What Are The Biggest Workplace Complaints?

Randstad USA surveyed workers to find out what bothers them the most in their workplaces.

The answers?

1. Gossip
2. Poor time-management skills
3. Messiness
4. Potent scents
5. Loud noises (such as speakerphones and cellphones ringing)
6. Overuse of PDA's
7. Misuse of e-mails (hitting "reply to all" instead of reply)

The good news is - all of these pet peeves can easily be managed away.

The solutions?

1. Gossip - when you hear it, put an end to it.
   
2. Poor time-management skills - this is usually a training issue. Consider sending the employee to a time management course or working with them yourself.
   
3. Messiness - put in a policy in your handbook about cleaning workspaces every evening, and make sure to inspect what you expect.
   
4. Potent scents - a tricky issue, one that must be dealt with in a private, one-on-one setting showing extreme sensitivity.
   
5. Loud noises (such as speakerphones and cellphones ringing) - policy in the handbook should be: speaker phones only in private areas with the door closed. Cellphones are discouraged and should be used only during breaks (if they're in their workplace, they should have their own land line).
   
6. Overuse of PDA's - policy should be same as for cellphones.
   
7. Misuse of e-mails (hitting "reply to all" instead of reply) - when you see it happen, privately talk to the individual and ensure that 'reply' is preferable to 'reply to all'.

From San Francisco Chronicle via Redding.com