my coworker responds to everything I ask him to do with profanity and “your mom” jokes by Alison Green on September 28, 2016 A reader writes: Thanks to the great advice on your blog, I have gone from being a green, honestly unprofessional newbie to office culture to having considerably improved professional dialogue and interactions with my coworkers at the office I have been working in for over three years now. I paid especially close to your tips […] Read the full article →
living so close to work that coworkers could see in my window, employee is struggling with anxiety, and more by Alison Green on September 28, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Living so close to work that coworkers could see in my window As most people do, I have always despised the time spent (some might say wasted) commuting to and from work. I’m currently in the market for a new job, and the commute time […] Read the full article →
my boss wants a timeline for me leaving and I haven’t even given notice by Alison Green on September 27, 2016 A reader writes: In my recent one-one one with my boss, we discussed my career path. I am currently in a graduate program that is only vaguely related to my current role, because what I do now is not something I wish to do long-term. It’s a career path I fell into, and while I […] Read the full article →
my coworker wants us to call her boyfriend her “master” by Alison Green on September 27, 2016 I gasped out loud when I received this letter, and so will you. A reader writes: An employee, “Sally,” started at our workplace about a year and a half ago. She’s not my subordinate, but is the subordinate to a peer of mine, and works frequently with my subordinates. A few months later she got […] Read the full article →
my boss brags about being verbally abusive to her step-child by Alison Green on September 27, 2016 A reader writes: I am not sure I should complaint to my HR department on this, but the situation is making me very uncomfortable at work. My manager got married about a year ago to a man with a child the same age as her own. The child was diagnosed as suffering from PTSD as […] Read the full article →
when should a new manager start doing real work, correcting errors in other people’s letters, and more by Alison Green on September 27, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How new is “too new” before a manager starts to do real work? I’ve worked at a company for 17 years, and for the past 8.5 years in a break-out division that’s now the fastest growing/most profitable of the company. Our management was pretty compressed, […] Read the full article →
how can I completely disconnect from a difficult former boss? by Alison Green on September 26, 2016 A reader writes: I’ve been in my current position for two years. When I started I reported to “Marsha,” a woman not too much older than me (also a woman). I got along great with her, though I noticed some concerning aspects of her personality — she tended to be brusque, did not get along […] Read the full article →
5 terrible workplace policies that good companies don’t have by Alison Green on September 26, 2016 Workplace policies are supposed to serve the needs of the business – which includes attracting and retaining great employees. And yet some truly terrible policies have stuck around for decades, despite fairly sweeping changes in work culture. These policies are often rooted in outdated work norms and a lack of trust from managers toward employees […] Read the full article →
when your boss has to correct your behavior, does it impact their impression of you forever? by Alison Green on September 26, 2016 A reader writes: I’m in a bit of a bind: I struggle with anxiety and PTSD-ish symptoms stemming from my last job. I was in a very toxic environment in which my boss was extremely passive-aggressive and I was basically set up to fail from Day 1. Because of this, it’s difficult for me to […] Read the full article →
does a good college mean you don’t have to do internships, employee refuses to use cell phone, and more by Alison Green on September 26, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. If you go to a good college, do you still need to get work experience while you’re in school? I recently had a dispute with my younger brother, a senior in high school. I suggested that when he goes to college, he should take advantage […] Read the full article →