December 2017

update: my husband can’t work because of his boss’s chemo

Remember the letter-writer whose husband was asked to stay home from work if he’d been exposed to anyone with a fever, because the boss was going through chemo? The husband didn’t have any paid sick leave. Here’s the update. My husband’s original employer, Jane, is still alive. And . . . still cranky and unpredictable. Her […]

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update: I hate my new employee

Remember the letter-writer who hated her new employee — largely because the new hire couldn’t take any feedback or direction on her work? Here’s the update. This hire was sort of the last straw, and I found another job about a month after she was hired. In the interim, the director who insisted on hiring her […]

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ask the readers: how do you know you want to be a manager?

I’m on vacation this week, so I’m throwing this letter out to readers to weigh on in. A reader writes: I am an attorney working in a non-attorney role in a relatively large organization. I am the high performer in this role and have kind of assumed an informal “ring leader” status among the few […]

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updates: the smoking quitter, the daily gifts, and more

Here are four updates from people who had their letters answered here this year. 1. My employee quit smoking and is being a pain (#2 at the link) I mentioned in the comments of the article that by the time my letter was posted, Joy was already doing much better. She was still being rude/short to […]

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updates: the boss’s baby, the stress exaggerator, and more

Here are updates from five people whose letters were answered here in the past. 1. My coworker is pregnant with my boss’s baby If it’s even possible, this update is almost as dramatic as the original post. Before I tell you what has happened recently, I want to just clear up somethings that we’re not adressed […]

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how can I address my employee’s bad attitude?

A reader writes: I have to meet with a staff member who is generally good at her job but has become increasingly disrespectful and resistant to any direction. Her attitude makes it difficult for me to work with her, but every time I talk to her about anything she is so unpleasant about it and […]

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an employee is putting magic curses on her coworkers

I’m on vacation this week, so here’s a reprint of one of my favorite letters of all time. A reader writes: I’ve recently been contacted by a supervisor in our company who has heard that one of his subordinates has been regularly “cursing” both him and his daughter (who also works for our company). By […]

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update: how can I be more assertive at work?

Remember the letter-writer asking about how to be more assertive at work, especially in the face of sexism? Here’s the update. I realized, after reading your reply and the comments, that I was letting my self worth get too caught up in feeling like I wasn’t standing up for myself, and then beating myself up […]

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