Watching women unite in such a powerful way this past weekend reminds us how fortunate we are that those who came before us engaged in protest so we can work outside the home. That said, life as a career gal isn’t free of its own unique frustrations big and small. Here, 13 exasperating things all of us who werk, werk, werk wish we could scrub from our daily reality.
When you rush to work in dubious last-minute attire—only to realize you have an important meeting on your calendar.
When a coworker of questionable morals has eaten the food you left in the fridge. You know they know it wasn't theirs, so WTF?!
When you feel like you're going through "the change" because the thermostat in your office is constantly swinging between extreme temperatures.
Every office has that one person you hope won't swing by and bend your ear for an hour. If you don't know who it is in your office, it just might be you.
When your boss gives you an assignment at 11am on a summer Friday, you know you've done something to piss him or her off.
Depressing people since the '80s.
When everyone immediately makes excuses for their arrival time via traffic postmortems.
Dear bank and post office: See you after retirement. xoxo
When someone across the room opens a bag of chips and the sound draws desperate coworkers toward the unsuspecting snacker like zombies.
Alternate activities include but are not limited to: texting, reading blogs, scrolling Instagram on your browser, thinking about your next meal, contemplating the meaning of life or experiencing existential despair and wondering if you should get bangs.
The communal Sonos or Pandora station that goes rogue after four hours and turns the ambient playlist into an Ibiza-esque rave.
Let's be honest—nothing productive ever happens on a conference call unless you're the person who uses it as an opportunity to ramble on endlessly so people will think your job is valuable. (Spoiler alert: If you have to do this, it probably isn't.)
Wherein your employer gives you working conditions that have been proven to lower productivity and you end each day feeling as though you've gone to battle. Bonus points for being an introvert who sits at communal work tables all day and doesn't have a psychotic break before lunch.
