The sexist colleagues Gender equality is a core value of the modern day society, yet there are people who still believe women are better off raising children, and men should be the ones calling the shots in the office. To make things worse, these sexist workers often hold important positions in the organisation. No wonder there are so many reports pointing towards a gender pay gap and lack of women in leadership roles.

5.  The pushy colleaguesWorkers at all levels should stick to the deadline, but there are restless colleagues who continuously demand updates on work progress. Nobody wants to work with these colleagues who seem to have no idea how to work as a team.

6.  The petty colleaguesFrom gobbling up all the fancy snacks in the pantry to taking their children from door to door in the office to greet everyone in hopes of getting an extra red packet during Lunar New Year, every office has its own version of cheapskates. These selfish staff members always find a way to take advantage of company policies and co-workers. But they do bring one positive - their unbelievable behaviour lets everyone have a good laugh.

7. Colleagues who talk without thinkingHave you ever gone to meet a client with a colleague who would not shut up? And everything that came out of their mouth was so inappropriate that you wanted to distance yourself from the conversation?

There is nothing you can do except apologise for your colleague's behaviour and hope the client may give you another chance.

8. The sexual harassersSexual harassment does not necessarily need to be physical. A bunch of people gathering in the pantry making inappropriate comments or telling inappropriate jokes is also a form of harassment.

9. The late comersShowing up on time is the least an employee should do. Colleagues who show up late delay the schedule for the entire team. Similarly, there are irresponsible colleagues who always look for excuses to take off early, leaving an under-staffed team behind to pick up the slack.

10. The thievesHongkongers have voted pens as the number one item most likely to be stolen by colleagues. Pens don’t cost much, but it is very frustrating when one wants to write something down, but finds the pen missing.

ALSO READ: 12 of the pettiest colleagues you’ll ever meet

Photo/ 123RF

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