Partly for this reason, I think it’s much, much more likely that your angel is on the money here. The scream sneezer is likely aware of how shocking their daily blasts are, and may even be embarrassed by the effect it has on others.

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So why don’t they tone them down? I don’t think it’s because they like to annoy their co-workers. I think it’s because they can’t. And while it might be satisfying to ask this person to “shut up”, it’s unlikely to be helpful. It could even be dangerous: there are some quite graphic medical case studies about what happens when someone attempts to wholly contain their sneeze – ruptured eardrums, throat tissue and blood vessels aren’t even the worst of it.

If they can’t quieten, could they at least move? Again, probably not. We all know that a sneeze is like an annoying relative: they rarely give notice before the turn up. So unless this person is a cartoon character, and says “Ah” a dozen times before releasing their blaring “Choo!” moving into a less crowded part of the office, or into a soundproof meeting room, is nice in theory but probably useless in practice.

If they can’t move, can they at least show some remorse or ruefulness? It sounds from your email as if this person hasn’t addressed their loud sneezing at work and doesn’t apologise for it. That may come across as rude – a form of convenient obliviousness – and gives further grist to your devil’s mill. But I think that it’s much more likely a product of self-consciousness, as your angel has suggested.

I’m not saying you should just pretend this isn’t happening. And, as a leader in your team, you may feel obligated to say something. If you do, my main piece of advice would be that unless you’re certain this person is being a smart arse, offer them kindness.

Send your questions to Work Therapy by emailing [email protected]

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