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December 2021

• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – December 31, 2021
• update: did I make a mistake by sharing my salary with a coworker?
• update: I’m in recovery and my office just moved above a bar
• update: how can I get a management job without management experience?
• a happy ending: I quit my job without another one lined up
• update: my boss told me I’m “not a good human” when I asked to be paid for my time
• update: how to mentor a very timid staff member
• updates: my reference told people I’m job hunting, the unmanageable workload, and more
• updates: the poor work ethic, the misgendering employee, and more
• update: did I burn a bridge by resigning right after I was promoted?
• updates: not having to work, employer doesn’t understand I’m in high school, and more
• update: my boss is out of her gourd and threw a fit about my coffee
• updates: the father’s sexist career advice, the silent admin, and more
• my coworkers say my diet will kill me, job candidates bearing gifts, and more
• updates: un-retiring, the paranoid employee, and more
• updates: manager can’t let go of a disagreement, the robocallers, and more
• update: is my job the problem — or is it me?
• update: should I lay off myself instead of my team?
• weekend open thread – December 24-26, 2021
• update: my date to the office Christmas party is … a coworker
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – December 24-25, 2021
• taking time off to let a new tattoo heal, boss insults at us the Christmas party, and more
• update: my boss thinks perks should be earned, but I can’t work well without them
• update: how to discreetly job search when you have a nosy boss
• update: reading erotica on breaks, the cc’d supervisor, and more
• update: moving from a secure government job to a less safe, higher-paying private industry job
• the ancient fruitcake, the murder mystery lunch, and other times holidays at work went wrong
• my new coworker is my childhood bully, casual dates at the holiday party, and more
• update: my employee vents to me about her job and personal life and wants constant reassurance
• updates: old boss is now my peer, Secret Santa gifts with a message, and more
• updates: company punishes single people who have to quarantine more than once — but not married people
• update: asking to work from home with a new puppy
• update: my coworker is too personally invested in her job
• manager sent ex-employee a bunch of complaints, someone anonymously left me a self-help book, and more
• updates: the virtual socializing, moving but not resigning, and more
• update: I’m afraid I’m terrible at my new job
• update: employee is trying to force me to accept a loan I never asked for
• update: my coworker asks me to google things for her and treats me like her assistant
• update: should I leave my family business?
• clipping your nails during a job interview, a religious new hire, and more
• updates: the bosses who won’t give deadlines, the unsafe holiday party, and more
• update: should I blow the whistle on the harm my organization is causing?
• update: office nurse thinks Covid is a hoax, and more
• updates: I compared my interviewer with my dog, the Halloween costume, and more
• update: I’m ready to rage-quit my job — am I being unfair to my boss?
• my employee argues when he’s wrong, I threw up on my interviewer’s floor, and more
• updates: coworkers keeping commenting on my new luxury car, and more
• weekend open thread – December 18-19, 2021
• updates: coworker sounds drunk on work calls, the marshmallow challenge, and more
• updates: leaving without burning bridges, the lying director, and more
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – December 17-18, 2021
• my coworker spends his day on magic and politics
• updates: the person who came across as timid, the lost bags, and more
• update: is paratransit making me look like a slacker?
• update: should I expose my boss for her mean and gossipy Twitter account?
• update: my boss is angry that I lied about the reason for my vacation
• is it wrong to socialize with only one of my employees?
• office holiday gift-giving stories: worst gifts and weirdest gifts
• my boss made me leave a note at a grave, work experience vs. good college, and more
• updates: the toxic positivity, the boss neighbor, and more
• update: should I take my Etsy business off my resume?
• update: can I ask my boss to check on me more regularly so I’ll get more done?
• update: the food-criticizing nanny, the week-long retreat, and more
• my employee’s work isn’t good — but he’s having a family crisis
• update: my manager set up a secret email address using my name
• my boss shows up at parties she’s not invited to, I have to pick my own punishment, and more
• updates: the “words of essence,” the secretly relocating employee, and more
• updates: the thermostat wars, the stripping boss, and more
• update: should I tell my bosses they need to work more?
