my boss insists on knowing how I’ll spend my time off by Alison Green on October 18, 2018 A reader writes: My boss has requested that I write to ask permission and give a reason why when I want to take annual leave. I don’t have a problem with this, so I wrote with the reason being “personal matters.” He wrote back saying, “I would appreciate a slightly more detailed reason for your […] Read the full article →
my boss wants to bring me back into the religious fold by Alison Green on October 16, 2018 A reader writes: I have a great job (honestly, my best yet) as an assistant in a local office of a larger company based in another state. The big boss of this office (not the office manager, who is my overall boss in addition to the people I support) discovered that I’m the daughter of […] Read the full article →
the company president took my chair and I’m sick of being disrespected by Alison Green on October 8, 2018 This was originally published in March 2014. (I’m reprinting it today so that I could take some time off this weekend. New posts are coming later today.) A reader writes: I started the position I’m in just two months ago as an account executive. Before this position, I was an admin assistant and volunteer coordinator […] Read the full article →
how should I act after reporting my boss to HR? by Alison Green on October 3, 2018 A reader writes: I have a boss who an entire blog could be dedicated to but for the purposes of this question, I’ll try (but likely fail) to keep the exposition brief. I worked for “Miranda” for about six years now and she has always been mercurial, narcissistic, and prone to bursts of anger. Her […] Read the full article →
my boss says I ask “why?” too often by Alison Green on October 3, 2018 A reader writes: I have a tendency to ask why things are the way they are at work, because I like to know how everything fits together. Recently, it has come to my attention that my asking “why” doesn’t always come off well with my manager, who seems to take it as a challenge to […] Read the full article →
my coworker gives everyone the silent treatment for weeks by Alison Green on September 18, 2018 A reader writes: I have a coworker, Jane, who deals with conflict in strange and alienating ways. Recently, she’s been giving people the silent treatment on and off. It makes meetings tense, and she tends to keep it up for days or weeks at a time before spontaneously deciding she’s speaking to her coworkers again. […] Read the full article →
I have too many ideas for my boss by Alison Green on September 4, 2018 A reader writes: I’m very creative and productive, and, at 62, have years of work experience, including having my own boutique PR agency. My manager just retired. She and her boss always encouraged me to contribute my ideas and suggestions, and took up many of them. My former boss and I had multiple contacts a […] Read the full article →
my boss is giving us the silent treatment by Alison Green on August 28, 2018 A reader writes: My department is in shambles. We are all miserable, we are all job searching, and we cannot leave fast enough. Unfortunately though, for the time being, we are stuck in our positions. To paint a picture of our situation: On a company-wide survey, our team came in with the lowest morale and […] Read the full article →
what does it mean to manage up? by Alison Green on August 27, 2018 Most people get annoyed or frustrated with their boss at some point, even when that boss is a good manager. Maybe your manager isn’t responsive enough to email, or she cancels meetings at the last minute, or she changes her mind after you thought a decision had been made—or you might be dealing with another grade […] Read the full article →
my boss talks about her kids non-stop by Alison Green on August 15, 2018 A reader writes: I love my boss, Lizzie; she’s creative, cheerful, smart and a good manager. She helps me develop (I’m one of two second-in-commands) and manages problem staff effectively. She’s also very self-aware and always open to feedback. She has one tiny thing that I think holds her back: she talks about her children […] Read the full article →