workplace practices

Is your office normal? Workplace practices can be wildly different from office to office. Here’s a reality check on yours.

Halloween costumes at work: where’s the line?

A reader writes: I’ve generally worked places where people like to dress up in costumes for Halloween, and sometimes I’ve wondered if I’m being too uptight or if my coworkers just have terrible judgment. I’ve seen people wear costumes that show a ton of skin (something I might wear to a bar but not to […]

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I had a panic attack over a Halloween decoration at work

A reader writes: I’m writing about a situation that just happened today at my office regarding Halloween decorations. (If this is helpful context, I’m a mid-level manager at a nonprofit). A few members of my team brought in fun, low-key Halloween decor (think, purple construction paper bats and a few faux pumpkin heads), which I […]

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my coworkers have all but disappeared since the pandemic

A reader writes: Recently, you shared a letter from someone who wrote that they don’t want to talk about their life outside of work with their colleagues, and it got me thinking about the dynamics of the team I work in. I’ve been at my company for many years. I empathize with the writer of […]

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the adult bibs, the talking shrimp, and other unusual office traditions

One of the most interesting things about offices is how they develop their own subcultures, rituals, and traditions. I recently asked about unusual office traditions you’ve seen or experienced, and here are some of my favorites you shared. •  My office has a “talking shrimp” that we use instead of a “talking stick” in brainstorming […]

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my coworkers complain I’m violating the dress code, but I’m not

A reader writes: I started a new role in a very corporate environment in December. At the time I was actually interviewing for a lower level position with Company X but the department managers who interviewed me apparently liked my skill set and interview performance enough to create an entirely new position just for me. […]

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I had to quit a job because of aggressive nesting geese

A reader writes: I’m writing about a past situation that I still think about. I used to work in retail as a high school junior from August to March. I live in the midwest, where geese are pretty common in the spring. What was weird about this one though was that it decided to nest […]

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