• employee wants to bring a fired coworker to the holiday party
• update: “I will confront you by Wednesday of this week”
• update: a creepy customer complained my employees aren’t friendly enough
• throwing a coworker a grandmother-to-be shower, missing donations, and more
• updates: the anonymous criticism, the secret second job, and more
• updates: work fun scheduled on my behalf, the awful morale solutions list, and more
• update: my company is requiring us to travel because “they miss us”
• how do I reject a difficult internal applicant?
• update: I caught my coworker masturbating at his desk
• I got in trouble for taking someone’s juice, my boss forgot something major about me, and more
• weekend open thread – December 11-12, 2021
• the best office holiday party date story of all time
• update: student employees are using me for therapy
• updates: the upset colleague, the evaluation input, and more
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – December 10-11, 2021
• new hire is plotting a coup, employee is terrified of balloons, and more
• updates: the coworker secretly living in the office and more
• update: I’m embarrassed about the year I got my degree
• update: our boss won’t speak to us, hides in his office, and drops off calls if anyone greets him
• all of my 2021 book recommendations
• what’s your company doing for the holidays this year?
• my coworker has celebrity friends, asking to come back to an interview question, and more
• updates: the problematic volunteer, the kid comments, and more
• updates: the needy colleague, the holiday blues, and more
• update: my team is requiring us to do a diet/exercise/”mental toughness” program
• update: my VP of HR says my service dog is too small
• a coworker of the cheap-ass rolls legend speaks out
• update: my coworker told HR I was interviewing and now they’re posting my job
• coworkers crashed my networking party, new hire wants to print everything, and more
• update: should I include work about a BDSM dungeon in my portfolio?
• updates: the toxic positivity meetings, the endless monologuer, and more
• updates: my boss liked my work until we met in person, and more
• updates: the photoshopping coworker, the boss at the barbecue, and more
• update: my employee took money under false pretenses from a nonprofit
• update: dealing with customers who are angry that we require masks and proof of vaccination
• employees ask customers to buy cheese from her, picking up boss after surgery, and more
• update: can you be spontaneous when you have a full-time job?
• update: my coworker keeps joking that I’m having sex with my husband in the office
• update: a man claiming to have an Oscar (he doesn’t) wants to give me advice on my field (that he’s not in)
• my young employee keeps talking about her age and her parents
• update: my employee fired someone whose mother had died the night before
• can I ask a new hire to use a nickname, getting out of an office basketball game, and more
• weekend open thread – December 4-5, 2021
• updates: the loud neighbor, the pyramid scheme, and more
• updates: the muting, the pregnancy announcement, and more
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – December 3-4, 2021
• I had a fling with my boss’s son, should I sing a song at my interview, and more
• update: I got a windfall — how much time off should I take?
• update: my employee sent me a “letter of intent” to look for another job
• update: HR questioned me for hours about a sex injury
• “I will confront you by Wednesday of this week”
• share your funniest office holiday stories
• interviewer said I rubbed half the team the wrong way, cake drama, and more
• updates: not being the boss, the commute anxiety, and more
• update: my employee warned me he has a problem with authority
• update: interviewer badmouthed me to my references because I didn’t want to “harness the power of QAnon”
• should offices have policies on healthy eating?
• update: my coworker refuses to wear a mask
• I feel insulted by the rolls at my new job, coworker uses baby talk, and more

November 2021

• update: is “secretary” a demeaning title?
• updates: the unflushed toilet, covering for a remote coworker, and more
• updates: the remote employee without child care, the regretted recommendation, and more
• my company gives terrible gifts
• update: explaining to clients that I’m pregnant with someone else’s babies
• my boss wants me to host a product party for her, I compared my interviewer to my dog, and more
• updates: new manager tells us we’re defensive, working from home without privacy, and more
• update: the boss who fired me got hired at my new job — and she’s joking about how bad my work was
• update: our employee forged the owner’s signature on his mortgage documents
• the schedule for updates this year
• do I have to go to my office’s holiday Zoom happy hour?
