August 2019

talking about your period in a male-dominated office, telling candidates we don’t give raises, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How to talk about my period in a male-dominated office I’m in my first “real” job after university, working in the male-dominated corporate office of a large-ish family business. My supervisor, his supervisor, and basically everyone I interact with (with the exception of the head […]

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I think my coworker is an alcoholic

A reader writes: My coworker “Sterling” has always been a hard partying guy, but recently he’s been drinking more and more, and it’s a problem. Several times a week he either comes to work smelling like alcohol or complains to anyone who will listen about how hung over he is. Sterling is in his mid-20’s, […]

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my coworker’s personal life is disrupting our shared office

A reader writes: I share my office with a woman I’ll call Katie. We generally get along, but she is an awful officemate. Despite having a desk phone with a headset, she inexplicably takes her conference calls on speakerphone. When I have nicely asked her to switch phones or quiet down, she first puts her hand […]

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can I use sick leave to take my cat to the vet?

A reader writes: I know this is a silly question and expect to be told I am insane, but I am curious about your opinion! I recently had to take my cat to the vet for for a urgent but not life-threatening issue. It ended up taking about four hours during the work day. I […]

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how can I recover from being the office grump?

A reader writes: I’m in my first year in my job. I’m an open book, so people know when I’m happy and when I’m not. Naturally when I’m upset or angry at work, people can tell. I have been really stressed and haven’t been nice at my office lately recently. Basically I’ve been grumpy. Is […]

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weekend free-for-all – August 24-25, 2019

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. (This one is truly no work and no school.) Book recommendation of the week: Reasons to be Cheerful, by Nina Stibbe. I don’t know how to describe this book. On the surface it’s about an 18-year-old who moves out, […]

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