Weird work colleagues

wilkie2006 · 23-12-2011 03:29AM #1

About a fortnight ago a new guy started at my office. He's about 40 years old, really posh-sounding and wears a suit that used to be smart in the early 80s but is now really shabby and stained (no one else dressing formally though). Anyway, it took everyone about a day to realise what an oddball he is. For example:

- He farts constantly and without any discretion. The worst instance was a few days ago when I was in a small room, on a phone call that was to last about an hour. He comes into the room, sticks a post-it note with a message for me on the computer screen I'm looking at (which was f@cking annoying in and of itself), farts silently and leaves. It took about 30 seconds to hit me and, honest to God, it was so potent it was like being punched in the face. I had to sit through it for another 50 minutes.

- On his first day we had a lunch to welcome him to the company. We got loads of Thai dishes and were sharing it around. While the rest of us used plates and cutlery, he picked at everything with his hands, including sticking his fingers into the different sauces and licking them (in between dips).

- He started bitching about my other colleagues after only 3-4 days. In front of about 5 of us he had this exchange with my boss:
Boss: Has Adam given you a breakdown...
Oddball: Oh God, yes he has!! Isn't he awful??! I don't know how you all put up with him.
Boss: Eh... I meant a breakdown of those costs...?

- He won't ask you a question from a distance. He'll always come over to your desk (silently), stand right behind you and wait until you kind sense his presence and turn around (the worst times are when you don't realise he's there, turn around for something else and find that your nose is about half a foot away from his balls).

- He bought a pack of 5 pens (which is another strange bit of behaviour) for - let's say - a fiver, took one out of the pack and asked my boss if he'd like to buy the rest off him for 4 quid.

- He is what can only be described as an aggressive sh@tter. We have a small office with only 2 toilets (like the ones in your house). At least every 3 days there's an incident in the gents where the bowl is, well, covered in matter. It's f@cking gross. My boss went nuts when he saw the state of it the first time and the new guy tried to blame my colleague (this never happened before he joined and everyone knows it's him)!

Please tell me that this isn't just my burden to shoulder!!!

pokertalk · 23-12-2011 03:31AM

since i have loads of ocd's i think i was always the weird guy in every job

cocoshovel · 23-12-2011 03:33AM

Dear god that a strange man. He would irritate the ****e out of me, and to be honest I think id have to tell him not to ever come near me again.

Eathrin · 23-12-2011 03:36AM

When there are SO many people looking for work these days, how do you end up with the likes of him

?

stupidusername · 23-12-2011 03:36AM

Domo230 wrote: »

Does he work in IT by any chance?

You get a lot of oddballs there. It used to make me feel decidedly normal.

Offence officially taken. :mad:

wilkie2006 · 23-12-2011 03:37AM

pokertalk wrote: »

since i have loads of ocd's i think i was always the weird guy in every job

Oh, I think that OCD is very different to what this new guy has. I think he's just strange full stop. A bit of OCD is harmless to other people...

wilkie2006 · 23-12-2011 03:39AM

Cian A wrote: »

When there are SO many people looking for work these days, how do end up with the likes of him?

He's bloody unpleasant but I have to give him credit where it's due; he's actually very good at his job... so he'll be sticking around for a while, I'm sure.

wilkie2006 · 23-12-2011 03:41AM

Domo230 wrote: »

Does he work in IT by any chance?

You get a lot of oddballs there. It used to make me feel decidedly normal.

No, but he works with maths and statistics.

Hande hoche! · 23-12-2011 03:41AM

sleep with him...

Jesus Wept · 23-12-2011 03:41AM

wilkie2006 wrote: »

- He bought a pack of 5 pens (which is another strange bit of behaviour) for - let's say - a fiver, took one out of the pack and asked my boss if he'd like to buy the rest off him for 4 quid.

I admire his entrepreneurial spirit.

Eathrin · 23-12-2011 03:45AM

wilkie2006 wrote: »

He's bloody unpleasant but I have to give him credit where it's due; he's actually very good at his job... so he'll be sticking around for a while, I'm sure.

But these socially awkward people are just the worst, not worth it IMO.
No let me rephrase that, not socially awkward, just plain weird.

danniemcq · 23-12-2011 09:03AM

girl here at work bit one of her "team" (hate that expression) on their work night out

groovie · 23-12-2011 09:07AM

Domo230 wrote: »

Does he work in IT by any chance?
You get a lot of oddballs there.

Reported.

23-12-2011 09:12AM

yeah sounds a right nut-job alright but every workplace has them..........from the David Brent type, to the ones who talk constantly about their lives/children/house incessantly as if anyone cares, to the office geek............fraid we just have to put up with them.

At least he's good at what he does, always a killer having to put up with oddness and laziness

23-12-2011 09:13AM

I was going to ask the same question as Domo as I feel the same way but I think I wont...

Mr.Crinklewood · 23-12-2011 09:36AM

Is he called Eric?

Eroticfishcake · 23-12-2011 10:17AM

groovie wrote: »

Reported.

I assume you are taking the p1ss saying you reported that. Try working in the Public sector or being a banker and see what abuse you will have to put up with. Loads of oddballs are working in IT, I think it's a fair enough comment.

bebostunnah · 23-12-2011 10:20AM

Eroticfishcake wrote: »

I assume you are taking the p1ss saying you reported that. Try working in the Public sector or being a banker and see what abuse you will have to put up with. Loads of oddballs are working in IT, I think it's a fair enough comment.