• update: I think my assistant would be better at my job than I am
• my coworker is enraged that I call my cat “my baby,” my interviewer called me a schmuck, and more
• weekend open thread – November 27-28, 2021
• open thread – November 26-27, 2021
• Thanksgiving free-for-all – November 25, 2021
• Thanksgiving eve open thread
• the determined thief, the cranberry usurper, and other work potlucks gone wrong
• the bootleg CDs, the rare books department, and other stories of holiday mayhem
• I didn’t know my former coworker was so disliked and now I’m worried
• manager wants to monitor my personal goals, when a client introduces his mistress, and more
• should employers pay candidates for their time in the interview process?
• the Barbie trophies, the club kid, and other stories of holidays at work
• my coworker/friend keeps coming to work drunk
• interviewer wants my current employer to say they know I’m looking, friend asking for free work, and more
• my employee refuses to lie to customers — but that’s our policy
• the Hanukkah balls, the swingers, and other tales of holiday woes
• my coworker keeps joking that I’m having sex with my husband in the office
• am I the toxic complainer, I don’t want to hire an anti-vaxxer, and more
• weekend open thread – November 20-21, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – November 19-20, 2021
• employee threatens to sue us when we tell her to save work files, I don’t want to put up holiday decorations, and more
• a candidate told a random lie and doubled-down when we asked about it
• I made a gift guide for every employee on your team
• my partner and I both work from home … and we’re moving in together
• does my emergency make me look like a flake, discussing salary with friends, and more
• my boss was furious that I went to a work party after calling out sick
• my employee punched her supervisor during a disagreement
• my team is requiring us to do a diet/exercise/”mental toughness” program
• coworker takes all his calls on speakerphone, demoted boss asked me to be a character witness, and more
• how do I negotiate salary when I’m overpaid?
• update: my boyfriend left me for an intern at work and her manager called my friend about it
• my employees got into a religious argument and now things are in chaos
• my coworker takes too many smoke breaks, applying for a job when you can’t afford their products, and more
• our polyamorous employee wants to bring their 3 partners to the holiday party
• my employee won’t take time off
• my VP of HR says my service dog is too small
• coming to work with wet hair, I don’t want friends as clients, and more
• weekend open thread – November 13-14, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – November 12-13, 2021
• my safety partner won’t accompany me when he’s supposed to, what am I allowed to do on sick leave, and more
• we have to thank our coworkers for coming to work
• update: my company is issuing new work-from-home standards because we should have the hang of it by now
• when office potlucks go wrong
• do managers need to foster team relationships, company doesn’t want remote managers, and more
• a toxic duo, a bitter chat group, a firing, and a lot of drama
• is there any point in “courtesy interviews”?
• I manage an employee who pushes too much positivity on her team
• blackballing people who didn’t work this year, my coworker is bad at Twitter, and more
• my employee took money under false pretenses from a nonprofit
• employers shouldn’t use video for short first-round interviews
• my boss says he can’t hire me at his new company because he’s attracted to me
• HR called employee’s wife about his bad behavior, should my employer pay for my flat tire, and more
• my coworker’s son is interning for us … and it’s not going well
• I think a job candidate is lying about his work experience
• my boss pays me an extra $500/month from her own money — but didn’t pay me this month
• I can’t stand my coworker’s voice, I feel guilty about taking maternity leave again, and more
• weekend open thread – November 6-7, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – November 5-6, 2021
• coworker asks for “confidential” help, charity wants us to volunteer for a for-profit company, and more
• do I have to work in-office during my notice period?
• my employee takes credit for work she didn’t do
• my colleagues treat me like a kid and think I’m younger than I am
• interviewing when I just started a new job, unpaid quarantine, and more
• my husband has to discuss his eating habits with the CEO
• we hired without checking references … and it went badly
• I’m working 2 full-time remote jobs — is this unethical?
