My work colleague never stops talking.

[Fox22]

I work with a colleague who constantly talks while we are working. What we do requires a lot of concentration. The radio is already on so that also can be distracting for me. So combine that with somebody that talks it’s exhausting me! Our manager is aware, and even avoids coming into the office because of it! I said to her when she was stood up, not working, and talking at me, that I needed to concentrate as I couldn’t figure something out and she said ‘ok’ and CARRIED ON TALKING’ even when I’m not looking at her, making it very clear I am not interested, she carries on. She reads every email out that she receives, reads every email out that she sends back! I don’t know what to do?! Given the fact I have told my manager. We do not have a HR person? I also wouldn’t want to get somebody into any trouble, but what do I do? It doesn’t just affect me, it affects another two colleague. She’s very almost reduced me to tears, where I have had to get up and leave the room!! As she just doesn’t listen when you say that you are busy.

Can you wear headphones?

Get her a cork and tell her to use it.

I would say very firmly 'i need you to stop talking I am trying to concentrate'. If she continues ask if she heard you. Ask her to clarify why she is still talking. Make it really awkward. Maybe tell your manager if it doesnt get sorted you can't work from that space. Can you wfh?

Ask to be moved physically too far away from her. My DH is the same it drives me crazy. I’m trying to do my tax return, he won’t stop talking.

Earphones sounds like a good call.

Hi there I'm the compulsive talker.
I only discovered the truth a few years ago.I worked in noisy environments so it was less obvious.Ive been diagnosed hyper active impulsive ADHD with autistic traits.
So I chat non stop when I'm excited or have ideas.
I also don't recognize social cues.Your colleague maybe the same.
I think the answer is to set boundaries.Chat at break time or before work.
I think it's incredibly hard for both parties tbh.

My exact thought! Not sure what the solution is though. Fidget toy perhaps? I like these:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/ALMAH-Exercise-Therapy-Anxiety-Tension/dp/B0FY1Z4S4S/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?crid=2H72UYH3TXWX5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.v0ly3Ivafsid6Lz9d8TCU9TPt0L5lrMW9sQqP93usJzH8wcxHgKftsnbpKZU_jj8gTIyIr-cEIGl_DNtExVXBQ3bFzEIi-LJIylo1aY1ZfQpahANj5cbOAI5IeYtuTDg-7i0EsMX8L5gydv4ROUigM47rLmz4ALa1pPNljhs4RouMfMuqDiuqHuBkRrt5UbIUhgO5DkoIlTzayUl_0v9JA.Gh4g1aNVFCNLf7A01QZD-kKKpYwXcgiYpyF3qEHldlQ&dib_tag=se&keywords=stress+balls+for+adults&qid=1777184144&sprefix=strss+%2Caps%2C148&sr=8-6

Tell her that it is distracting.

"Stop talking all the time, I can't concentrate!" Keep on repeating this.

Definitely tell her to stop reading emails out loud - there is no need for this - she is an adult, not a child.

I work with someone like this too. It’s hellish and a lot of colleagues are working from home because they can’t face the endless whittering in the office. I have a pair of expensive noise cancelling headphones and wear them for 8 hours a day. It’s not ideal but there’s not a lot else I can do.

Can you work from home? Or as mentioned, noise cancelling headphones.

I think you need to go back to your manager and insist that he does something about it… it’s not about getting someone in trouble, it’s allowing everyone to actually do their jobs.

Are you worried you are going to lose your temper with her? I'd be making it your manager's problem tbh. Ask manager to explain to colleague that she's senior enough to send routine emails without your approval. Ring the manager to help every time she asks a work question. Document that you asked her to stop talking at 9:15 when you were doing x task, and she didn't, it therefore took you twice as long and you were unable to do z task. I'm sorry manager, are you finding constant interruptions annoying?

Oh l completely understand, it would also drive me crazy, a woman l worked with, each day would come in and recall the evening before spent with the family, what they’d eaten, who said what etc, mind numbingly boring, l used to say, put a sock in it, Jac I’m busy, worked for less than a minute.

We had one like this in the Office. Her manager moved her so she was further away from other people so that she didn’t feel the need to “talk at” the people next to her. She was also allowed to WFH 2 days a week.

I would talk to your Manager again and ask them what solutions they can think of.

Ultimately though you might need to be more firm. I had a bloke like this next to me for years and I would regularly say “please shut up now, I’m working”. I genuinely don’t think he realised he was constantly chatting until he was told directly to shut up.

AirPods and ignore her, her manager needs to be really direct, give feedback and then performance manage her

Speak to the manager again and make it a bit of a ‘policy’ the manager should take them aside and say, given the nature of the work, we need to ensure that everyone can concerntrate work - part of this is not having music on, not talking too much etc. they should say this in a team meeting. Then next time she talks - say ‘we are not supposed to talk too much as management says we have to concentrate’ etc. then it’s not ‘you’ asking your colleague to shut up - you are reminding her of ‘ a workplace policy standard’

Reading out each email is batshit.

Why is the radio on?! Your boss needs
to say something to her. Having a manager not coming in because of it is pathetic. They need to manage!

Lol, I work with someone like this. If I need to concentrate I just tune her out and don't give any response whatsoever. If she insists I respond (she often asks if her emails sound OK, how to spell words, what I think about xyz) I say what was that? As in I haven't been bloody listening to you because I'm trying to work!!!

If it gets too much for me I tell her I'm on a course and stick my headphones on. Then she will ask what course I'm doing, what it's for, and bloody WHY 😂

It's like working with a child. You have my sympathy OP.

I couldn’t stand the sound of constant chatter while I was concentrating and wouldn’t have put up with it so would be quite blunt and have told her to stop wittering on so I could think or ask her stop that constant racket she makes.
You don’t get anywhere if you don’t spell it out. (Every time)
She is an energy vampire.

I was on the verge of changing my hours to avoid someone who was seriously getting on my nerves with her non stop talking. She was fairly new and I tried to not let it show how much she was a distraction but thankfully just as I was going to speak to the manager about my hours, she gave her notice in as she was pregnant.

There was another person who tended to mutter constantly to themselves all the time, he was too far away to affect me but he did affect one of my colleagues, a woman who never, ever swore. It obviously got too much for her one shift and she bellowed out: XXXXX with you shut the fuck up!

He did and it was not a problem after that.

So, I'm your colleague - I process things verbally and now, in middle age, need to read things out loud to take them in, and read things that I'm working on out loud as well.

If your colleague's incessant talking is about work rather than social stuff, then I'd try to give her the benefit of the doubt and assume that for whatever reason, this is something she needs to do to get her work done.

BUT her needs do not trump yours! In my case I was able to move to a workspace where nobody has to hear me talk to myself (or at least it's pretty muffled). It was framed in my case as a reasonable accommodation. I also wfh a lot.

I would be mortified if I thought my own processing needs were irritating or otherwise affecting my colleagues. When you approach your manager about this (which you should), I would frame it as different work styles, rather than her being unreasonable.

Noise cancelling headphones. Apple AirPod pros are like turning off your ears. I cannot work without them. Buy some quick.

I used to wear earplugs in the office when I needed to concentrate

Thank you for sharing. One of my team is ADHD and she’s agreed with her supervisor a code word when it’s noticed she distracted or talking too much. Her idea. Our team never understood ADHD and how it manifests so now we’re all much more supportive.

Thirdstorm I want to do this code word thing.Im mortified that I've been like this for decades and only just been diagnosed.
Some of the reading aloud and repeating thinks is a potential autistic traits to anyone who finds it childish.
I've only discovered this at almost 60.

Thank you for telling us about your colleague.