my abusive boss was fired after I complained about her — what do I say to coworkers? by Alison Green on January 16, 2020 A reader writes: Earlier this year, I took a dream job that quickly proved to be a nightmare. My manager, Hedra, has a track record of abusing and driving out her reports. From the start, she didn’t even bother to hide her dislike for me. She set shifting, arbitrary goals and put up barriers to […] Read the full article →
is my boss trying to tell me he’s unhappy with my work? by Alison Green on January 14, 2020 A reader writes: I started at a new job about five months ago after leaving a pretty toxic work situation, and I am happy to report that I love my new job. No work environment is perfect, but when you’re able to do work you love, it makes any environment a lot better. I work […] Read the full article →
my boss expects me to share my personal health/diet/spirituality/fitness goals every week by Alison Green on January 13, 2020 A reader writes: I report weekly to my boss (the company owner, who I’ll call Dan) for a one-on-one meeting where we discuss workplace goals pertaining to my role. According to Dan, I perform beyond expectations, and he tells me constantly how lucky and happy he is to have me on his team. That said, […] Read the full article →
how do I get my rich boss to pay me back for lunch? by Alison Green on January 7, 2020 A reader writes: I work in a small office (about five people) and probably once or twice a week, we will do a group order of delivery/take-out for lunch. I’m the most junior at the company, and often I end up asked to place the lunch order, so I put it on my personal card […] Read the full article →
my needy boss wants me to “adopt” her by Alison Green on January 7, 2020 A reader writes: My manager, Wanda, is a director about five years younger than I am (I’m 63, also a woman). She has been with our employer for over 20 years, is extremely good at what she does, is fiercely loyal to her staff, and possesses a wealth of knowledge and insight about our specific […] Read the full article →
how to correct your boss by Alison Green on November 27, 2019 A reader writes: How do you recommend correcting your manager when they say something you know is incorrect? This could range from minor details to larger concepts — for example, pronouncing a client’s name wrong, or mentioning incorrect dates for future projects. I know my manager is balancing a lot, and her occasional inaccuracies are not ill-intentioned. […] Read the full article →
my boss keeps canceling our meetings by Alison Green on November 26, 2019 A reader writes: I have a problem at work that I’m not sure how to address. The meetings I request with colleagues are frequently canceled or rescheduled, particularly with my boss. My boss is very senior in the company and has a busy schedule. He ends up rescheduling at least 50% of my meetings with […] Read the full article →
I’ve been accidentally dating my boss’s husband by Alison Green on November 20, 2019 A reader writes: I’ve been accidentally dating my new boss’ husband, and I don’t know what to do. I landed my dream job at my dream company. My boss is usually supportive and competent. My only issue is that she’s made some homophobic comments (I’m a gay man), but this is a conservative area and […] Read the full article →
how can I fix my boss’s obsessive focus on face time over results? by Alison Green on November 12, 2019 A reader writes: I’m a fairly new manager — a woman in my 20s. I manage a team of six other young people in a largely older, more “old school” organization. I was promoted from within after about five years here. I’m really struggling because my boss, the organization’s executive director, values face time over […] Read the full article →
my boss drops his sick kid off in our small office by Alison Green on November 4, 2019 A reader writes: I work for a very small company (five employees plus our boss, who is the company owner). We all work in one room, and the boss’s house is on the property. Our boss “Joe” is, in general, a kind, understanding person. He can occasionally be volatile, but we are paid pretty well, […] Read the full article →