• employee got pulled over during a Zoom call, are firm offers a mistake, and more
• I started a job without agreeing on a salary — and then it turned out to be too low
• how do I give feedback in an open office where everyone can hear my conversations?
• I walked in on the company owner having sex in his office
• drama over kids’ fundraisers, can I charge for dream time, and more
• update: I’m frustrated that my employees don’t want to return to the office
• about that letter from the manager angry her employee wanted to be paid…
• my employers want to pay for my surgery — but I want a raise
• employee wants bereavement leave for her dog, costume contest fundraiser, and more

October 2021

• weekend open thread – October 30-31, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – October 29-30, 2021
• I used to drink on the job with my new boss, quitting with no notice, and more
• coworker keeps interrupting my work and told me it’s “good practice” to keep myself focused
• should you tell your boss if you’re struggling with mental health issues?
• my dysfunctional company will give me a free day off every week if I stay several more years
• my boss is throwing a maskless team Thanksgiving dinner, company says our coworker who quit is actually still here, and more
• are better managers … ever actually worse?
• where are you now? (a call for updates)
• my coworker accidentally sent me a recording making fun of me
• coworker’s grisly Halloween decor, I don’t want to dance in my office’s TikTok videos, and more
• our highly-paid, overworked junior staff keep leaving just as we get them fully trained
• I’m frustrated that my employees don’t want to return to the office
• I caught my coworker masturbating at his desk
• my boss cried when I asked for a raise, when to tell applicants about our vaccine requirement, and more
• my company wants me to work Halloween and I’m a Halloween fanatic
• job seekers are ghosting employers … just like employers have done to them for years
• my coworker is secretly living at the office
• I quit my job but they insist I have to participate in an investigation, putting Mensa on your resume, and more
• weekend open thread – October 23-24, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – October 22-23, 2021
• inviting only some coworkers to a party, rude IMs, and more
• my boss told me not to tell anyone I’m quitting
• updates: the better offer, the long business trip, and more
• what’s the most unreasonable thing you’ve ever been asked to do at a job?
• company has a men-only weekend trip, did employer lie about their interview process, and more
• my coworker keeps saying men only ask me for help because I’m hot
• how can I avoid business contacts who just want to pitch me?
• should I report my abusive former boss to her current employer?
• my new coworkers keep saying I’m going to hate my job, parents posting their kids’ resumes on LinkedIn, and more
• how do I talk to my anti-vaccine coworker?
• my boss sucks and there’s nothing I can do
• my employee wasn’t respectful enough after the company messed up her paycheck
• paratransit is making me look like a slacker, paying back training costs when we leave, and more
• did I make a mistake by sharing my salary with a coworker?
• how to manage an employee who rambles
• our job candidates show up in ultra-casual interview attire
• my boss keeps telling me to clean up my office, carpooling with someone I manage, and more
• weekend open thread – October 16-17, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – October 15-16, 2021
• my friend’s work problems are stressing me out, I got accused of trash-talking a former job, and more
• when the red flags are even more ominous than you know…
• update: how much of a red flag is it if a job candidate was fired twice previously?
• what should I bring to the office now that we’re going back?
• boss says we can’t share our lunches, employee fell for a scam, and more
• our head of security took upskirt photos of an intern
• my employees keep contacting me when I’m off work
• the boss who fired me got hired at my new job — and she’s joking about how bad my work was
• another manager complained about my employee, resigning before you’re fired, and more
• how do I talk to an employee about her distracting dog?
• what do I do about work if my kids are sent home to quarantine?
• my boss flirts with (and sometimes sleeps with) our vendors — and tells me all about it
• my manager talks about religion daily, my boss makes a huge profit on my work, and more
• employer says candidates must accept the job if it’s offered
• my employee keeps changing her appearance during the work day
• should I expose my boss for her mean and gossipy Twitter account?
