Ask a Manager

Here are four updates from people who had their letters  answered here in the past. 1. My manager calls and just reads my emails back to me (#5 at the link) It turns out that there were a couple of issues that created the situation where my boss reads emails at me over the phone. […]

Remember the letter-writer last year whose coworker, Angela, had an affair with their colleague Jane’s husband and then started treating her terribly? Among other things, after having an affair with Jane’s husband, Angela then lied to block Jane from a promotion and then applied for the job herself. Here’s the update. After reading all the […]

Here are updates from four people who had their letters answered here in the past. 1. My intern thinks he’s good at things that he’s terrible at I wish I could say that things got better. But they didn’t. No matter how much feedback and support I gave him, my intern seemed to just be […]

Remember the letter-writer whose coworker kept complaining about her tattoos? Here’s the update. So, the situation with Carol has been resolved. I actually spoke to her the same day you posted my letter; I ran into her in the break room and she started in again. I interrupted her and said, “That’s enough. I have […]

Here are three updates from people who had their letters answered here in the past. 1. My boss is sending everyone at my office racist memes (first update here) You all will be pleased to hear that the branch manager in this story “retired early” less than a year after this incident. I do not […]

Remember the letter-writer who had been struggling with her job and was unsure whether to tell her new boss about the past problems? Here’s the update. Thank you so much for your response, and all of the commenters. The commenters in particular really helped me get some perspective and see that anyone looking in from […]

I am on day 3 of illness and do not have the ability to write a short-answer post for today, so instead please enjoy this update from the letter writer earlier this year whose tiny office fridge was crammed full of tubs of butter. Thank you for answering my question.  Unfortunately getting a larger fridge was […]

Remember the letter-writer whose office wanted to celebrate Nurses Week by ordering their nurse to wear pink and blue by gender and to bake things? Here’s the update. Thank you so much, from the bottom of my apparently not-so-Lone Cranky Feminist heart, for all of the thoughtful and encouraging feedback from you and the AAM […]

Remember the letter-writer earlier this year who had fallen way behind on her work (due to a lot of factors outside her control, like bad management decisions and a husband with cancer) and was afraid to tell her boss? Here’s the update. I am sorry I didn’t take your advice. I was too chicken to […]

Here are three updates from people who had their letters answered here in the past. 1. Some men in my office refuse to be alone with women I know everyone loves updates, and I have a somewhat positive one. So the coworker I mentioned in the letter, who had raised the performance review issue up […]