I’m dating my boss — can I fix his conflict with another employee? by Alison Green on March 23, 2022 A reader writes: I work part-time for a small company owned by my domestic partner, Sam. We were together before he started the company about 10 years ago and it mostly works out for everyone because we have our own areas of work. Everyone who works there, including myself, is a 1099 contractor due to […] Read the full article →
how do I write a peer review for my horrible coworker? by Alison Green on March 22, 2022 A reader writes: How do I give an effective peer review of a coworker who I do not like personally and professionally? We work in a busy medical clinic and our doctors see 30-60 patients a day. We fill a niche need (think specialized pharmacy, but not quite). There are three of us in this […] Read the full article →
people think I’m returning to my old job … but I’m definitely not by Alison Green on March 17, 2022 A reader writes: Last year, I (he/him) left a job that I had been at for over 10 years due to a crushing workload and many frustrations with team culture. I left on good terms, but I was very unhappy, and from what I gather things have only gotten worse since I’ve left. While my […] Read the full article →
my older male colleague gives me condescending, unsolicited advice by Alison Green on March 16, 2022 A reader writes: I occasionally work with an older gentleman (different organizations, collaborative projects), “Bob,” who gives a lot of unsolicited advice. It’s funny because he’s … a bit prickly? And his advice is always about building relationships. For reference, I’m a woman in my 40s. He’s probably been working longer than that. I’m not […] Read the full article →
my coworkers keep dropping balls — is some of this normal in the workplace? by Alison Green on March 16, 2022 A reader writes: How much ball-dropping is normal in the workplace? I’m starting to feel gaslit because I can’t tell whether I am dealing with something completely normal and just unaware of how the real world works, or if my office is just unusually incompetent when it comes to follow-through. This is prompted by my […] Read the full article →
can I ask my coworkers to keep masking around me and not come to work sick? by Alison Green on March 15, 2022 A reader writes: I’m wondering about how much I can ask my coworkers about minimizing my infection risk in a less-masked world. I have been recently diagnosed with cancer and will be undergoing chemotherapy for the next six months. I’d like to work as much as I can throughout this, but I’m concerned about infection […] Read the full article →
we gave an expensive goodbye gift and the person didn’t leave by Alison Green on March 14, 2022 A reader writes: We have an executive assistant at my company who has been there for five years. She doesn’t make much effort to be social to the rest of us, but the executives she works for have a hard time keeping assistants and seem to get along well with her. She got a job […] Read the full article →
my coworker sent a classist, racist email company-wide after a janitor won our Christmas contest by Alison Green on March 9, 2022 A reader writes: In November 2020, my company announced that since they couldn’t have a company Christmas party they were going to use the money on a car someone could win. The person who won could choose any car they wanted and the company would pay X amount toward the car. If the car was […] Read the full article →
I don’t like my super popular coworker … and she complained to my boss about it by Alison Green on March 8, 2022 A reader writes: While speaking with my manager the other day, he mentioned that my coworker, “Susan,” has come to him regarding my attitude towards her. He phrased it as “butting heads.” I must have looked confused (I was!) because he told me he doesn’t feel I am rude or inappropriate. The problem, according to […] Read the full article →
my coworker gets upset when I say “thank you” and takes offense to routine work stuff … and my boss won’t manage her by Alison Green on March 7, 2022 A reader writes: I work in research at a university. Due to our schedules and proximity, I work most often with a peer named Sarah. Due to restaffing, we work on almost every project together. Normally Sarah and I get along just fine — we’re not grabbing lunch together, but until a few months ago, […] Read the full article →