my employees keep interrupting me by Alison Green on March 23, 2026 A reader writes: I don’t like being interrupted when I’m speaking, but it seems that everyone I manage interrupts me when I’m in the middle of speaking, even including a brand new employee who is constantly finishing my statements! In the past, I’ve said things such as “what I was saying was…” or “hang on, […] Read the full article →
my employee has a terrible attitude … for a good reason by Alison Green on March 18, 2026 A reader writes: I manage an employee who, to put it frankly, has a bad attitude. Negative about everything: our job, our clients, life in general. A constant rain cloud. He brings down morale quite a bit, and other employees have made comments to me about how hard it is to work with him. Where […] Read the full article →
I’m in trouble for leaving for a business trip without a late coworker by Alison Green on March 17, 2026 I was told to stay off screens for a few days last week due to a possible concussion (I’m fine), so this was originally published in 2020. A reader writes: Recently, a coworker and I were assigned to go on a business trip for a work conference. It was held at a convention center in […] Read the full article →
key phrases to use when you talk to your boss by Alison Green on March 17, 2026 Years ago I used to do lots of list-type posts (10 things you should know about work by the time you’re 30, 8 signs you’re a bad boss, etc). I came across this one from 2017 and thought it was worth resurrecting. If you’re like a lot of people, you might get anxious when you […] Read the full article →
employee won’t stop hugging people by Alison Green on March 17, 2026 I was told to stay off screens for a few days last week due to a possible concussion (I’m fine), so this was originally published in 2012. A reader writes: What is considered excessive when it comes to friendly displays of affection in the workplace? We have a gregarious female employee who regularly solicits hugs […] Read the full article →
my older coworker won’t stop mothering me by Alison Green on March 16, 2026 I was told to stay off screens for a few days last week due to a possible concussion (I’m fine), so today and tomorrow will include some posts from the archives. This was originally published in 2015. A reader writes: I have been at my job about six months and am by far the youngest […] Read the full article →
my employee patronizes me when I correct his work by Alison Green on March 16, 2026 A reader writes: I have a newish direct report. He’s generally pretty good and is always supportive and encouraging towards his team, which is great. He’s also always encouraging and supportive towards people more senior to him, including me, which is getting less great. I hear a lot of, “Excellent spot!” when I point out […] Read the full article →
my coworker lied and said he’d done work he hadn’t done by Alison Green on March 10, 2026 A reader writes: I was hired about six months ago at a prestigious organization in my field. My coworker, Fred, started at the same time in a similar position. We work closely and we get along well, for the most part. I consider him something of a friend — or, at least, I felt that […] Read the full article →
my employee sobs at her desk every week by Alison Green on March 9, 2026 A reader writes: One of my employees, “Brenda,” is a sweet, kind, sensitive, empathetic soul. A self-described empath, she cries easily and is a feeler’s feeler. (She feels things about my life that I don’t even feel!) She gets emotional when given any sort of feedback that isn’t glowing (and even sometimes over feedback that […] Read the full article →
you can’t go no-contact with someone you share a printer with by Alison Green on March 4, 2026 Breakups are miserable under the best of circumstances. But when the person you’re breaking up with is also a coworker, welcome to a new layer of hell: instead of getting distance, you still have to see each other every day, smile politely in meetings, and pretend nothing is wrong while coexisting professionally in an office […] Read the full article →