to think colleague's behaviour is fucking revolting?

[justbloodywellstop]

Work in big open plan office, about 100-150 on our floor.

All desks are visible all the time, there's no partitions or anything.

A colleague sits and picks their nose constantly throughout the day. Once excavated, nose contents are eaten. I have to try not to look - they are not directly in my eyeline, but it's easy to see them from where I sit - but it makes me gag.

I'm not the only one, several others find it awful too. One lady couldn't eat her lunch the other day because of it.

Nosepicker is fairly senior, apparently their manager has been told about it, and manager has been begged to have a word with nosepicker, but either that discussion hasn't happened or nosepicker has ignored it.

Wtf do we do? This is horrible isn't it? Nosepicker seems to carry on without compunction, I'm starting to wonder if they think this is normal?! I wouldn't allow a 5 year old to do this, why does an adult!

In case it's relevant nosepicker is late 30s/ early 40s. Born and raised in Uk. Degree educated. So old and educated enough to know better, you'd think

SpaceDuck

Maybe because the posters who think it's disgusting are on this thread, and posters who do it are on the other thread

And there are posters who would do it in private but not in an office

Also, I'm quite surprised at the amount of people saying it's disgusting etc after the 'what's your most disgusting habit' thread where nearly 99% of posters owned up to nose picking.

I might well (very occasionally) do it, but in public, then beurk eating it blargh.

What I find more disgusting is that a room full of people are so terrified of a nose picker that they can't say anything about it. Or do something about it. How weak and pathetic? How are you going to face real challenges and real threats and really disgusting behaviour if you can't even adress a little nose picking? What if the CEO is taking money from the accounts or investing in some activity that destroys forests in the amazon? Or kills whales. Youll find it disgusting and do nothing about it? Nothing.

That to me is disgusting. That people allow activities to go on in plain sight in full knowledge and do nothing about it.

Ok for her it's just an embaressing habit. But for all of you it's a bigger issue. It will be easy for her to stop picking her nose maybe a little embaressing but that's about it. For you guys, you have lost your ability to be proactive against behaviour you find abhorrent. You've become weak. Fearful. And passive. That would take a lot more and is a lot more shameful than some nose picking. You can't communicate honestly. Your managers or he can't communicate. Your colleagues can't be active in resolving issues. Your colleagues can't adress another human being. That's really bad and to be honest I wouldn't let my five year old sit passively by while somone did something disgusting and do nothing and say nothing. I'd expect a five year old to assert their communication skills towards problem solving and change.

Why don't you speak to hr in a group if you are too afraid to speak alone and put pressure on them to be more effective at adressing issues in the office. IF they can't deal with a nose picker maybe they are in te wrong job. It's pretty bloody basic hr 101. And if they can do it say you will adress it yourselves. Find Somone who is close to the poker and ask them to gently tell her that the entire office can see her picking her nose and doesn't like it. Buy her a mirror so she can see herself doing it it may be unconscious. Give her a leaflet on therapy for compulsive nose picking. Whatever. Do something. Say something... Grow a pair. ANd don't be terrified to talk to other humans about behaviour you find disgusting. There may be something you do that nobody tells you about that you should like to know. And if as a society we don't learn to adress humans in a nice understanding way that affects change then you can expect the world to be full of disgusting unacceptable behaviour that people jus put up and shut up about. From nose picking to rascism to war to skid marks on your own pants that nobody told you about.
Grow a pair.

Its not HR 101 to deal with these issues ffs

We would advise on how to approach the subject and how the manager can begin such a conversation and ensure they handle it sensitively but firmly.

If someone came to me with this Id direct them to their, or the noses manager so they can, you know, manage their own staff.

Buggerit Surely employees can bring isses to you that their managers are failing to address voluntarily? Is that not the appropriate route? OP has spoken to the manager to no avail. Hence the advice to go to HR.