These are the top 50 office gripes - including IT issues, smelly toilets and rotten food in the fridge

A survey of 2,000 office-based staff found many also loathe the lack of natural light, colleagues sucking up to the boss, and people rambling on about their weekend plans – even though they don’t care.

But 39 per cent have been quick to make their feelings known by either leaving a passive-aggressive note or sending an office-wide email.

The last people leaving and not locking up properly, cigarette butts scattered outside and a mess in the lunch communal areas are the top reasons why workers feel compelled to call out their peers.

And 32 per cent of these have even altered their fellow workers to the poor standard of parking.

While half reported their messages were successful in stopping what they deem to be poor office etiquette, 44 per cent admit the problems still persisted.

Warding off irritating colleagues

The research was commissioned by The Workplace Depot, who have created a hilarious compilation of passive-aggressive notes and emails to stick up or send around your own office to ward off irritating colleagues.

A spokesperson for the industrial supplies provider said: “Offices can often be a funny old environment when social norms don’t always translate into those four walls where we spend much of our lives.

“And when forced to encounter a multitude of small bothers on an almost daily basis, it is no surprise it drives many to snap.

“The way many choose to express their displeasure is in the quintessentially British form of the painfully polite passive-aggressive note or email.

“Yet, these will always have a serious undertone of hostility, which for the reader – or even worse, the culprit – can be quite alarming. Although, often rather amusing too.”

The return of the right conduct

The study also found 45 per cent have confronted a colleague about their poor conduct in the workplace – with 46 per cent of these claiming this intervention caused them to stop.

However, eight per cent overstepped the mark and even received disciplinary action following the quarrel.

While 37 per cent have considered leaving their job because of their office bugbears, with 14 per cent making the leap to a new role.

Unfortunately, the grass wasn’t always greener as 44 per cent claimed their new place of work was about the same or even worse than what they had left behind.

Getting their work finished at breakneck speeds so they can leave promptly ranked as the most common way workers counteract their annoyances.

While 37 per cent rarely engage with their colleagues to avoid irritations, and 30 per cent will just dodge visiting the office as much as possible.

More than a quarter (27 per cent) will simply plug their headphones in to drown out the noise and irritations of the office.

In fact, 40 per cent even admitted they are less productive when they are in the office because of what is winding them up, according to the survey conducted via OnePoll.

The spokesperson for The Workplace Depot added: “It’s clear from these findings many of the UK’s white-collar workers are pretty fed-up with what is going on around them between 9 and 5.

“But like many things in life, if you don’t address the problem, it will only get worse.

“It is important for these workers to stand up for what they believe is the right conduct for an office – even if that is hiding behind a passive-aggressive note.”

Top 50 office gripes

1. IT issues

2. Computers being slow

3. People speaking loudly

4. People who have conversations right behind your desk

5. People who leave dirty dishes in the work sink

6. When someone calls in sick when you know they aren't ill

7. Smelly toilets

8. Printers breaking down

9. People coming into work when ill

10. People who take things from my desk without asking

11. People not cleaning the microwave when their food spills

12. Computers crashing