I work at a university doing research in a staff position but I'm relatively junior compared to everyone else in this story. Basically everyone I work with is an MD or PhD in STEM as well as the subject of this story and myself. “K” has had a problem since she started in 2019 because she is an anxious extrovert and she hates that no one in our office is very social. When we are in the office we have private offices and most people walk into their offices, shut the door, and put on headphones. Do their work, leave. You have about 50 scientists and researchers who just aren't interested in socializing (myself included). No one pops by just to chat and no one opens their door for a random knock.
We went hybrid after being remote through most of 2021 and K has become quite upset with people not coming into the office and has taken to knocking on doors and whining to our administration about people not answering/not being in the office when they are supposed to be. She has been told to stop repeatedly because it's not her problem and people here are introverts anyway. We also have a huge issue with hiring because the university is slow and retention is already hard enough with university policies/pay. K has no direct reports but makes everything her business.
Anyway, I was just in a zoom meeting with her where we were discussing an office recognition event. We were talking about if it the event should be in person, zoom, or hybrid. She has an outburst. “COVID is over and everyone needs to just get over it and come into the office. We have a vaccine and everything is FINE. The only way to make connections is in person!”
We've had vaccines for years and even Lena fucking Wen has finally come around to we can't vaccinate our way out of this ( only after getting long COVID herself). Meanwhile K knows there are people in the meeting who have multiple young children with special needs, a new mom with a nursing baby, and all sorts of other needs and we're all fucking introverts anyway who don't answer who stupid knocks before the pandemic. But she's upset because she has no one take her anxiety out on. She is the epitomy of a middle manager without anything to manage. I'm so tired of people like this.