my new manager is upset I didn’t tell her I was pregnant when I interviewed by Alison Green on April 23, 2025 A reader writes: I recently interviewed for and accepted a job as a nurse at the very small hospital in my very small midwestern town. My lovely manager was very transparent about how they are big supporters of work-life balance, and gave tangible examples of how they support families, because they have “small town values.” […] Read the full article →
my incompetent boss can’t handle that I won’t be his friend by Alison Green on April 21, 2025 A reader writes: I have a manager who you would deem unfixable, and I’m currently job hunting so I can put him behind me. In the meantime, I’d love your advice on how to handle this very emotionally draining situation. It has been two years of trying to fix him and I’ve exhausted every avenue, […] Read the full article →
can I ask my boss not to scream at me with her door open? by Alison Green on April 14, 2025 A reader writes: Recently, my boss sent me five spreadsheets, several with multiple tabs, to fill out but offered no information on what went in which row, column, or tab. I managed to figure most of it out (she gets annoyed when I ask her questions) and asked for clarification on the rest. I only […] Read the full article →
my team received a suspicious text — and we wonder if our boss sent it as a way to secretly gain info by Alison Green on April 8, 2025 A reader writes: This one’s weird. I would love your thoughts, if you can. Some of my coworkers and I got a text from an unknown number addressing us by our first names and asking us to rate the company we work at. It was different than the usual company survey text in that it […] Read the full article →
my boss loves being told she’s beautiful by Alison Green on April 7, 2025 A reader writes: My boss clearly loves compliments on her appearance, and our team is responding with more and more of them. It feels embarrassing and a bit ridiculous to me, especially since no one ever makes these kind of compliments to anyone else (e.g., “I love your shoes” to another team member but stuff […] Read the full article →
my boss’s constant self-deprecation and oversharing make me uncomfortable by Alison Green on April 1, 2025 A reader writes: I want your help in understanding what, if anything, I can/should do about the way my boss talks about herself. I like my boss, but it’s exhausting! My organization recently went through huge layoffs, so everyone feels overworked and off-balance. As part of that I got a new boss. I get the […] Read the full article →
my fiancé was my boss’s bully in high school by Alison Green on March 4, 2025 A reader writes: I am to be married next year and decided to send out save-the-dates early. I really like my coworkers and my boss and wanted to invite them to the wedding. When my boss received my save-the-date, they swung by my desk to congratulate me and we got to chit chatting. The conversation […] Read the full article →
how do I apply for a job internally without my boss knowing? by Alison Green on February 18, 2025 A reader writes: I have many questions about applying to internal jobs, something I have never done. At my current company, a new role came up that is a dream job for me. But it is also a reach, as it would be a bit of a career change. Knowing this job might open up, […] Read the full article →
is my boss being too open about menopause? by Alison Green on February 4, 2025 A reader writes: I (a woman in my early 30s) work in a traditionally male environment, although there are a decent amount of women working there too. Recently my work has started focusing more on menopause support/awareness — there’s a menopause support group, “recognizing signs and symptoms” posters in the women’s toilets, etc. I think […] Read the full article →
boss says it’s unacceptable not to meet all deadlines, no matter how unreasonable by Alison Green on February 3, 2025 A reader writes: I started a job eight months ago that I was very excited about. I was looking to get out of a highly stressful position and got this offer (same pay, somewhat worse benefits but growth potential) and what I thought would be a solid work-life balance. The first day, my boss mentioned […] Read the full article →