Archives Looking for past posts? You can find posts from 2019 below, or find earlier years here: 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2019 January February March March 2019 open thread – March 22-23, 2019 should I stop wearing makeup to fit in at work, unprepared interviewers, and more my boss constantly complains about how much he pays me what to look for when you’re interviewing students ask the readers: when you’re the chronically sick coworker my coworker uses all-caps for everything, can I ask my office to stop swearing, and more my team got matching tattoos … and other lack of boundaries at my start-up how to say no to your boss is being visibly stressed at work a sign of commitment? I replied-all with an adversarial email, my boss and I dress alike, and more my boss doesn’t trust my answers or my ideas — and keeps double-checking what I say with others how to negotiate salary after a job offer my office is walking on eggshells around our overly-friendly coworker coworkers at my new job want to oust the CEO, a company I rejected keeps rejecting me back, and more I was invited to a 300-person cattle-call interview, and now the company wants to know why I’m not interested what should you do if you’re asked to work for free in a job interview? can I use dark humor at work? should employers pay if employees need an extra airplane seat, I got sent to a conference where I didn’t belong, and more weekend free-for-all – March 16-17, 2019 everything you need to know about being a new employee, and more about the menstrual cup manager open thread – March 15-16, 2019 employee constantly uses astrology to analyze coworkers, former employee published hit piece on our company, and more don’t drunkenly email your boss this St. Patrick’s Day do I have to help someone I can’t stand? fighting “out of sight, out of mind” when you work from home I was promised a perk but discouraged from using it, my director plays with my hair, and more my boorish coworker dominates all our Slack channels help — I work for a micromanager! our new manager is pressuring the women on our team to use menstrual cups what’s up with people not eating lunch, asking about salary before agreeing to an interview, and more my boss is my new next-door neighbor this is your guide to asking for a raise … and getting it I manage a horrible micromanager my boss has strict kitchen rules, how to escape an exit interview, and more the overtime pay law may finally change my employee interrupts me with unnecessary questions and updates my boss told my office I’m lying about my health condition how much social media use at work is too much, how to cancel an interview with a rude job candidate, and more weekend free-for-all – March 9-10, 2019 open thread – March 8-9, 2019 my boss asked me to mediate with her and my coworkers, a detective showed up at my job, and more can I ask a rejected job candidate on a date? how bad is it to leave a job after less than a year? ask the readers: how to succeed at work when you’re not neurotypical I don’t want to hear about coworkers’ lavish vacations, job applicant keeps asking for another chance, and more how do I say “no thanks” to a GoFundMe organized on my behalf? I saw an email I wasn’t supposed to see should I tell my new boss about my previous poor performance in this job? employer is angry I didn’t show up for an interview I didn’t know about, how much working from home is too much, and more update: car alarm keeps disrupting our office how to find out what salary you should be making talking about my pregnancy at work when I’m placing the baby for adoption coworker asks for lavish gifts, fired employee is retaliating on Yelp, and more my boss sent my client a flirty message from my email account why do people go so nuts over free food at work? my junior employee won’t stop sharing his “expertise” I manage a friend and it’s going badly, coworker eavesdrops on my phone calls, and more weekend free-for-all – March 2-3, 2019 your bad boss can haunt you even after you leave open thread – March 1-2, 2019 my office is full of whispers, asking for a promotion without a raise, and more February 2019 what to put on a resume when you have zero work experience my employee responded badly to his raise what should I be planning for professionally as a single parent? employee quit and deleted his files, old job still contacts me daily, and more my coworker plans to work a second job during our work hours, without telling our boss here’s what you should sound like in a bunch of conversations with your job interviewer my boss pet-sat my animals and nearly killed them I don’t want my boss at my goodbye party, putting Dungeons & Dragons on a resume, and more my coworker is setting toilet paper on fire in the bathroom I’m scared to tell my boss how behind on work I am my husband keeps contacting my coworkers