Contagious colleagues, corporate jargon and loud desk eaters all feature on a new list of the top 50 modern office bugbears.
The research from Crunch Accounting finds these everyday frustrations are driving as many as 54 per cent of Brits to crave a new, alternative way of working.
More than a quarter of people admit these pet annoyances make them want to work remotely, while one in four say they wish they could become their own boss.
Shoddy internet, dodgy heating and office gossip took out the list’s dubious top positions.
Frustrating co-workers also feature highly, ranging from colleagues who interrupt and make you look bad, through to employees pulling a sickie and people coming into work when they’re contagiously ill.
Office hygiene is another common theme, with Brits despairing about food being left to rot in communal fridges and toilets being left in a horrible state.
Darren Fell, CEO of Crunch Accounting, who commissioned the research, says, ‘Our customers are the self-employed, freelancers and contractors – people who have made the conscious decision to escape the rat race and start their own business. So it comes as little surprise to hear how frustrated Britain’s employees are with the niggling bugbears of the modern corporate office.’
A quarter of British employees admit they are unhappy in their current position – one in three currently consider handing in their resignation.
Fell adds, ‘The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way. When I got fed up with my 9-5 role, I handed in my resignation and started my first business. If you’re considering starting your own business and being your own boss, then 2017 is the year to make it happen’.
Further reading on bugbears
