This topic does not involve swimming AT all ... sorry ... I cannot stand my co-worker! She drives me crazy. First of all, I work in a very small law firm. There a total of eight employees. Four attorneys (one is part time), two secretaries, an errand boy (aka the head partner’s son), and myself. We have an open office sans cubicles. So there is NO escape. Moving on ... we are a very busy firm. Normally we have a couple of law clerks but right now we don’t. So most of the extra work falls on me. We don’t really have carved out jobs really we all kind of do everything. Though we do all have things that only we do. The annoying co-worker complains non-stop all day long. Seriously. Either she doesn’t have enough to do or the guys ask her to do stuff and she flips out “I don’t have time for this. I can’t handle this right now.” She complains about everything she is asked to do. She complains and/or comments on every phone call she answers. She gets all snippy with me and has basically told me that if I keep eating the way I do (I snack on healthy things all day) that I am going to get fat, so I should enjoy it while I can get away with it. She talks endlessly about how her son is in marching band and how that is the most important thing EVER, how hard it is and how much time it takes up ... I want to yell, do you know how many hours a week I spent in a gym in high school? Like, 30! AH! I can’t take it. I seriously want to yell SHUT UP! Everyone is busy and no one cares. She is a drama queen to the max. She is ALWAYS in pain, her knee, her back, she has a headache, a stomach ache, a cold ... she hasn’t been here everyday all day for two weeks since I started in September. It drives me crazy. I am really afraid that one day I’ll just blurt out shut up you whiney wench! Gr! Do any of you have annoying co-workers and how do you deal with it? Thanks!
Usually, I am not a complainer I swear, and I do see the irony of complaining about someone complaining.
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I think a torrid affair is an awesome idea!
Seriously though - I feel like I can butt in here because I've worked in offices almost my entire working life - no matter where you go, there will almost always be someone who is annoying and the best thing that I can tell you is that the only thing you have control over is how you deal with it. BUT...that being said...I think that you have the right to tell her how you feel. You can do this in two steps: 1) take her to lunch and talk to her; and find a way to approach her without her getting defensive. Getting her away from the office is smart - actually, I did this once with someone who was a nightmare! I took her to dinner and outright asked her if there was problem between her and I and if so, I would like to hear it. It was a different situation than yours but equally annoying. She said no, so what was I to do? Anyway....it didn't ever work out and I ended up moving on, but sometimes things do work out. Case in point - I work with someone who has been a challenge and we've had two knock down, drag out fights but we've worked it out. I apologized, she apologized and now we can work together fine.
The second step, after talking to her, and if it doesn't work, is to talk to her boss. I hate this because it feels sneaky, but not if you talk to her first. Fair warning.
What you would say to her boss is that you have tried to talk this out with her but to no avail; it is interfering with your work day, and that you'd like to have it resolved.
The third option would be to start looking for another job, but I think you should give talking to her and perhaps her boss a shot. Drama Queen or not, she has no right to be snippy with you. I'VE gotten into trouble for being snippy, so I know that it's not acceptable office behavior.
We all have to learn some time about how to deal with a difficult person, and I think this is a great opportunity for you to do that. I sometimes work with snippy professors and I've had to learn to not run to the bathroom crying, but to stand up to them and tell them that while I'd like to help them solve their work related issue, yelling at me will not help and in fact, not appropriate behavior, therefore come back when you feel like having a discussion instead of standing in my office yelling at me. Or something like that....
You don't have to be reduced to blurting out something you might regret saying later. You can control how you behave; you can talk to her and her boss, and you have every right to take up space as she does!
So go for it. If you decide to talk to her, I'd even write out what I'd like to say and try it out on a nonpartial party.
Good luck.
I think a torrid affair is an awesome idea!
Seriously though - I feel like I can butt in here because I've worked in offices almost my entire working life - no matter where you go, there will almost always be someone who is annoying and the best thing that I can tell you is that the only thing you have control over is how you deal with it. BUT...that being said...I think that you have the right to tell her how you feel. You can do this in two steps: 1) take her to lunch and talk to her; and find a way to approach her without her getting defensive. Getting her away from the office is smart - actually, I did this once with someone who was a nightmare! I took her to dinner and outright asked her if there was problem between her and I and if so, I would like to hear it. It was a different situation than yours but equally annoying. She said no, so what was I to do? Anyway....it didn't ever work out and I ended up moving on, but sometimes things do work out. Case in point - I work with someone who has been a challenge and we've had two knock down, drag out fights but we've worked it out. I apologized, she apologized and now we can work together fine.
The second step, after talking to her, and if it doesn't work, is to talk to her boss. I hate this because it feels sneaky, but not if you talk to her first. Fair warning.
What you would say to her boss is that you have tried to talk this out with her but to no avail; it is interfering with your work day, and that you'd like to have it resolved.
The third option would be to start looking for another job, but I think you should give talking to her and perhaps her boss a shot. Drama Queen or not, she has no right to be snippy with you. I'VE gotten into trouble for being snippy, so I know that it's not acceptable office behavior.
We all have to learn some time about how to deal with a difficult person, and I think this is a great opportunity for you to do that. I sometimes work with snippy professors and I've had to learn to not run to the bathroom crying, but to stand up to them and tell them that while I'd like to help them solve their work related issue, yelling at me will not help and in fact, not appropriate behavior, therefore come back when you feel like having a discussion instead of standing in my office yelling at me. Or something like that....
You don't have to be reduced to blurting out something you might regret saying later. You can control how you behave; you can talk to her and her boss, and you have every right to take up space as she does!
So go for it. If you decide to talk to her, I'd even write out what I'd like to say and try it out on a nonpartial party.
Good luck.