Reported

ringadingding · 23-12-2011 10:24AM

bebostunnah wrote: »

Reported

Reported

yeppydeppy · 23-12-2011 10:28AM

Come on IT oddballs! Let's untie!

Stiffler2 · 23-12-2011 10:34AM

I.T. only put on the fasade of being oddballs so you stupid end users don't bother us so we can read boards all day while at the same time blocking internet access for everyone else

muuhhhhahaahahhahaha

Also - Reported :rolleyes:

SisterAnn · 23-12-2011 10:34AM

It's true about IT. I also work in the industry (peripherally) and I'll tell you what - Office Space made sense. How else would that Milton character work in the story? That is why he is funny - satire of something real and painfully familiar. Offices are where wierdos live.

but ah - reported anyway.

Patatronic · 23-12-2011 10:37AM

OP: Is he on a 6-month probation, by any chance? Any way to give him the boot? Sounds like he is just not suited to working with human beings. *Ugh*

CardBordWindow · 23-12-2011 10:47AM

I work with a guy, who's also very odd.

He's in an open plan office with a good few people, but he will often use speakerphone when he's on a call. Not just business calls! He was onto his doctor before, which was kinda awkward.
He makes some personal calls and speaks in Afrikaans, and speaks it very loudly. It can be annoying when you're talking to a customer.

He often just asks a question. Refers to nobody, just out with a question! Often I could be working away, minding my own business, and he's looking at me, waiting on a answer.

He also does the silent wait approach at times, kinda like the guy in the OP, only he just stares towards you until you make eye contact, and then he'll talk to you.

Ray Palmer · 23-12-2011 10:56AM

Worked with a guy who used to suddenly statrt talking about subjects other than we were talking about randomly. Talking about a software issue then he would suddenly start talking about really random things. I mean really random like the size of an ant's brain or toy he had as a kid. Then back on topic and off again.
One day he just disappeared from work. Left his coat,wallet,keys etc... never came back! A year later a guy rang up saying his name was Jean Picard want to talk to the boss. It was him looking for a reference! He changed his name to the captian of the Enterprise! A while later I was working in another company and it turns out the same guy worked there and did something similar and had changed his name between then and when he worked with me. Met him again in another company a year or two later and again a different name. All his names were sci-fi or comic book names.

If he was on the run he did a terrible job as he stayed in the same address! Truely odd

Auvers · 23-12-2011 11:02AM

Ray Palmer wrote: »

Left his coat,wallet,keys etc... never came back! A year later a guy rang up saying his name was Jean Picard want to talk to the boss. It was him looking for a reference! He changed his name to the captian of the Enterprise!

love it

Tomk1 · 23-12-2011 11:06AM

wilkie2006 wrote: »

- He started bitching about my other colleagues after only 3-4 days. In front of about 5 of us he had this exchange with my boss:
Boss: Has Adam given you a breakdown...
Oddball: Oh God, yes he has!! Isn't he awful??! I don't know how you all put up with him.
Boss: Eh... I meant a breakdown of those costs...?

now thats funny

I've an idea bitch about him to a bunch of interweb strangers normalers.

wilkie2006 wrote: »

- He won't ask you a question from a distance. He'll always come over to your desk (silently), stand right behind you and wait until you kind sense his presence and turn around.

Terrible he won't shout 'Hey you' across the room, it sounds more like respect, waiting untill your not busy, like interrupting you in the middle of a phone call or an important strain of thought (not to be confused with starring blankly at the ceiling)

wilkie2006 wrote: »

- He is what can only be described as an aggressive sh@tter. We have a small office with only 2 toilets (like the ones in your house). At least every 3 days there's an incident in the gents where the bowl is, well, covered in matter. It's f@cking gross. My boss went nuts when he saw the state of it the first time and the new guy tried to blame my colleague (this never happened before he joined and everyone knows it's him)!

Maybe he suffers from IBS or Crohn's disease, real embarrassing for someone new to have, stress can be a trigger also Thai & indian food big no-no but suprisingly chinese curry actually calms IBS (Indian curry the opposite)

Will there be afterwork Xmass-drinkys? Time to break some...win...err ice.

blatantrereg · 23-12-2011 11:11AM

op made me think of this

InkSlinger67 · 23-12-2011 11:12AM

Aggressive Sh1tting....if ever there was an undiscovered Olympic sport!

Guaranteed Gold for Ireland btw

Teyla Emmagan · 23-12-2011 11:16AM

Tomk1 wrote: »

Maybe he suffers from IBS or Crohn's disease, real embarrassing for someone new to have, stress can be a trigger also Thai & indian food big no-no but suprisingly chinese curry actually calms IBS (Indian curry the opposite)

Will there be afterwork Xmass-drinkys? Time to break some...win...err ice.

Maybe he does, but surely he can still use a toilet brush?

Nothingbetter2d · 23-12-2011 11:19AM

Domo230 wrote: »

Does he work in IT by any chance?

You get a lot of oddballs there. It used to make me feel decidedly normal.

to be fair not all us IT are oddballs.... i found most of the oddballs ive worked with are in admin/clerical positions.

Weird work colleagues

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