Tag: Workplace annoyance

What To Do If You Have a Bad Boss

Here’s how you can survive working for a bad boss.

Bad bosses are common in the average Pakistan workforce. Most professionals say their boss is the most stressful part of their job. We all know someone who left a job only to get away from their toxic boss.

Surprisingly, people stay in jobs with toxic bosses for a multitude of reasons.

1. I don’t have the energy to start job hunting again.

2. I love my coworkers.

3. I need money and this place pays me well.

4. I’ve invested precious time in this organization.

5. Things will be better soon.

These excuses are deeply linked to human psychology. Toxic workplaces rob workers of the energy needed to search for a new job or perform better. They find it hard to quit, and it’s impossible to identify a new opportunity when one lacks motivation. Additionally, people stay in toxic situations if they are emotionally attached to their job. Although staying put seems more lucrative, it comes with many risks.

Studies reveal that employees who work for toxic bosses are more susceptible to stress, depression, fatigue, and anxiety.

What You Can Do?

Bad bosses should always be taken seriously. If you can’t quit immediately, it’s a good idea to talk to your boss. A difficult boss may not be open to hearing you, but you can try making specific requests to get what you need.

Second, engage with a support network. Talk to like-minded co-workers to de-stress.

Last, take care of your health. Get plenty of exercise, and sleep.

Of course, you are in the best position to decide what’s best for you. If you dread going to work every day, or if you feel physically and emotionally drained, or your self-confidence is affected, it’s time to go. Line up your next move – your job search. Remember, it’s okay to quit to keep your sanity intact.

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Office Bathroom Etiquette 101 – A Refresher Course

This is needed because bathroom horror can scar you for life.

There are few things worse than taking a visit to an office bathroom only to find stained yellow droplets on the toilet seat or … an unflushed toilet – smelly poop that could knock you over. Sometimes there’s no soap or running water. Perhaps the only thing worse than that is experiencing the same thing every other day! If you happen to take an emergency visit to the office bathroom and feel like you’ve entered a septic tank, well, you’re not alone.

What most ‘adults’ fail to understand is that their bathroom habits define what kind of a person they are. Apparently many professionals today have forgotten the basics. Yes, Bathroom Etiquette 101 is really a thing. Just because you have a deadline to meet, doesn’t mean you cannot leave the bathroom in the same condition as it was before you came in.

So people, here are some basic Bathroom Etiquette.

  1. The office bathroom is a communal area which means you will share it with other employees. So always be respectful and clean up your mess. Pick up your deodorants and other personal items after using them.
  2. If you spit on the sink, rinse down the remains. The last thing others want to see is your spit hardened into a glue-like substance.
  3. Pee pee left in the toilet stinks after a while so just flush! Period. And additionally, if it’s brown flush it down twice!
  4. If you pee on the toilet seat, wipe it up instead of just leaving it there for the next person. Simple, right?
  5. Don’t leave poop floating – yes, it is gross. Please use the flush after washing your arse. We don’t want to see your business.
  6. Have an upset stomach? You can always use air fresheners after you are done.
  7. Go inside the toilet, do your business and get out immediately. Playing Candy Crush or reading your favorite book for an hour sitting on the toilet seat while others wait is just rude.
  8. If you use the last bit of toilet paper, throw the empty carton in the trash and place a new roll. It doesn’t take long – trust me!
  9. Always close the door. It’s never a good idea to let people see your jewels.
  10. Ladies, wrap up your feminine hygiene products before throwing them in the trash can.

You would think that most of this stuff is a no-brainer. But many people forget this. Let’s follow this common etiquette not just in office washrooms, but at home as well.

Dealing with Workplace Annoyances

What happens when things start getting on your nerves?

As I write this, I’m battling sleep difficulties, big life changes, and a workload that’s piling higher and higher. This is a stressful, annoying, difficult and sticky situation. I don’t feel frustrated often, but these days, it’s easy to get into that mindset.

I am annoyed at anything and everything – power outages, low mobile battery, heartless co-workers making rude comments, faulty laptop, traffic jams and the construction noise outside my office. All of this is annoying, and much more.

Being constantly annoyed or frustrated isn’t good. Your happiness suffers, your relationships are less pleasant, and you are less devoted to the task at hand. Simply put, you care about everything in the world except what matters the most.

Maybe I should become a little indifferent, a bit inconsiderate. I agree helping people is a good idea, but pleasing everyone and trying to make everyone happy or trying to be socially acceptable only makes one constantly unhappy and even more frustrated.

It’s time to move on. Let’s not wait for everyone to be happy. So how do I regain control over my work life?

The answer is simple – it’s time to sort through the chaos and identify the priorities. What needs to be done ASAP, what needs to be done today, what can wait until tomorrow and what can be postponed until next week!

If you are trying to identify priorities, you must look at urgency as well as what’s important and meaningful.

Things that need to be done ASAP can be important projects, urgent tasks that if not completed can result in damage. I have realized that you have to be ruthless when it comes to cutting out the clutter from your to-do list. More importantly, not every task that is marked urgent is important and not every email must be responded to. You are in the best position to decide what must be done today.

You can negotiate deadlines and push things over the weekend, or even into the next week. Remember having 4 to 5 things on your plate at a time isn’t a bad thing.

Eliminate what is not important. This means telling co-workers or your boss that you can’t take on a particular task. Yes, this is uncomfortable but they need to understand that work can wait a week or longer.

To keep your sanity intact, stick to your ‘To Do’ and ‘Not to Do’ lists. Remember, once you master the art of saying No at your workplace, your life will become a lot easier.

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