Question: “I have to spend eight hours a day with a co-worker who leaves her mouth open when she chews gum (or anything else) and makes all kinds of noises. It’s really annoying and makes it hard to concentrate on my work. All I hear is chewing. I don’t know if she realizes she’s making those noises. What’s the best way to handle this?” – Anonymous
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{ 13 comments… read them below or add one }
I smack my gum. It drives my cubicle mate crazy. He always wears earphones now. On the other hand, he eats incredibly foul smelling food at his desk…I wish I could have a separate cubicle or office.
Approach politely and rehearsed, but be nice. Like many said, she may not realize it. It’s unprofessional to chew gum at work anyways, I do it often but now have problems with my jaws. That may be a good reason for that person to slow down. :)
I know this isn’t the same, but a man who used to sit across the hall from me would belch loudly all the time – and I just started yelling out WHAT….!?!?!?!?!…until one day – he got it…and apologized!
Hey gang, EXCELLENT answers.
I have been in HR for over 17 years, I have seen a lot.
You all may want to be prepared for all sorts of reactions from the “gum smacker”!
(1) She may not be aware of it and stop smacking her gum immediately.
(2) She may become hurt or upset because she may have medical or dental issues that actually make her “smacking” unavoidable. (???)
(3) She may actually start to SMACK even LOUDER to distract you and/or get back at you.
UGH! Welcome to the world of HR!
Some days I ask myself “Cheryl WHY are you in HR?” LOL
Laughing and shaking my head! :)
Just another prospective.
Thank you.
Very Sincerely,
Dr. StillStanding
I like Jtoms answer the best but my concern with all of these suggestions is the fear that my co-worker would get offended. I work in an environment with lots of sensitive ladies who don’t care about how their habits affect others. For me, I would either put earplugs in my ears or I like the IPod answer if company policy allows for it. I wish I was bold enough to address some of the behaviors in my office that annoy me.
In a kind and respectful way ask her for permission to bring up a sensitive subject. Let her know that her habit is making it hard for you to concentrate. You’e not asking her to stop chewing, but to be aware that when it gets too loud it bothers others. Perhaps she’ll be open to a deal that when you tap the desk it’s too loud.
Just have a one on one with her and say that the smacking of the gum is making it hard for you to get the work and done. So please stop.
Just level with her and let her know. I tend to smack my gum, too, and like Mark, even though I know I have the habit, I don’t always realize that I am doing it. She probably will be fine with it if you go about it in a light-hearted way.
I have a pen-clicking habit, and I am not aware when I do it. When it was brought to my attention the first time, we both agreed that the other person would let me know when I was doing it again. I wasn’t mad about it, and her speaking up about it allowed us to successfully deal with the problem. I would suggest politely talking with her about it.
Make a joke out of it. Say something like “Wow! That gum SURRRRE sounds good”, then laugh “playfully”. Worked for me with one of my co-workers who DID the same thing… Drove me absolutely nuts!
Deal with the “Gum-Smacker” straight on… I truly feel she is not aware of it and immune to the sound of her own smacking!! So confront (be professional) and just tell her that you can hear her smacking her gum and ask her if she realizes how loud it is. If she is in denial or disbelief, you may have to pull in another co-worker to confirm it.
I’d politely mention to her that her gum cracking makes it hard for you to concentrate and if she wouldn’t mind not chewing it at work. She’s probably not even aware. I stopped chewing gum years ago when I realized what a smack job I was performing! It does really interfere with others having to hear it and it’s plain old tacky. If you don’t feel comfortable approaching her yourself then you should politely ask your supervisor to speak with her because it is a disruptive behavior interfering with your workflow. There might even be a policy on it. If all else fails, iPOD yourself with earphones.
Offer her a mint? It just might possibly work. Or, you might want to pop your gum and make the noises she makes. It might wake her up to realize that she may the same.