my manager posted a “wall of shame” of people who didn’t volunteer to work more by Alison Green on July 6, 2022 A reader writes: I work in a small unit (20 people) that provides direct patient care and is part of a very large healthcare organization. Like a lot of healthcare units, we’ve struggled with staffing for the past few years. It’s been 2+ years of being short-staffed, working mandatory overtime, being asked to pick up […] Read the full article →
my boss is rude to my husband by Alison Green on July 6, 2022 A reader writes: I work as a bookseller, and about a year ago our bookshop got a new manager. This was a great thing for the shop and for me personally — he’s much more competent than anyone we’ve had in the past and has a real drive for developing people. I happen to be […] Read the full article →
why do companies fall for grifter “consultants”? by Alison Green on July 5, 2022 A reader writes: My partner, “Bob,” works in a marketing role (covering everything from social media to events) for a mid-sized, non-corporate, creative company. One of the company’s owners, “Billy,” is a micromanager and cannot delegate even the most minor task to any of the hundreds of staff. For example, he demands to be informed […] Read the full article →
my remote boss wants to know every time I go to the bathroom by Alison Green on June 29, 2022 A reader writes: I recently started working under a different manager at the same job. He works remotely, so we communicate over texting/messaging for the most part. A couple weeks ago, we had a catch-up on the phone and he asked if messaging is the best system for me, since he noticed I didn’t respond […] Read the full article →
my coworker is living in my boss’s house — and we all work there too by Alison Green on June 29, 2022 A reader writes: I have bizarre and sensitive situation, and I just don’t know what to make of it, and what (if anything) I should do! I work in a very small business. There are five employees (three part-time, two full-time) plus our owner, and our work happens in our boss’s house (which has been […] Read the full article →
how do I talk with my incompetent boss about his ridiculously inaccurate organizational chart? by Alison Green on June 28, 2022 A reader writes: My boss, the executive director of a small nonprofit, is grossly incompetent. I won’t go into detail, but please trust that I have it on good authority (friends, colleagues, peers, veteran HR professionals outside of the organization – two of them!) that I am right and he’s completely out of his depth. […] Read the full article →
I reported my boss’s boss for racism and now feel guilty by Alison Green on June 8, 2022 A reader writes: I work for a marketing organization where all the top leaders are white.. My supervisor and I recently hired three well-qualified employees, who all happened to be Black. Shortly after the first two started, I received an impromptu phone call from my supervisor’s supervisor, Tammy. Tammy said she did not believe these […] Read the full article →
should I tell my boss about a personal situation that might affect my work? by Alison Green on May 31, 2022 A reader writes: I am currently dealing with a very stressful home situation. It’s been an ongoing issue for several months, but things have escalated badly in the past week and it’s having a serious impact on my mental health. I’m doing my best to resolve the situation, but there is no instant fix. I […] Read the full article →
our boss is demanding a gift with an accounting of names and how much each person contributed by Alison Green on May 18, 2022 A reader writes: Our boss informed us that she’s leaving for a new position at another company. Hooray for the boss, and hooray for us because the boss was truly awful. Here’s where things get icky: the company is throwing her a farewell party. Everyone has been invited to make a financial contribution to a […] Read the full article →
my manager yells at her boss through my office wall by Alison Green on May 11, 2022 A reader writes: I’ve been with my current employer nearly five years. My current boss has just reached her third year with our company, after spending 20+ years with a different company. She has been struggling to adapt, throwing screaming tantrums whenever she doesn’t like a procedure. She compares our company to her old company […] Read the full article →