Noisy Coworker: You Don't Have To Deal With It

Everyone faces noisy, obnoxious coworkers at some time during their working career. If you have done as much as you can to politely get them to stop, it may be necessary to get a little bit more creative, or possibly to get help from someone else. You may find that something like a comical gesture is surprisingly able to get the noisy coworker to realize that they are annoying you.

Coworkers, like anyone, can engage in distracting, irritating, unconscious behaviors like humming, whistling, and singing off key or incorrect lyrics. Try to block out the nonsense. Ignore it if you can. Bring in your own music, and keep the volume where you can't hear the distractions, or wear headphones to block it out completely.

If this does not work very well then try something that everybody who is annoyed with this coworker can participate in. You could even do something funny like, have everyone sign a written petition to get them to stop and post it onto their computer screen for when they come back.

A petition is one way to approach a coworker making an irritating noise. This allows all of you peers to present the issue as a group, and doesn't single you out as the sole reason for him to stop. This way a friendly work atmosphere can be maintained. It might even be funny to see the co workers reaction.

If you are irritated by the sound of typing, telephone conversation, copiers, and other noises around the office, you do have the temporary option of unplugging the offending machines. If this is not a practical option, you may want to try moving your belongings to a quieter location or to an office basement. When people see that the noise is really bothering you, they'll try to correct the problem.

So if you have problems with a noisy coworker or just the general office noise associated with work then put your thinking cap on and get creative. There are many funny ways to get your point across without directly insulting someone.

Encounters with less than amicable coworkers are inevitable, but you will still have to cope with them on some level. There are a couple of ways to silence a coworker who insists on whistling or singing through the work day. You can start by simply ignoring coworker by bringing your own music, or by using head phones. If other people agree that Annoying coworkers in the office cannot be allowed to keep disrupting people: everyone could sign a petition to stop them. So if you have problems with a Noisy Coworker or just the general Office Noise associated with work, then get creative to get your point across.

- Frank Barnett