Office Haters

A staggering 12 million Brits can't stand their work colleagues, according to new research.

And 31 per cent find it so hard to get on with others in their office they have even QUIT their jobs.

Over 40 per cent of workers don't get on with at least one colleague, with almost one in ten admitting they dislike the person they sit next to.

More than 23 per cent hated their desk buddy so much they found an excuse to move seats to get away from them.

The boss doesn't escape the hatred either as the poll, by video recruitment site www.jobs2view.com, also revealed that 20 per cent of Brits don't like their manager.

For some, it is so bad they wish they could work elsewhere with 27 per cent admitting they think about quitting their jobs daily, while another 19 per cent consider it at least once a week.

But Brits are finding ways of avoiding some of their colleagues - more than 60 per cent admit to pretending to be busier than they are and a third have acted like they haven't heard when someone has spoken to them.

More than 35 per cent have even picked up the phone to make a pretend call to avoid a conversation.

And the main reason for not liking a colleague is laziness, with 46 per cent saying this is the biggest fault about their co-worker.

Another 40 per cent reckon they talk too much and more than half of Brits say they also feel excluded because there are too many cliques in their workplace.

Almost 57 per cent also dislike their colleagues for being friendly sometimes but completely ignoring them another time.

More than two thirds are so desperate to get away from their colleagues they spend the day clockwatching until it's time to leave.

But bosses ought to be careful as not only are workers counting down the minutes until the end of the day but a quarter reckon their work suffers because they are unhappy with their colleagues.

With so many Brits desperate to leave work, it's not surprising that 59 per cent of the 2,500 people polled refuse to socialise with their colleagues outside of the office.

More than a third of those aren't even brave enough to admit they aren't going to show up to social event and say they will be there, knowing full well they won't turn up.

Jon Glas, managing director of www.jobs2view.com said: ''These results are alarming. So many people are unhappy at work because of someone they work with.

''We spend so much time at work and with these colleagues, it can be difficult if you don't get on.''

The survey also revealed that more than half of Brits see their job purely as a way of making money and 16 per cent are just filling in the gap until something better comes along.

Only 24 per cent say their job is important to them.