Employees’ top complaints at work revealed: Slacking colleagues, overbearing bosses and rude customers

Slacking colleagues top the list of people’s workplace frustrations, according to new research from Acas.

A survey of 1,000 workers by the conciliation service revealed that half of those polled cited colleagues not doing their jobs properly as their biggest work-related annoyance.

Other grievances included colleagues taking credit for others’ work, overbearing bosses, and rude customers or staff.

“Anger over a lack of recognition, rudeness, their boss or a colleague seen as not pulling their weight can impact productivity and escalate to conflict if left unresolved at work,” Acas head of individual dispute resolution Stewart Gee said.

“Unresolved emotions over things that seem unfair can have a detrimental effect at work and it is important for workplace conflict to be addressed at the earliest possible opportunity.

“Acas’s aim is to prevent, manage or resolve conflict. An informal resolution through an initial chat or mediation can help organisations prevent the cost and stress of more formal procedures such as an employment tribunal.”

Acas recommended that employers encourage staff to raise issues informally, adding that dealing with conflict positively and quickly can build trust and improve relationships.

“Conflict at work is estimated to cost UK organisations £30 billion each year and getting the basics right plays a key part in helping to reduce it,” Mr Gee said.

“Workers can also help. Speaking to a manager early is almost always better than waiting for it to become a larger issue that requires a more formal response.

“This might also avoid costly discipline and grievance procedures.”

‘Working hard brought its own reward’

In January, Conservative shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said Britons must increase their work ethic in order to compete on a global scale.

Mr Philp claimed that while working at Sainsbury’s, delivering newspapers, and cleaning people’s vehicles in his early teens, he cultivated a strong work ethic.

“I found that working hard brought its own reward and I’ve kept doing that ever since,” he said.

“It is something I would like to infuse more into our national culture as well.”

Asked if he thought a belief in hard work was something that was missing in Britain, he replied, “I do a bit.”

The latest figures show Britain’s jobless rate rose unexpectedly and the number of workers on payrolls has fallen by the most since the height of the pandemic.