• company wants our baby photos, getting away from a boss who’s yelling, and more
• weekend open thread – October 9-10, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – October 8-9, 2021
• volunteer’s mom hangs out in our office, refusing to comply with a vaccine mandate, and more
• how to make waiting to hear back about a job more bearable
• update: how can I fix my procrastination problem?
• how do you network in the era of Covid?
• what do I do if I can’t find child care, HR asked if I’m job-searching, and more
• boss organizes a poker game to determine end-of-year bonuses
• can you give an employee time to find a new job before they’re fired?
• the controversial calculator, the highlighter war, and other drama over office supplies
• writing an improvement plan for a pastor, job-searching outside of business hours, and more
• our Zoom meetings are a disorganized mess
• my coworker complains all day long
• my employee vents to me about her job and personal life and wants constant reassurance
• coworker buys us things we don’t want, putting vaccination on your resume, and more
• update: a coworker prayed for my fiancé’s death so we didn’t invite her to our wedding … and now there is drama
• I’m constantly anxious that one of my employees will quit
• job seekers are ghosting us on interviews and job offers
• my boss threatened to sue me when I quit, Netflix on work laptops, and more
• weekend open thread – October 2-3, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – October 1-2, 2021
• interviewing from a parked car, asking employees to solve problems on their own, and more

September 2021

• is it unprofessional to use fidget toys at work?
• updates: the 3-year probation, the furlough, and more
• let’s talk about drama over office supplies
• candidate lied about the dates of a job, ex-mentee still brings me all her questions, and more
• my employees are getting married and having a baby — can I insist they tell the rest of the team?
• my employee wants flexible hours in a job that doesn’t allow it
• our white manager centers herself in conversations about racism — and other questions with Michelle Silverthorn
• can my company make me have child care when I work from home, wedding officiants, and more
• my coworker keeps whispering sexually explicit things in the office bathroom
• are unlimited vacation days really unlimited?
• a coworker prayed for my fiancé’s death so we didn’t invite her to our wedding … and now there is drama
• employee showed up at kid’s birthday party, coworker keeps taking our snacks, and more
• my employee relocated and didn’t tell me
• companies’ lip service about “self-care” isn’t what employees need
• our employee forged the owner’s signature on his mortgage documents
• employee lied for months about his work, coworker wants me to turn down my radio, and more
• weekend open thread – September 25-26, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – September 24-25, 2021
• a rogue admin, a silent snacker, and more
• don’t pretend to have a question just so you can talk about yourself — in interviews and in life
• how do I manage a great employee who finishes everything ahead of schedule?
• how do I not feel jealous of my wealthier coworkers?
• employee got pregnant to avoid working on Christmas, I told my boss to F off, and more
• CEO’s wife ruined my job prospects
• when should you go to HR — and when should you not?
• I manage my daughter and someone complained about her
• giving tattoos at work, boss lied about getting engaged, and more
• I’m in trouble for what I wore when when my boss made me pick him up for the airport in the middle of the night
• how will the vaccine mandate work exactly?
• I’m hypersensitive to criticism — how do I fix this?
• I disabled my coworker’s caps-lock key, employee calls me his “manageress,” and more
• update: should I explain I quit on my second day because my coworker was overwhelmingly difficult?
• can I tell clients I don’t talk on the phone?
• I was fired for taking initiative (and undermining my manager)
• drunken scene at a coworker’s wedding, I said something profane to my boss, and more
• weekend open thread – September 18-19, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – September 17-18, 2021
• employer wouldn’t give me paid time off for Covid, my job won’t let me quit, and more
• interview with a person who responds to Glassdoor reviews for her company
• update: is my former employer telling reference checkers I was fired?
• how do I manage an unmanageable workload?
• grandboss’s favoritism toward a new hire, lunch meeting without masks in a small room, and more
• my friend is angry that I can’t help more in her job search
• how do I fire a volunteer who’s not getting her work done?