about funding his nonprofit my boss watches me by video call while I work, how much noise is too much, and more updates: my coworker wants me available 24/7, my boss had his wife do our work, and more how to help a coworker who hates our boss employer requires women to wear perfect makeup — and writes them up if it’s smudged my mom won’t stop bugging me with work questions, a dog in a wedding dress, and more weekend free-for-all – February 23-24, 2019 open thread – February 22-23, 2019 candidate was arrested for peeing in public, am I being too helpful, and more how to tell an employee to stay in their lane should I pay a fee for a networking meeting? ask the readers: reply-all horror stories this is how to assemble a professional wardrobe without spending a ton I got in trouble for saying “bite me” in a meeting, the best day to apply for jobs, and more what’s the deal with write-ups? my coworkers overshare really personal details my office has a burn book we all have to read and sign anonymous note said to pick up my feet when I walk, a coworker with greasy hair, and more update: we have twice-daily mandatory group therapy at work how do I rebuild my career after destroying it in my 30s? some men in my office refuse to be alone with women a client hit my parked car, is it gross to floss in the office bathroom, and more my employee is being rude to others — but I think it’s from the stress of cancer managers need to stop sugarcoating their feedback our laid-off coworker still shows up every day, employer wants a short story that will make them cry, and more weekend free-for-all – February 16-17, 2019 open thread – February 15-16, 2019 car alarm keeps disrupting our office, coworker is blocking me from work, and more our office won’t tell us in advance when people leave – and sometimes won’t confirm or deny if someone still works here my new job isn’t what I signed up for I feel unsafe in the neighborhood I work in I can’t keep helping friends with their writing, office butter bonanza, and more how do I not lose hope in a highly competitive field? my coworker is unbearably negative new manager keeps telling us we’re frustrated and defensive someone is stinking up the bathroom by my office, I’m forced to use a nickname, and more our firm asks job candidates, “what salary do you need to turn up happy every day?” how do you hide your job hunt when you’re working full-time? how should employers respond to employees being doxxed? employee says he has a problem with authority, coworker is praying for me to have a baby, and more I got scolded for coming to an interview with a cold I’m afraid a coworker will find my emails trash-talking her we have twice-daily mandatory group therapy at work coworkers keep praising my “growth,” when should you use an out-of-office message, and more weekend free-for-all – February 9-10, 2019 open thread – February 8-9, 2019 boss asked someone to take her family off her health insurance, how to encourage someone you’re rejecting, and more people call me “young lady” when I’m clearly not how to deal with a boss who flips out and yells how can I make my first business trip go smoothly? this is how to ensure you get contracts signed my staff is selling multi-level marketing products at work, my coworker makes R-rated noises, and more my coworkers treat me like I’m not very smart my coworkers say my boss is in love with me my arrogant coworker is trying to mentor me, but I’m his team lead have I been blacklisted from this company, HR is asking me about my sick coworker, and more I work long hours but don’t want my staff to feel pressure to do the same should I stay in my well-paid job even though I have nothing to do? I have a crush on my employee coworkers are attacking people over grammar, responding to alumni networking requests, and more I just started my new job and I miss my old one — did I make a mistake? don’t send chocolate or lottery tickets to hiring managers our weird and incompetent temp keeps getting rehired employee goes into emotional spirals, interviewers who ask if you’re applying to other companies, and more weekend free-for-all – February 2-3, 2019 open thread – February 1-2, 2019 my friend is bombarding me with urgent messages while I’m at work, I fell for an email scam, and more January 2019 my coworker doesn’t want me to have a communal candy dish because of temptation update: I accidentally hugged the CEO how do I deal with pregnancy talk at work when I’m dealing with miscarriages? my coworkers trash-talk me in a secret group chat, keeping unvaccinated kids out of our office, and more my boyfriend thinks only bad candidates prepare for interviews how can I be a good manager? my new job doesn’t give raises — ever we’re supposed to stay late “out of courtesy,” should I send employers a lottery ticket with my resume, and more my boss accidentally sent me