#1
I work in a kitchen with all men. One throws a fit over EVERYTHING, full tantrums. One day I said “big feelings huh buddy? Do you need help calming down or can you work it out on your own?” And he has Never thrown a tantrum around me again (though I hear they still happen just not around me) I take it as a win. Mind you he is 41 and I’m 32 😂😂😂
Image credits: cassafrass_
#2
Found out she hated the smell of eucalyptus. Got the eucalyptus set from bath & body works and. WENT. TO. TOWN. I’m talking using the body wash & lotion every day & the room spray every 20-30min She stopped coming into that office space and would only send me emails. Didn’t lay eyes on her for like 3mos 🤣 honestly my stress decreased so much
Image credits: craftypawssb
#3
When they say something ridiculous, I look them dead in the eye and say ‘what an odd thing to say’ and hold that stare just a little too long. The sheer panic is my reward.
Image credits: carriebethan
85% of working people have faced a frustrating coworker, according to Kickresume’s 2024 survey. This means that tips and hacks on how to deal with them should be useful for a lot of us out there.
That's why we previously reached out to workplace culture experts Connie Kurczewski, Robina Bhasin, and Josh Hart to ask for some guidance on how to manage difficult colleagues.
#4
I arrived early, took a screenshot of her desktop, then removed all the icons on her computer and replaced the background with the screenshot. She called IT to the office. It took all day to "fix."
Image credits: midgardian_april
#5
“Just the facts please” when they start to rant. Say in mid sentence for bonus points.
Image credits: stfu.toni
#6
I (fake) befriended him at work, gaslit him into thinking he’s way too good for here and he’s wasting his talents, kept sending him job offers, within 5 weeks he was gone
Image credits: casserole_queen
"You want to start by observing patterns and writing things down," said Kurczewski. "It is easier to have a productive conversation when you can point to specific examples. If you are a peer, speak up respectfully and directly. Be clear about what is not working.
If you are a leader, do not wait. The longer you let it go, the more damage it causes. One of the most common mistakes I see is avoiding difficult conversations. But those conversations are what protect the culture, the team, and ultimately the business."
#7
My ex boss was on a weight loss journey and hated me. So everyday at lunch I brought back her favorite candy bar and offered her one
Image credits: chantell83
#8
Be professional to an extreme and completely impersonal. No pleasantries. No small talk. Not an ounce more than what is required.
Image credits: yourstrulysammi
#9
I gentle parent grown adults. 'Hey buddy, they're some big feelings you're having' 'it's ok to mad but it's not OK to be mean' 'are you angry or sad? do you know why? because you didn't do your job?'
Image credits: deedee_mahgee
"It's important to be clear about what’s bothering you and how it affects your work," Hart proposed. "Setting clear boundaries and getting support from HR or a mentor can also help. And keep track of any incidents, just in case you need to show a pattern of behavior to someone higher up."
#10
I tell them made up stories cause I know they’ll tell everyone. Then when someone asks me about it I tell them I have no idea what they are talking about & show them evidence proving it’s not true.
Image credits: thelandlessfarm
#11
I introduced myself to him every single week.
Image credits: sparkleprofessor
#12
I had a boss with serious Napoleon (short man syndrome). He belittled everyone else. When he went on vacation, I removed all the furniture from his office and replaced it with doll’s house furniture.
Image credits: themisfitmedium
Meanwhile, Bhasin added by saying that, "Except in situations where an employee has been abusive toward other employees, I typically begin by seeking to understand where the person is coming from - what does the world look like from their perspective?
With this insight, I help them deepen their self-awareness and see the impact of their actions on others. With this greater self-awareness, the employee often chooses a path of self-improvement to build more positive relationships with colleagues. And if they are not willing to make changes, there is a separate conversation about their future in the company that needs to happen," she concluded.
#13
She trauma dumps every day I finally had it and said “you should talk to a therapist not us , they’re the professional”
#14
"you're not good enough at your job to have an ego that big". worked a treat.
Image credits: jp.mang
#15
I was ignored, isolated & gaslit for 5 years. Bought my time played nice pretended I didn’t notice until one day I dropped a bomb. Went direct to the top massive complaint, 5y of evidence. Stayed Long enough to watch the fall out. Then handed in my notice citing ‘toxic workplace'
#16
"is this something you plan to do for the rest of your career?" but in a concerning way that makes them actually question themselves
Image credits: marinapasto3
#17
learned how to cry on command so next time he said something outrageously rude i turned on the tears, made him panic and feel super guilty for like a week
#18
I played nice, so nice, that they’re really nice to me now too. But I haven’t forgotten. I’ll always remember. Waiting…waiting
Image credits: mermaidsrule420
#19
If you gotta snitch on them DONT SHOW ANY EMOTION. Basically say “i followed protocol and received this response. May you provide feedback on how to deal with these cases?”
