9 signs you’re dealing with a passive-aggressive coworker

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It's probably healthier to distance yourself from any passive-aggressive people floating around your personal life.

You don't have that luxury in the office. It's not like you can just part ways with the cubicle mate who's constantly leaving whiny sticky notes everywhere. You're pretty much trapped.

Even worse, passive aggression can be quite subtle. That's why it's so damaging in a professional setting — it can sneak up on you.

It's important to keep tabs on this damaging behavior, so you don't end up getting burned.

Here are nine clear signs that you're most likely dealing with a passive-aggressive coworker:

They're constantly leaving snippy notes

Listen, there are times where it's acceptable to leave an aggrieved sticky note or send out a vexed office-wide email. For example, if your colleagues are always leaving the communal microwave looking like the aftermath of a gruesome and mysterious science experiment, I can definitely understand why someone would feel the urge to call people out.

However, if you work with someone who's scribbling out elaborate memos over every tiny annoyance, watch out.

They procrastinate when you ask them to do something

Whenever you ask your colleague to do something, they get to it ... eventually. They never complain, but they make their displeasure known by taking forever to complete the task.

Keep in mind, some people are just procrastinators; their delays aren't meant personally. Alternatively, you may be at fault here, if you're over-asserting your position on a person of equal rank.

All things considered, if they're perfectly competent and your requests are appropriate and reasonable, you're probably just dealing with a passive-aggressive individual. The Mayo Clinic lists procrastination "in response to others' demands" as a sign of passive-aggressive behavior.

They're constantly griping to you

Venting in an office setting is usually pretty unprofessional, unless you're close friends with whomever you're venting to.

That doesn't seem to faze this particular coworker. They complain about everything. The boss. The clients. The other people in the office. Frankly, most of their issues seem pretty unreasonable to you.

This is a major red flag that you're talking to a toxic person.