I work in an office where a mother and her 18 yr. old son sit and argue about their personal life! Help!

Question

The owner of the company won't listen and they are two of the most uneducated people I have ever met. The son is spoiled rotten and the mother is about as intelligent as an angry 13 year old.

Answer 1

My jaw just dropped and I hit my chin on the desk (WTF)!!! Wholly Mollie I feel for you my brotha (sista?)...  I am intense when I work and am able to block out the world, but on the down moments I can hear the creek of the sun shinning on the outside walls...  You may want to reconsider a position with another company that may compliment your talents...

My hope is that your venting here took some of the pressure off of you - try not to gnaw the erasers off of the pencils...

LOL I would exactally what Gosamm777 says, (sarcasm) that would really drive them up the wall.

I.E. Excuse me why don't you try what they did on VeggieTails or Did you know that 6% of tin soup is made from kittens.  I couldn't help but listening, I think everyone did, but you should make an appointment with your husband and tell your point of view, then your son should do the same - have him put both ideas along with his into a size #3 baseball cap and draw them all out, the last one drawn could be given to your mother-in-law for review and have her call your mother for a solution.  Wait, yeah yeah - tell them that they should involve the mother-in-laws in a group family meeting...  LOL that would be freaking funny!!!

Answer 2

Since the owner is taking no action, you or someone must.  I would send letters to mom and her kid via US Mail c/o the company and simply state that their behavior is unwelcome and distracting.  And since they are so rude, a signature is not necessary.  Hope this helps.

Answer 3

That's a though one. In this case, you can either take it till you can no more, get fed up, and quit your job, or you can go up to someone who can do something about it. If the owner did not do anything, go to the upper division, HR, cops, someone who can do something, or give you better authoritative advice as to what you can do. It really depends on how much it is bothering you. If it has hit your last nerve, you will find a way to make it stop reasonably. I don't think it is right for those two people to be bringing their dirty clothes in a workplace. People go to their jobs to work, not to chit chat about their personal stuff. Find your options, and good luck.

Answer 4

I would try to confront the two culprits first and tell them your concerns, then I would report them in writing if they persist.

Answer 5

Talk to HR, if you have one or find a new job.

Answer 6

I would keep butting in and giving stupid advise. Drive them crazy with suggestions. Drives most people away.

Answer 7

I think you just insulted 13 year old kids everywhere...!  

If I were you, I'd calmly ask them to leave their personal life at home.  We've got work to do and your disrupting the entire office.  It's unprofessional and demeaning to the rest of us [co-workers] and our customers.

If that doesn't work, then make your boss understand how disruptive they are and how it effects his customers [which bosses tend to get a little honked when it starts to effect the income].

Answer 8

talk to your boss in an adult manner, if its compromising or keeping you from working properly then tell your boss so (nobody likes wasting time) if customers are around then you should tell the boss so (in thsi case they are way more inportant! has he seen them argue in front of him?.  if your boss wont listen then its time to look for a new job, since you cannot work in peace, and in this case it'll be your boss's loss not yours.  good luck!

Answer 9

if you have no hr department tell them to shut up leave the family problems at home

Answer 10

Talk to the supervisor, if they won't do anything about it, you could say to the boss "you are allowing them to create a hostile work environment", that is a sue-able grievance or look for a new job.  

Answer 11

gang up with your coworkers and tell them to shut up...

Answer 12

Band together with your co workers, demand the HR dept or the boss recognize you as a group and he do the proper thing, to give you a harassment free work place.  When you act as a group, you are protected by federal labor law to ask for improved working conditions. The hassle from your co workers is detrimental to working conditions. Once you are recognized as a bargaining group ask for more things. Organize, it's your right.  

Answer 13

based on ideas from other people's answers:

ask them to leave their personal life at home, write it in a note, place it on their desk...

send it to their emails using a new email address they would not know.

If that doesn't work, anonymously inform HR.

Answer 14

Talk to the HR department, this is wrong. Also, you can leave a note on their desk when no one is looking. Let them know anonymously that the office is sick of their bickering.