#20
I just stopped speaking to them unless absolutely necessary legit just pretend they don’t exist unless I have to
Image credits: antisocialbinch
#21
He was homophobic so i said i was gay, set my phones wallpaper of me and my best friend kissing and i made like a whole new personality only for him. He hated me so much. I enjoyed every second.
Image credits: idameamimosa
#22
Replied to every one of their passive-aggressive emails with ‘per my last email’ and CC’d their boss😇
#23
We were 2 person team. He was a deadweight, I carried the team alone for 12 months. We won Best Team of the year, he smiled too widely and it filled me with rage. I quit. They fired him 2mths later.
Image credits: gochu16025
#24
I’m uncomfortably direct. “I feel like I’ve noticed some tension in our working relationship and I’m wondering if i’ve done something to upset you” (I didn’t- tehe) and just watch them panic.
#25
I did t do this but I had a colleague who would refuse to interact directly with this one guy and would make him interact with a glove puppet This may or may not or may have happened on the london trading floor of a Swiss reinsurance company in the 1990s.
#26
She hates Starbucks for personal reasons so when I buy it I make sure the logo of the cup is facing her way.
Image credits: jennsalas05
#27
Positive gossip! If they are badmouthing you behind your back people will ask you about them to find the tea, just be respectful, compliment them (don’t over do it) and they will look bad instead
#28
Stay friendly, but document every time they are unprofessional at work, include witnesses and dates. Report findings to leadership when necessary.
#29
Always offered to cover their holidays and would speed through their work load & then complain to the manager that they weren’t working efficiently & show them the amount of their work I completed.
Image credits: iessv
#30
I put my two weeks in and said I was quitting because I couldn’t stand working next to someone who doesn’t work and they fired the other person to keep me AND bumped my pay $20k a year
#31
Plugged in an extra wireless mouse where they couldn’t see the fob. I’d move the curser when they were in the middle of things so that they’d have to retype it jump all over the screen
Image credits: its_elle_jay
#32
My coworker would do NOTHING, literally no work.. and would steal my work to take credit with clients. So I password protected it all and cc’d her into EVERY email as point of contact. Then eventually she had so much work, she kept asking for the password. She missed deadlines and got sacked finally
#33
Never let them finish a conversation. Always walk off before it’s over so they know that they’re wasting my time with their presence
#34
I applied for every weird job available and used their work email and our bosses phone number to call him.
#35
I worked at a school, she was a teacher that made my little sister cry during her class. I quietly went in and whispered the most unhinged stuff to her and then smiled politely and walked out……
#36
I put this goose app on his laptop that steals your cursor and he’s bad at his job, bad at technology, and too on his high horse to ask for help so he hasn’t managed to fix it (it’s been 3 weeks)
#37
Malicious compliance
#38
One lady stomped thru the office when she’s mad. I said FEE-FI-FO-FUM HERE SHE COMES! When she came to me I told her no one cares about the tantrum you’re having. She quit 👋🏼
#39
I would stare at someone's forehead because they got massive frown lines whenever they had a tantrum, it used to throw them off 😅
#40
I found out my supervisor was insecure about her thinning hair so once a week i would ask her if she had done something different to her hair, but have a confused look on my face.
Image credits: alyram1005
#41
Became their boss. they HATED that.
#42
They hired guys that peaked in Highschool who kept trying to bully me, so I stopped taking adhd medication and started drinking half a pot of coffee every shift … the chaos was glorious
Image credits: echoesofgreen
#43
Do petty things that they get mad over but cant express their anger because they will be seen as the villain. While being nice in their face
#44
i kinda just go nonverbal lol
#45
I just act delusional like they have no problem with me. It forces them to show everyone what type of person they really are and they fall on their own.
#46
She’s a narcissist so I trigger all of her narcissistic traits
#47
1) I keep stealing the staples out her stapler, 2) stole the page measurer thing from her punch hole, 3) put her last in the list of names in email, 4) never answer her phone, 5) got a better job!
Image credits: vjw_x
#48
every single day i’d ask her if she was okay because she looked like she’d been crying (she didn’t)
#49
I made my manager cry during my performance review. I ended up telling him that I felt he would be happier in a different position outside of our organization.
#50
I would get in before them and lower their desk chair all the way to the ground and move their keyboard a foot to the left, and raise the monitors. I would gaslight them and be like “no that’s how “No that’s how your desk always is”. They quit after me doing this 2 months straight every day.
Image credits: sarah_taylorsversion_
