More than half of Britain’s office-based workforce experience anger and frustration at work, with many suffering at least two episodes of full-blown “desk rage” per day. Perhaps unsurprisingly, arguments among colleagues over who is supposed to make the next round of tea, rude and abrasive clients and untimely computer crashes are among the leading causes. The findings have emerged from a survey commissioned by Old Jamaica Extra Fiery Ginger Beer – an unusual source for data on office behaviour, but then people can get extra fiery too.
Have you ever gone away on annual leave and returned to work to find your desk untidy because someone else has used it? Well, you’re not alone. The research says that a quarter of workers get really upset about it. Furthermore, a lack of manners emerged as a common pet hate of many workers, with people talking when you are trying to concentrate, time-wasting slackers and perennial gossipers also likely to leave us hot headed.
When it comes to confronting colleagues about their behaviour though, only one in ten people actually do it – with two thirds of people more likely to ignore annoying habits. Monday tends to the day of greatest fury, with 42% of workers feeling at their most impatient following the weekend break.
Commenting on these workplace sore points, Old Jamaica spokesman Gavin Herbert said: “British adults are renowned for their work-hard, play-hard attitude, which means that when they are in the office, they are used to coping with heavy workloads and lots of pressure. When working in this type of highly stressed environment, smaller niggles can get heightened and appear to be a big deal.
“And on a Monday, many people will be tired and grumpy after a long weekend, which adds to the likelihood of them blowing a fuse if someone skips the tea round or the printer stops working.”
Based on these findings, here are three steps that office workers can implement to stop themselves boiling over when the pressure’s on:
1. Move away from the heat!
If possible, leave the room or office you are in and step outside to get some fresh air before you do something you later regret.
2. Take a look at the big picture
Assess why you are angry and whether the problem is merely trivial. By weeding out issues of little significance, you will be able to identify the really important ones.
3. Confront colleagues and bosses
There’s no point bottling up anger. If somebody does or says something that makes you angry, then tell them. Just make sure you have gone through points 1 and 2 first!