Unhealthy Work Environment

I’ve worked in two “professional” places during my working career and in both places I found that there are pleny of people that sound so damn unhealthy. Sue can tell you how much this annoys me. I think the winter months are the worst. :(

Call it a pet peeve, but I really dont’ like it when people make so many damn noises. Loud voices and extremely loud phone calls drive me nuts. Those have stopped occurring lately due to an email from the IS director, but there are still plenty of other loud, annoying personal sounds that people make. And with a cube environment you hear it all.

In one ear I get to hear one guy constantly coughing. It sounds like he is trying to get something out of his throat, but it doesn’t sound to me like there is anything there. If somebody has phlem in their throat and they try to clear it you can tell. This guy sounds like he is clearing a dry throat.

In another ear I get to hear another guy that constantly makes all kinds of odd noises. Cough and then goes “Hmm. Hmm.” Hear that a few dozen times a day and you’ll want to climb the walls. Along with the cough, and “Hmm. Hmm.” there are other noises, I just don’t know how to write them down.

I could probably bring in a tape recorder and record 60 seconds of tape that captures probably 5 coughs. Why is everybody so damn unhealthy? If I’m sick or have a cough I do my best to keep it quiet. I get stuff stuck in my throat too, but I don’t keep hacking all day. Go in the bathroom or outside and give yourself a good throat clearing and then come back to your desk. Don’t just sit there and hack, cough and make noises all day. It’s giving me a damn headache and my only solice is to put my headphones on.


2 Responses to “Unhealthy Work Environment”

  1. aline Says:
    January 12th, 2006 at 12:35 am

    about the guy who coughs… maybe he really has a health problem but the guy who goes Hmm Hmm.. i think it’s just bad habit. There’s a guy like him in my class but he doesn’t make so much noise now because last time another classmate of mine told him off. :P

  2. Shaun Says:
    January 13th, 2006 at 7:22 am

    The funny apart about the guy that makes “Hmm. Hmm.” sounds after coughing or clearing his throat is that he does many more odd things. He makes so many odd sounds I wish I could write them all down. I really wish I could tell some of these people off too, but I have to work with these people day in and day out.