The Office Culture Gripes That Are Hurting Productivity

Nearly two-thirds of workers now face mandatory return-to-office policies — and with them, a fresh wave of office pet peeves that workers say are more than annoying: they kill focus.

We surveyed 1,000 full-time U.S. office workers about the habits that have become most irritating since in-person work returned — from fridge theft and loud calls to desk filming and vaping at the entrance.

Ninety-three percent said coworkers' behavior distracts them, Gen Z ranked as the generation most likely to commit the complained-about habits, and 59% want formal office etiquette training. Here are the full rankings and generational breakdowns.

What were the key findings on return-to-office etiquette?

• 1 in 8 (12.9%) of workers have only ever worked remotely and have never set foot in a physical office
• Roughly 25.6% of Gen Z workers (1 in 4) have only ever worked in a hybrid or remote position
• 93% of employees admit they are distracted by their coworkers' behaviours in the office
• Stealing milk or food from the fridge is considered the cardinal sin of office life in 2025
• Gen Z workers are reported as the most frustrating to work with, being the generation most likely to display annoying behaviours
• Over half (59%) of respondents feel their workplace would benefit from hosting office elocution lessons

What are the worst office etiquette sins in 2025?

Whether it is swiping a coworker's oat milk from the office fridge or blasting videos without headphones, employees are fed up with inconsiderate behavior since returning to the office. While most workers (75.3%) said bad office etiquette is a “little distracting but manageable,” nearly 1 in 5 (17.5%) admitted it seriously disrupts their productivity.

Topping the list? Stealing food — a classic annoyance that shows no signs of going away. A staggering 97.2% of respondents said they found this behavior frustrating since returning to in-person work.

Noise complaints are also high on the list of frustrations, with 96.4% highlighting loud personal calls as mildly to incredibly irritating. Meanwhile, 95.4% admitted that noisy eating and forgetting to mute while typing or snacking during virtual meetings is driving them crazy.

Big-name companies like Amazon, Uber, and Google have embraced pet-friendly office policies to sweeten the deal of returning to in-person work. But while furry friends might boost morale, they are not without their challenges. A striking 84.4% of full-time office workers reported run-ins with pets misbehaving on the job.

Which office habits annoy each generation most?

When broken down by generation, most workers (regardless of age) agreed that loud personal calls, talking over others, stealing food, and interrupting others are among the top no-nos since returning to in-person work. However, Generation Z stood out for finding vaping or smoking near office entrances especially frustrating, with 85.7% reporting this as one of the most annoying behaviours associated with the return to the office.

What annoys Gen Z most in the office?

• #1 Loud personal calls in a shared space
• #2 Colleagues talking over others
• #3 Leaving mess in shared spaces (break rooms or office kitchens)

What annoys Millennials most in the office?

• #1 Loud personal calls in a shared space
• #2 Stealing food from the office refrigerator
• #3 Colleagues talking over others

What annoys Gen X most in the office?

• #1 Stealing food from the office refrigerator
• #2 Loud personal calls in a shared space
• #3 Colleagues talking over others

What annoys Baby Boomers most in the office?

• #1 Stealing food from the office refrigerator
• #2 Loud personal calls in a shared space
• #3 Colleagues talking over others

Why does Gen Z top the worst office offenders list?

The Zoomer Generation is the most “annoying” demographic plaguing offices nationwide, per our survey. When asked which generation was the most likely to commit almost 40 commonly complained about behaviours, Generation Z was found to be the most likely perpetrator in 17 scenarios.

Gen Z, those digital natives ages 18 to 27, are bringing new behaviours to the office that are ruffling feathers of their older coworkers. With 1 in 6 admitting they have never set foot in an office before, it is no surprise that Generation Z's habits are raising eyebrows. From filming TikToks at their desks and venting work frustrations online to vaping near entrances and blasting music without headphones, Gen Z are rewriting the rulebook on what not to do at work.

From loud lunchtime munching to endless chatter about their latest fitness goals, millennials' workplace habits have not gone unnoticed. Respondents called them out as the most likely generation to overshare personal details, eat noisily during meetings, and type with an intensity that is too hard to ignore.

Do workers want office etiquette training?

From loud phone calls to poor meeting manners, it is clear that some people could use a refresher on professional behavior. In fact, over half (59%) of respondents said they felt their workplace would benefit from workplace elocution lessons to smooth out day-to-day interactions.

When asked what kind of training would be most useful, Gen Z leaned into practical skills like time management, professional email etiquette, and collaborating with different personality types to avoid conflict. Boomers, meanwhile, were more interested in tackling tech-related challenges to maintain digital decorum at work.

If poor etiquette is chipping away at your focus while being back at the office, you are not alone. As companies navigate the challenges of bringing employees back together, many workers are rethinking whether their current role is the right fit. For those considering a fresh start, a polished resume makes a difference — and our employee perks survey shows what benefits to negotiate in the next offer.

Survey methodology

Online panel survey of 1,000 full-time American employees aged 18+ who have been asked to return to the office on a flexible or full-time basis. Respondents were asked to rank a selection of 38 common office “pet peeves” to determine whether they were unaffected, mildly disrupted, or very disrupted by these behaviours.

Data recorded: April 2025

Frequently asked questions

What is the biggest office pet peeve in 2025?

Stealing food or milk from the office refrigerator ranked highest, with 97.2% of respondents calling it frustrating since returning to in-person work.

Which generation is most distracting in the office?

Gen Z was named the most likely generation to commit complained-about behaviors in 17 of nearly 40 scenarios surveyed — partly reflecting that many Gen Z workers had never worked in a physical office before.

How many workers want office etiquette lessons?

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said their workplace would benefit from office etiquette or elocution training after return-to-office mandates increased.