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A recently hired co-worker has the habit of almost constantly shaking their legs. My desk is located rather close to said co-worker, and the almost constant vibration is wearing on me. I have tried to separate my desk to minimize the effect, but to no avail.
I am considering politely pointing out that the leg shaking is annoying to me (and I suspect others).
Suggestions?
I recently moved my seat to an area of raised flooring and experienced similar problems. I politely informed my co-worker of the leg bouncing and he tries to keep it under control. That's definitely the first step to take. However, the bouncing is likely somewhat habitual/involuntary.
What I ended up doing is buying a Mario-themed bobble-head doll and putting it up between our desks. I explained to him that "I have a tendency to tap my foot to music I listen to, and this will hopefully help me notice and keep from bothering you." That way I was calling attention to it while putting the onus on me rather than him. Now we both use it to inform us when the bouncing is out of control, and it is a bit of an inside joke:)
Your coworker might have restless legs syndrome. Although for many people the leg-shaking is simply an annoying habit or a treatable condition (such as ADHD), for others it may make as much sense to ask them to stop as it does to ask a snorer to stop snoring.
If simply asking him to stop doesn't work, or only works temporarily, or he says he actually has a medical condition, then I would inquire about putting up some ornament or piece of furniture so the sight of it doesn't distract you, and dealing with the noise as you'd deal with any other noise issue in the office (usually headphones, but maybe you can get yourself moved).
I used to share a small room with two other coworkers, one of which had this annoying habit of repeatedly shaking his leg up and down (even while not listening to music), to the point where the noise was really irritating and distracting.
My solution was to simply politely ask my coworker to refrain from doing this. After I informed him of this, he would stop shaking his leg so much, but still occasionally did it anyways (it must have been habitual, after all). So when it continued, I simply tried to do my best to ignore it (sometimes my work was so interesting and engrossing that this was easy). Other times, when I simply couldn't focus, I would politely point out to my coworker that he was shaking his leg again, at which point he would stop again (at least for a few hours, or the day).
If you work in a larger office, or otherwise have the option of moving to another location that's far enough away that you won't be distracted by your coworker, I would consider that an option.
I could see that some people might suggest escalating the issue to a supervisor if your coworker won't listen when you inform him that the leg shaking is distracting. It's definitely an option, but it's only one that I would take as a last resort. I would much prefer to just find another location in the office to work, personally.
I have pinched nerves and other damage to my lower back. I generally use a wheelchair. My leg shacking is a result of these injuries. I wish I could control it. I can hold my legs in place with a LOT of effort, but it is VERY painful. In fact, I get charlie horse from the effort and will break out into sweat. People often ask me to stop and even get mad at me when I do not. I have had bobble heads put on my desk, and complaints to HR.
Please understand for some people there is a medical condition that causes it. Trust me the majority of us do not want to be a bother to the rest of you that do not have such issues.
I have restless leg syndrome and I am a habitual leg shaker, although I don't absolutely know the two are connected. I think of RLS more in terms of how I find it hard to sit still in confined paces, or when I'm tired, and it's hard to control. What I do at a desk is in my control, but often starts subconsciously.
Some offices make this effect more obvious than others:
Some co-workers are more sensitive to it than others. I will always stop at least temporarily when asked, but it's certainly not uncommon for a sensitive co-worker to have to ask a few times over the course of a day. I don't ever do it deliberately around a sensitive co-worker, but ... it's rarely something I consciously start anyway.
Not putting my desk near a sensitive co-worker is probably a good start, if that's possible. Finding ways to have very stable desks with shock absorption would be great, although I haven't seen products that do this well that I'd recommend. I'd be curious to try vibration damping pads under the desk legs. Under my legs too, if they'd work under a task chair.
In essence -- in my experience there hasn't been a great solution. I'd love it if someone were to find one. Asking is certain a totally reasonable and sensible approach, but whether you will be able to get relief on this path without feeling like you have to ask constantly is a question that only you will be able to answer.
I was shaking my leg like i do on occasion at work and was shaking the table and didnt realise. A co-worker said hey mate could u stop shaking and i did, no offence taken at all on several different occasions. So moral is just ask, even have a laugh about it, dosnt have to be a serious thing.
As other commenters have suggested, one option is to simply make them aware of it and ask that they stop. That doesn’t always work though… depending on your relationship it may be complicated to bring it up, or they may be the kind of person who wouldn’t cease shaking out of respect for others alone.
There is another way to make the leg-shaker aware without any sort of confrontation required: subtly make a noise of your own that matches the frequency of their shaking. Tapping your finger, a pen, etc against the underside of your desk, for example. Start quietly and increase the intensity until they become aware/annoyed by the noise and stop shaking, at which point you stop the noise. They will assume they are the cause of the noise, which usually is enough to put a pause to the behavior for a while.
