Colleagues talking loudly, computers crashing and the use of office jargon have been named as some of the worst gripes that office employees experience when at work.

A study carried out by Londonoffices.com has concluded which are the top ten workplace annoyances that cause employees to see red.

Annoying ringtones, temperamental colleagues and the dreaded kitchen thief were among other workplace frustrations to make it into the top ten.

Finishing off the list of office annoyances were the air con settings, toilet etiquette, employees who fail to turn up to meetings and office small talk.

One office worker told researchers: “Regardless of how good my workday is going, there’s always a few pet peeves of mine that occur around the office, and I can’t seem to stop them getting to me.

“I can’t stand it when my computer breaks down, and if it’s working fine then it’s usually downloading a painfully long update that means I can’t do any work for an hour.”

A spokesperson said: “Many of these annoyances seem like minor occurrences to get frustrated about, but if they keep happening then it really can lead to some staff having a real issue with them.

“Some of these irritants are unavoidable, like computers crashing as an example, but others like colleagues stealing your lunch and people talking loudly on the phone are easily addressable in a workplace by speaking to staff about these issues.”

Here are the top ten office annoyances, according to the study:

1. People talking too loud

Colleagues talking too loudly and shouting down the phone can be a major distraction when others in the immediate vicinity are trying to focus on a task, so it’s no wonder that this is in the top ten.

Asking a friend you work with to quieten down can make for a tricky social situation, however, to try to find a solution that allows you to cut out the external noise without offending someone might be your best bet.

2. Annoying ringtones

There’s always one member of staff who never puts their phone on silent, and gleefully lets their cheesy ringtone play out before answering the phone.

3. Computers crashing

Every person who works with a computer will understand how infuriating it can be when your machine breaks down, the big question always being whether you’ve managed to save your work in time before it happens.

4. The kitchen thief

All employees lose their lunch to a food thief once in a while. Just remember to label anything that’s yours, as it can be tricky to catch whoever is helping themselves to other’s lunches red handed.

5. Employees who fail to turn up to meetings

Meetings are key opportunities to bounce ideas off fellow colleagues so it can be understandably irritating when they fail to turn up as this is a missed opportunity to help contribute new ideas and strategies.

6. Use of office jargon

Clichéd jargon and irritating sayings are rife in all office environments. Used sparingly it can articulate your argument perfectly, but constantly spouting jargon is out-dated and can leave other employees viewing you as a sort of David Brent.

7. Temperamental workers

Each office environment has its own stresses, but employees who let these adversely affect their mood are unprofessional and can become a major irritation to those working around them.

8. Toilet etiquette

Using the bathroom after someone who leaves the toilet seat up, or leaves a particularly unpleasant odour behind them, can be a real gripe when working with other employees. Just remember to leave the toilet in the same tidy state it was in before you used it.

9. The air-con

When it’s hot it’s not working, and when it’s cold it won’t turn down. Getting the office air-con working properly can be a real hassle, but just bear in mind that in the summer months some offices suffer through without any air conditioning at all.

10. Office small talk

Word travels quickly in busy working environments, which is probably why small talk around the office made it into the top ten.

Knowing that employees are discussing something secretive without wanting you to hear can be a real annoyance, so try to keep all conversations out in the open. Likewise always remember the old adage about gossip, “He who fetches tales will carry.” Don’t tell anyone anything in the office that you wouldn’t be happy to see displayed on the office noticeboard!