Loud Laborers are the ones you least want to work with

Among the trends that have ebbed, flowed, and crashed like waves over our workplaces, one that is shouting to be seen has been there all along. We’re talking about Loud Laborers. You know the type: whether they’re on Zoom or sitting in the next cubicle, they’re keeping a running commentary of complaints, critiques, and stream of conscious narration—sometimes at the expense of getting any work done. 

Monster.com found that the problem was on the rise when they polled U.S. workers recently. Among the findings: A majority (77%) have worked with a Loud Laborer and nearly half (42%) believe these Loud Laborers to be unaware of their impact on the rest of the team. It’s so bad that more than half would consider quitting than actually speaking to the offender (only 23% said they’d confront a Loud Laborer about their behavior).

There are ways to deal with annoying colleagues of all kinds—from laziness to bad attitudes to plain old poor communication. This even applies to working remotely. Art Markman suggests taking the empathetic route first. “Before you stew too much about the behavior of a colleague, ask them how they’re doing. Set up a brief call and just talk to them. In many cases, you may discover that your colleague is dealing with challenges that change the way you think about their behavior. Even if they are generally doing fine, that human connection may make them seem less annoying.” 

That’s everyone’s responsibility, no matter where in the org chart they sit, according to Yiannis Gavrielides, CEO of the networking app Covve. “It’s of paramount importance for every one of us to understand the limitations of online communication, so that we’re much more careful on how we communicate, especially around harder subjects,” Gavrielides told Fast Company’s Stephanie Vozza.

You can and should have a conversation around what’s bothering you, according to Scott Lyons, PhD, author of Addicted to Drama, that goes beyond just telling them to stop (which isn’t always effective). “You may share how a behavior makes you feel. (e.g., “When you show up late, it makes me feel really stressed. And I’m not always sure what to do with that.”) Such exchanges leave room for someone to participate in the conversation and share their feelings.”

That said, it’s important to look in the mirror and make sure you’re not making everyone you work with cringe. Start by examining your communication as there are six words and phrases to avoid (forget “circling back” around Gen Z colleagues, especially) as well as little things like showing up on time to meetings. Minor annoyances like these pile up over time and could stand in the way of advancing your career.