a message complaining about me my problem employee is telling coworkers I’m unfair to her I work from home and my coworker wants me available 24/7 telling my coworker not to bring his kids in every week, accepting coffee from my boss, and more LinkedIn is telling strangers to ask me for referrals to jobs I have nothing to do with how to deal with a rude intern how can I fix my procrastination problem? can I steal my coworkers’ screaming monkey toy, telling an employee to remove a political post from her Facebook page, and more weekend free-for-all – January 26-27, 2019 Ask a Manager in the media open thread – January 25-26, 2019 my coworkers won’t cut expenses, pop culture references in interviews, and more should I apply to jobs I’m not fully qualified for? how do I tell my boss to fire our new hire? how do you avoid burnout when your work is under-funded and emotionally draining? my employees finish my sentences, my interviewer left me alone while she ran errands, and more my employee keeps editing my work — and it feels like a power play what’s wrong with being chilly at work? my coworkers interrupt me no matter what I’m doing — and keep going after I ask them to stop my manager wants to be cc’d on all my emails, using sick days after years of perfect attendance, and more how can I stop freaking out if I get a curt-sounding email? how do I announce my pregnancy at work? my new company is all about the Law of Attraction and other pseudoscience I can’t get my own hotel room even if I pay for it, I cried in a meeting, and more an entry-level candidate with no job history wants more money for their “experience” open offices are terrible for employees our interns have to buy food for everyone, HR wants to us to give ourselves “the gift of health,” and more weekend free-for-all – January 19-20, 2019 open thread – January 18-19, 2019 my coworker is a blood drive bully, non-monetary perks, and more I’m caught in the middle of an investigation at work I don’t have any work to do at my new job how do I stop my desk from looking like a tornado hit it? I can’t trust the snacks from my coworker, large employee won’t use heavy duty chair, and more at what point in a very long cold should I stay home? we are all awkward creatures my boss cares more about “confidence” and “strength” than truth and accuracy my boss is obsessed with not being invited to my wedding, I earn more comp time than I can use, and more my company moved me to 5 countries in 12 months, got me deported, and is angry I want to quit I’m not getting opportunities at work – should I move on? how to say “I’ll quit over this” can my husband be fired for my social media posts, letting a no-call no show return to work, and more passive-aggressive notes at work update: recovering professionally after an internet hate campaign is this job interviewer stringing me along? my office is requiring us to disclose all medications we take coworker watches her nanny cam all day long, am I bothering my vegan coworkers, and more weekend free-for-all – January 12-13, 2019 open thread – January 11-12, 2019 coworkers only ask me about ducks, adult facts in a work presentation, and more is “I get every job I interview for” really a bragging point? my coworker keeps emailing our bosses about typos my coworker won’t stop talking about how rich she is am I doing dog-friendly wrong, do I still need printed copies of my resume, and more can I warn people about my horrible boss? I don’t want to become the office secretary when I didn’t answer a call, my boss worried I’d attempted suicide and he called my mom employee missed work after birthday drinking, interviewer hung up on me, and more the weird world of writing an advice column my coworker won’t answer my emails do I wear too much black at work? can I talk to my husband’s boss about his unhappiness, speaker phone etiquette, and more I ghosted a client and now I need to finish my work for her our sick leave practices are a mess my coworkers complained that the look of my breasts post-mastectomy is making them uncomfortable I pretended I’m allergic to bees, is it ethical to buy a resume and cover letter, and more weekend free-for-all – January 5-6, 2019 open thread – January 4-5, 2019 my boss keeps suggesting I move, does “let me check” make me look incompetent, and more was this interview as bizarre as I think it was? my boss makes people work late for no reason the government shutdown: an open thread for people being furloughed I’m uncomfortable with my coworkers’ names, crying when laying someone off, and more how to ask for more money than the stated salary range how do I start a new job on the right foot? my office mate asks me 75 questions a day — literally should I push my job-searching friend harder, fired coworker was looking at colleague’s burlesque photos, and more New Year’s free-for-all – January 1, 2019