Angus Reid Poll: Canadians Irked by Incompetent Managers and Co-workers with a Negative Attitude
[VANCOUVER - Feb. 20, 2008] - Canadians are evidently annoyed by specific traits in their workplace, particularly when assessing the capabilities of their managers, the disposition of some of their peers, and difficulties with intra-office communication, an Angus Reid Strategies poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative national sample, 53 per cent of respondents say incompetent managers are one of the things that irritate them at the workplace.
Dealing with co-workers with a negative attitude is second on the list of least desirable office traits with 52 per cent, followed by hypocrisy with 49 per cent, and co-workers who whine constantly and don’t take action to address their problems with 46 per cent.
More than two-in-five respondents (43%) express dissatisfaction with poor office communication, gossip, and attending meetings that they know will lead nowhere.
More than one-in-four respondents expressed frustration over other aspects of daily life in their job, including co-workers with bad breath or body odour (39%), uneven treatment of employees depending on their rank (36%), and potent odours such as perfume, smoke, or food in the workplace (32%).
Three-in-ten respondents do not like messiness in communal spaces, co-workers arriving late to work, and being called on a blunder by a supervisor or boss in front of other peers. Other pet peeves included loud phone-related noises (28%), co-workers who put up with abusive treatment (26%), and co-workers taking several smoking breaks each day (26%).
One-in-four respondents are irritated by co-workers who dress inappropriately, and a perceived lack of privacy in their workplace. More than one-in-five are upset at co-workers who are not passionate about their job, at their bosses answering their cell phone or checking their blackberries during a meeting, and at co-workers who brag about how much money they make. Sixteen per cent of Canadians do not like commuting to work, co-workers surfing the web for their own amusement, and co-workers who use email as a means of communication within the office and avoid personal contact.
There are some characteristics of the Canadian workplace that do not register highly on the exasperation scale, including co-workers who complain about management making too much money (14%), co-workers chatting through instant messaging systems (13%), co-workers making personal phone calls (11%), co-workers using email as a means of communication within the office and avoiding personal contact (11%), and co-workers who flirt (11%). Fewer than 10 per cent of respondents are annoyed by co-workers sharing pictures of their newborns with the entire office, co-workers who have their meal at their desk, and office parties.
The gender breakdowns showed an obvious divide in four topics. Female respondents are more likely than male respondents to become annoyed by the uneven treatment of employees depending on their rank (29% for men, 43% for women), co-workers who put up with abusive treatment (21% for men, 31% for women), co-workers who dress inappropriately for the work environment (18% for men, 31% for women), and co-workers who flirt (7% for men, 15% for women).