Irritating Co-Workers

Loud Breathing, Sniffling. Smelly Foods Irritate Co-workers

By: Rey Domingo

Don’t you hate it when your co-worker breathes too loudly? And you will surely scream if your colleague raps her fingernails on her desk one more time.

So, what’s with the guy at the desk next to yours? Did he bathe in a vat of cologne?

What habits do your coworkers have that drive you around the bend?

These are their top 10 cringe-worthy habits, according to a recent survey: Some workers would like to slap a fine on such behavior.

About 65% people surveyed think a fair fine structure would make everyone much more accountable for their actions.

Here are the fines surveyed employees said they would levy for the behaviors they rated as the worst:

• Loud or open-mouth chewing (70%) • Strong smells such as food, body odor, and too much cologne or perfume (68%) • Coughing, sneezing or sniffling (48%) • Rhythmic tapping (43%) • Loud music (42%) • Colleague’s messy desk (36%) • Loud breathing (32%) • Clinking cutlery (27%) • Loud typing (26%) • Anti-social co-workers (16%)

Not surprisingly, many of the bad habits dealt with hygiene and cleanliness – or the lack thereof.

More than half – 54% – wanted a workplace policy that bans employees from heating up smelly foods and a whopping 93% said food left in the office fridge should be removed within a week.

Workers also can’t stand colleagues who return from workouts less than daisy-fresh. Ever missed a deadline, arrived late to a meeting or took a longer-than-allowed lunch break?

• $28 for not meeting a deadline (79%). • $24 for being unnecessarily rude or offensive (72%). • $20 for not attending a scheduled meeting (66%). • $14 for making or taking multiple personal phone calls during working hours (64%). • $10 for showing up more than 5 minutes late to a meeting (58%). • $12 for taking a longer lunch break than allocated (53%). • $6 for showing up more than five minutes late to work (45%). • $8 for dressing inappropriately or sloppily (40%). • $5 for saying they’ll attend a work social and then not showing up (37%). • $3 for allowing a personal phone to ring during a meeting (31%).

As for how the money from the fines would be used, the majority think it should be used to improve workplace aesthetics. The workplace is like a second home for many employees.

T-Rex Takes Vacay to Kauai

By: Lisa Ellen Smith

Not an everyday thing you see at the airport.

I had the opportunity to see the arrival of a dinosaur here at Līhu‘e Airport.

She was dressed coming off the jet bridge, through baggage claim, and the curbside terminal, bring smiles wherever she went.

I wanted to share the smiles she brought to us here.

Happy holiday season!

From left: DOT director Jade Butay, Jeff Tarpey of United Airlines and OGG manager, Marvin Moniz

Safety Commendations Awarded to United, Delta and Hawaiian Airlines

By: Anna Metcalfe

Mahalo to Hawaiian Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Airlines for leading the way on our enhancing our safety and Security program!

Reid Shigeoka of Hawaiian Airlines and Marvin Moniz From left: Jade Butay, Patricia Hast of Delta Airlines and Marvin Moniz

Director & First Deputy Visit Kapolei, Kauai, Hilo Offices

In the past few weeks, Director Jade Butay and First Deputy Lynn Araki-Regan visited HDOT offices in Kapolei, the Highways baseyards, Kauai, Maui, and Hilo.

“Hoping to meet with our Kona offices in the near future,” said Deputy Director Lynn ArakiRegan.