Eight Disgusting Office Habits to Ditch

Have you ever sat near a loud eater? You know, someone who's chomping away at their lunch to the tune of you being able to unfortunately hear every. Single. Bite. Or how about the person who leaves dirty dishes by the sink? Or the colleague who clips their nails at a nearby desk? Alas, the pitfalls of communal spaces better known as the office. When we read this AOL Jobs piece, we cringed and silently chuckled having experienced some of these with co-workers. How many culprits can you point out at your own office? 1. Uncovered coughs and sneezes. Need we say more? In the piece, Miriam Salpeter writes, "Especially during cold and flu season, but really, all year long, it's pretty gross to watch someone sneeze all over the place. Or, worse, to sneeze or hack into his or her hand and then touch virtually everything you're going to be touching later. Lysol, anyone?" If you're completely grossed out by your neighbor, you may want to politely hand them a box of tissues. 2. Clipping nails. How did this become an acceptable behavior at the office to some people? Please do not -- we repeat, do not -- clip your nails at the office! Or any other public place for that matter like the bus or train. 3. Plucking. Keep the tweezers at home, okay? She writes, "Don't pull out your compact and start tweezing your eyebrows or nose hair where anyone can see you." 4. Flossing. Who isn't a supporter of dental hygiene? As for flossing away in your cubicle? Um, not so much. No one wants to see it. Moving right along... 5. Doing laundry in the restroom. This one caught us by surprise but apparently it's been done. Rinsing out your undergarments in a nearby sink? That would be a big no-no. 6. Putting on your contact lenses. We admit, this one doesn't quite have the ick factor as the others but if you put on contact lenses in front of others who don't wear them, they may squirm a little. Salpeter mentions in the piece, "It's best not to do it at your desk. At the very least, go to the restroom, where you can wash your hands first." 7. Heating smelly food. Nothing can be more gross than a smelly microwave or refrigerator. So, before putting something in the microwave, decide it if will create a certain scent for the entire office. "If the answer is yes, consider bringing a cold sandwich instead and you won't burn any bridges. 8. Leaving a mess. Although it's pretty much a given everyone's desks should be neat and tidy, other areas should be orderly as well. Whether it's a dirty coffee mug or empty pizza box, clean up. Your colleagues should be impressed by visiting your office because of meeting you (of course) instead of feeling squeamish due to visible trash.

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Eight Disgusting Office Habits to Ditch

Vicki Salemi

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Vicki Salemi