former coworker stole my work and keeps contacting me for help by Alison Green on June 18, 2024 A reader writes: I have a weird issue that I need help with. My former coworker, Lulu, joined my company about seven years ago as a relatively inexperienced but enthusiastic junior team member. I trained her on some of her duties and, due to the nature of our jobs, we worked closely together for a […] Read the full article →
how can I shut down gossip at work? by Alison Green on May 28, 2024 A reader writes: I like my job and my coworkers, but there’s one thing that keeps bugging me: There’s a real culture of gossiping, and I keep getting sucked into it. I used to be a huge gossiper myself, but at a previous job I was the target of some untrue and hurtful gossip, and […] Read the full article →
my coworker stabs office furniture with a knife and no one thinks it’s a big deal by Alison Green on May 15, 2024 A reader writes: I am dealing with a bizarre situation at work and could use some advice on how to proceed. My coworker, Charlie, has several concerning habits involving the lighter and several utility knives he carries around on a daily basis. When we’re in team meetings or things are slow in the lab, Charlie […] Read the full article →
my breastfeeding coworker won’t stop talking about her boobs by Alison Green on May 15, 2024 A reader writes: I work in a clinic setting. Eighteen of us are in and out of a room of cubicles all day as we see patients. Even with the open office, it is easy to have a quiet, even private, conversation. A coworker recently returned after having her first child. She had a challenging […] Read the full article →
I’m caught in the crossfire of my coworkers’ petty complaints about our company by Alison Green on May 1, 2024 A reader writes: The company that I work for has made a few changes recently, prompting disgruntlement from coworkers in my four-person department. We are all equal in seniority and the HR manager doubles as our manager. Previously our department was left to its own devices, resulting in a slack approach to work from my […] Read the full article →
my boss told me to meet weekly with my coworker … but my coworker won’t do it by Alison Green on April 30, 2024 A reader writes: I have a coworker, Jim, who is in the same department as me, and our work sometimes overlaps. We are both managers and havebeen at our company for the same amount of time. I’ve had some trouble communicating with Jim and getting answers/information I need. He’s not great about responding to IM’s […] Read the full article →
an employee showed up for a video training while lounging in bed and smoking by Alison Green on April 22, 2024 A reader writes: I work in a low-level supervisory role for a social service agency. Most of our employees work remotely and are issued desktop computers with a monitor and camera. The majority of these remote employees do not need to be on camera to complete daily tasks; however, when meetings or training sessions occur, […] Read the full article →
when your awful coworker is the boss’s kid by Alison Green on April 15, 2024 There are a lot of perks to being the boss: You can (often) set your own hours, delegate work you don’t enjoy, get a nicer office, and dine out on the company dime. But in some workplaces, being the boss also means being able to hire your adult children — often to the detriment of […] Read the full article →
my coworker doesn’t like it when I set boundaries on conversation topics by Alison Green on April 10, 2024 A reader writes: I work in an artistic field, which leads to a much more casual environment amongst coworkers and a lot of time for chatting. I’m usually fine with this, but I’m having increasing issues with one coworker, Tommy. Tommy routinely brings up topics that I’m uncomfortable discussing. He initially respected this, but has […] Read the full article →
my coworker’s obsession with coffee is an all-day distraction by Alison Green on April 9, 2024 A reader writes: This is probably going to be more venting. It is bugging me, but I don’t want to risk being the office jerk. I work in an office setting. Bill from another department is a really nice guy. Probably to an obnoxious level. I really am not big on small talk, but usually […] Read the full article →