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12 subtle signs that your coworkers hate you

Aine Cain
Tuesday 24 January 2017 18:07 GMT
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(iStock/gremlin)

It's important to determine who you can trust at work.

It's good to make friends in the office. It's also smart to figure out which coworkers aren't too crazy about you.

Business Insider previously spoke to Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behaviour and Thrive in Your Job," and Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humour Advantage."

Here are some subtle signs that your colleagues don't like you:

1. You have a bad gut feeling

Don't second-guess your feelings. If you suspect that someone in the office is not happy with you, try to observe their behaviour. Do they treat everyone the same way? Or is it just you?

2. They steal credit for your ideas

These coworkers could just be "glory hogs," says Taylor.

But if they go out of their way to steal the limelight from you and only you, then your might have a saboteur on your hands.

3. They're short with you

If you ask "How's it going?" and they always respond with "OK" or "Fine" — or if their emails always get straight to the point and never begin with a friendly "Hello" or "Good afternoon" — then this may be a sign that they're not a huge fan of you.

"If they sound like a moody teenager, then that's a pretty big red flag," says Kerr.

4. They never include you in their office bantering or humour

"Joking around is a key way that relationships become cemented in any workplace, and not inviting you into the inner circle of bantering is a sign your coworkers may not feel comfortable around you enough to think of you as 'one of the team,'" says Kerr.

5. They assume unauthorised power

Sometimes coworkers who want to muscle in on your position will play boss even when they have no authority, says Taylor.

6. They don't acknowledge your presence

If your colleagues don't say "Good morning" when you arrive or "Have a great night" on their way out, then they may be telling you that they don't like you, says Taylor.

7. They give off negative body language

Whether it's a subtle eye roll or constantly assuming a closed-off position with arms folded across their chest, or they don't look up from their computer screen when you enter their office, your coworkers' body language will often reveal their true feelings toward you, Kerr says.

8. They get defensive around you

"If they often and immediately get defensive around you, it could indicate that there's a lack of trust, and possibly deeper dislike," says Kerr.

9. They constantly disagree with you

Continuously gunning down your ideas is a sign that they don't like you.

"If it feels like someone shoots down every thought before you've even finished a sentence, then it's often because their dislike is so strong that they are biased against anything you suggest, even when it's a great idea," says Kerr.

10. They create cliques that are reminiscent of high school

If you feel like you're in a scene from the movie "Mean Girls" and you're not invited to hang out or sit with any of the office cliques, then your colleagues probably don't like you very much.

11. They never ask about your personal life

If you notice that your colleagues speak with each other about their kids or hobbies, but never bring up these topics with you, then they're probably just not interested in hearing about your life, says Kerr.

12. They micromanage you and only you

If your boss is picking on you when it comes to micromanaging, it might be that your work isn't up to standards. Alternatively, they might just be out to get you.

"In some cases this can even lead to mild bullying behavior, where the boss is so consumed with monitoring your every step that it begins to feel like a form of intimidation," Taylor previously told Business Insider.

Jacquelyn Smith contributed to a previous version of this article.

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Read the original article on Business Insider UK. © 2016. Follow Business Insider UK on Twitter.

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