Citation
(2003), "A calming cuppa?", Work Study, Vol. 52 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.2003.07952ead.005
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2003, MCB UP Limited
A calming cuppa?
Workers who fail to take their turn making tea or coffee for office colleagues are causing conflict in offices and factories across the UK, according to new research. One out of four workers said they got angry when colleagues persistently shirked tea-making duties. Most of the 500 staff questioned by recruitment agency Pertemps described colleagues who failed to pull their weight in the office kitchen as "rude and anti-social" – especially if they happily accepted drinks made by other workers. Other causes of tension at work included noisy colleagues, people who borrowed scissors or staplers without returning them, and untidiness. Tim Watts, chairman of Pertemps, said: "Tempers are running high in the workplace and even seemingly trivial incidents can trigger conflict among colleagues already stressed by heavy workloads and malfunctioning IT equipment. Backbiting and conflict of any kind can cause long-standing rifts and have a negative effect on productivity."