October 2022

have you ever had a spooky experience at work?

Did you ever work somewhere haunted? Feel the ghost of your predecessor marooned in your office? Encounter an evil spirit lurking in the copier? It’s Halloween, so let’s hear all your stories about spooky experiences at work. Share in the comment section! And to start us off, here are some particularly creepy stories from past […]

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interview with a haunted house cast member

For Halloween, I talked with someone who worked in haunted attractions for more than a decade, both as an actor and a makeup artist. Here’s our conversation. First, tell me a bit about the work you did. I started working for a large haunted house in my early teens and continued until my late 20’s […]

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the grisly Halloween decorations, wearing a costume to an interview, and more

It’s Halloween! Let’s revisit some Halloween questions from past years. (Also, there is an amazing interview coming later today with a haunted house cast member!) 1. My coworker goes overboard with grisly Halloween decorations People in our office go bonkers over Halloween. Recently we were encouraged to decorate for Halloween. I would take that to […]

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weekend open thread – October 29-30, 2022

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: Everything I Know About Love, by Dolly Alderton. That friend everyone has in their 20s who’s always slightly tipsy and a complete mess with men, but […]

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it’s your Friday good news

It’s your Friday good news! 1.  “I discovered your column while working one of the worst jobs of my life (I lasted 8 months, and was their longest term employee in the role in over 5 years). My job history since has felt like a series of unfortunate events – highlights from different jobs include: […]

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open thread – October 28-29, 2022

It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to take your questions to […]

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should managers always “own the message,” personal info in the background of a coworker’s cat photos, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should managers always “own the message”? It is review time at our company. I’m no longer a manager, but was included on an email from our VP about “owning the message.” They don’t want managers saying, “I would have promoted you, but it was turned […]

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my boss keeps commenting on my acne

A reader writes: I (30F) got a new supervisor in the last six months, who is also part of the C-suite. She is very talented, knowledgeable, and friendly. She has done a lot in terms of supporting and mentoring me, and I am really appreciative of her efforts. However, one issue with her is that […]

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where are you now? (a call for updates)

At the end of each year, I publish a slew of “where are they now” updates from people whose questions I answered here in the past. In past years we’ve had several hundred each December and it’s been magnificent. If you’ve had your question answered here in the past, please email me an update and […]

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