Here’s what you should do if you have disruptive co-workers

DENVER — It’s the chitchat that never seems to end. Or the humming or whistling while you’re trying to concentrate. Or the smell of someone’s lunch.

The most irritating or disruptive things about a job may have nothing to do with too much work or boring assignments.

What do you do?

Management consultants say you should address such issues if they could end up affecting how well you do your job. So, here are some tips:

Annoyance or interference

The first step is to figure out whether your co-worker’s behavior is just annoying or if really does interfere with your ability to do your job.

Some people may be more sensitive or intolerant if they are unhappy in their jobs, under a lot of stress or dealing with personal issues.

“If there is no work problem, then you really need to ask yourself, is this something that I just need to let go,” said Atlanta workplace management coach Marie McIntyre.

Quiet, please

Some people need quiet to concentrate while others embrace noise or talking as part of the creative process.

McIntyre said there are physiological differences among people that allow some to screen out co-workers’ conversations and other noise. Others, however, hear and notice everything.

“If you’re somebody who hears every single background noise, then you probably need to take some steps in your own workspace to counter that,” she said.

If you’re distracted by a noisy nearby co-worker, consider using headphones, earplugs or a white noise machine that can mask some sounds. When you need to get a project completed, ask to use an empty conference room or office.

You might ask if you can move to a different desk.

Roxanne Emmerich, a workplace management expert in Minneapolis, once had an employee who was likable, kind and conscientious but “incapable of using her inside voice.”

When it became difficult for employees around the woman to get their work done, Emmerich moved her to a back corner. Problem solved.

Also ask to move if your problem isn’t just your neighbor, but the fact that you’re located in a spot where people congregate.

When those steps don’t work, it’s time for a conversation with your co-worker. Often, colleagues don’t realize they are creating problems and are willing to make changes, the experts say.

Katie Weaver, a receptionist and secretary at the First Citizens National Bank in Upper Sandusky, Ohio, said co-workers used to stop by her desk in the lobby to talk about families, their weekend — just about anything.

With 10 phone lines to answer and customers to greet, Weaver said the chats interfered with her work but she was reluctant to say anything because she didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings.

So she explained to her co-workers that she loved to hear their news but it was stopping her from doing her job. She asked if they could catch up on a lunch break or after hours. Weaver said her co-workers were understanding.

“You can do it in a fun way and get the point across,” she said.