72% of UK office workers say workplace etiquette has gotten worse in the last three years, and it’s not pay, perks or performance targets that are driving the frustration. It’s the everyday habits colleagues bring into the office, from loud calls taken at desks to kitchens left in chaos.
While employers pour time and money into big culture initiatives, our latest research suggests it’s the small, repeated behaviours that are having the biggest impact on how people feel at work. And for many employees, those behaviours are slowly chipping away at motivation, focus and morale.
Based on a survey of 2,000 UK office workers, instantprint set out to uncover which habits cause the most irritation, which ones genuinely improve the working day and why office etiquette has become such a flashpoint in modern workplaces.
When Small Annoyances Become a Big Problem
Office frustrations might sound trivial on paper, but they’re anything but insignificant in practice. 61% of workers told us that bad office habits directly reduce their motivation, while 44% said they negatively affect how professional they perceive their colleagues to be.
Noise was by far the biggest issue. 58% of respondents said loud phone or video calls taken at desks were their number one workplace annoyance, a figure that’s risen sharply as hybrid working has normalised back-to-back virtual meetings in shared spaces.
Cleanliness wasn’t far behind. Over half of workers, 52%, said leaving shared spaces messy causes regular frustration, particularly kitchens, printers and meeting rooms. These are small acts, but when they happen daily, resentment builds quickly.
Communication habits also played a major role. 47% of respondents cited passive-aggressive emails or messages as a key irritation, suggesting that digital communication has made it easier for tensions to simmer rather than be resolved.
Lateness, ignoring shared rules and a general lack of consideration rounded out the top five worst office habits. None of these behaviours are dramatic on their own, but together they create an environment where people feel distracted, undervalued and disengaged.
This aligns with wider research. Studies have shown that unresolved low-level conflict can increase stress and negatively impact productivity over time, even when there’s no obvious disagreement or confrontation.
The Science Behind Why Office Habits Matter So Much
Humans are highly sensitive to fairness and reciprocity. In simple terms, when someone feels they’re making an effort and others aren’t, frustration follows.
Psychological research into workplace behaviour has consistently shown that perceived disrespect, even in small doses, can trigger stress responses similar to those caused by heavier workloads. A colleague who consistently ignores shared norms, whether that’s noise levels or tidying up, signals to others that their comfort doesn’t matter.
Our data supports this. 53% of workers said they’d feel more engaged if office etiquette was addressed more openly, while 48% believe it would improve team relationships.
These findings are particularly relevant in hybrid offices, where face-to-face time is limited. When people are only in the office a few days a week, negative experiences tend to stand out more sharply and there’s less opportunity to
smooth things over informally.
The Habits That Actually Make Work Better
The good news is that the habits people value most aren’t expensive or complicated.
When we asked workers which behaviours they appreciated the most, the answers were refreshingly simple. 64% said respecting noise levels and using headphones had the biggest positive impact on their day, making it the most valued office habit overall.
Clean shared spaces ranked second, with 59% saying a tidy kitchen or meeting room genuinely improves their mood at work. Clear and polite communication followed closely behind, cited by 55% of respondents, reinforcing how much tone and clarity matter in digital interactions.
Punctuality and preparation for meetings along with basic courtesy such as saying thank you or acknowledging messages completed the top five. These are behaviours most people already know are important, but our research suggests they’re often underestimated.
In fact, 46% of workers said simple politeness has more impact on morale than perks like free snacks or social events. It turns out feeling respected still matters more than freebies.
Expert Insight: Why Employers Should Care
Jon Constatine-Smith, Head of instantprint, believes these findings should act as a wake-up call for businesses.
“Office tension rarely comes from one big blow up,” he explains. “It’s usually driven by small behaviours that happen day after day and slowly chip away at morale. What this research shows is that being mindful of how you work around others, whether that’s noise, cleanliness or communication, can make a noticeable difference to how connected and productive teams feel.”
From his perspective, the issue isn’t that employees don’t care, but that expectations are often unspoken.
What workplaces can do next:
- Set clear, shared expectations around noise, cleanliness and communication rather than assuming everyone’s aligned.
- Address etiquette as part of onboarding and return-to-office conversations, not just performance reviews.
- Encourage managers to model good habits themselves, as behaviour is far more contagious than policy.
- Create safe ways for employees to raise small issues before they turn into bigger problems.
The Bigger Picture for Workplace Culture
Workplace culture is often framed as something built through values statements and big initiatives. But culture is also shaped by the everyday experiences employees have with each other.
Our research suggests that organisations who ignore low-level irritations risk allowing disengagement to grow quietly beneath the surface. On the flip side, businesses that tackle the small stuff, from noise norms to meeting etiquette, stand to see meaningful gains in morale and productivity.
As offices continue to evolve, the question is no longer whether etiquette matters. It’s whether employers are willing to treat it as a serious part of how work gets done.
Because when it comes to building a healthy, high-performing workplace, it’s often the smallest habits that leave the biggest impression.
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