• is there a way to find out if someone secretly has two full-time jobs?
• guilt about applying for a new job, new hire didn’t negotiate, and more
• my ex-boss isn’t that into me (but I’m still into her)
• my job offer was rescinded — after I already quit my old job
• employer wants friends and family to participate in 360 feedback reviews
• is it ungrateful to ask for more money when you get promoted, my mentee is out of touch, and more
• my boss is angry that I lied about the reason for my vacation
• can I turn a request for free help into paid consulting?
• my employee sent me a “letter of intent” to look for another job
• I have two bosses, my manager attends a notoriously bigoted university, and more
• weekend open thread – September 11-12, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – September 10-11, 2021
• does sloppy writing indicate lack of attention to detail, resigning when I won’t go back to the office, and more
• if I don’t accept calendar invitations, will people assume I won’t be at meetings?
• disgusting shared fridges, loud talkers, and other things we haven’t missed about the office
• how can I ease the transition back to working from the office?
• compliments I don’t deserve, people keep giving me plants, and more
• the intern who set up a cot and other stories of internships gone wrong
• my employees have been mocking a coworker behind his back
• should I explain I quit on my second day because my coworker was overwhelmingly difficult?
• my boss asked us to share deeply painful experiences, smelly candles, and more
• update: I accidentally threw condoms all over my interviewer’s desk
• how soon is too soon to leave a panic job?
• I’m upset that my friend wants to work for the company that laid me off
• should I tell my boss I’m in therapy, coworker forged a signature, and more
• Labor Day open thread
• weekend open thread – September 4-6, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – September 3-4, 2021
• will I be fired if I refuse a Covid test, I didn’t get a thank-you after helping someone, and more
• is there any good reason not to share salary bands within a company?
• updates: the barking dog, the fan accounts, and more
• how do I transition from a corporate job to non-office work?
• my boss reads my emails, TV’s best bosses, and more
• how do I know if it’s safe to be out at work … and other questions about LGBTQ+ issues at work
• if I work in HR, can I have friends at work?
• my office got us turtles to take care of and bring home on weekends
• everyone is brushing their teeth at work, a terribly-named award, and more

August 2021

• should I stay at a job I don’t like if it could lead to a big pay-off in a few years?
• my coworker won’t volunteer for any of our work
• my boss told me not to give greeting cards to older men because it could seem sexual
• riding a motorcycle to work, is my chronic sneezing distracting my coworkers, and more
• update: my employee gave me an “it’s her or me” ultimatum
• inside the weird world of out-of-office messages
• my company wants me to investigate what expensive medical treatments employees are having and why
• candidate read all their answers from a script, I don’t want to talk to people while they’re driving, and more
• weekend open thread – August 28-29, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – August 27-28, 2021
• what’s the deal with outplacement agencies, my boss won’t support any professional development, and more
• my coworker cried and called me militant
• updates: the ex’s hostile friend, the bait and switch, and more
• dealing with customers who are angry that we require masks and proof of vaccination
• my unvaccinated coworker may have exposed me to Covid, is my boss bullying me, and more
• how do I tell my brand new job I’m leaving for a better offer?
• you should ask for more money when you get a job offer. here’s how.
• my employee gave me an “it’s her or me” ultimatum
• some of my team did horribly working from home, regaining privacy at work, and more
• I accidentally threw condoms all over my interviewer’s desk
• my boss is so pro-remote-work that it’s annoying
• did I burn a bridge by resigning right after I was promoted?
• my coworker keeps crying in meetings, my boss only wants to hire friends, and more
• the confetti, the playwright, and other stories of revenge on jerks at work
• how do I tell a difficult employee she’s right without undermining my authority?
• my employee lies to me about things he just said 30 seconds ago
• my coworker throws my papers away, a fingernail conundrum, and more
• weekend open thread – August 21-22, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – August 20-21, 2021
• can I nap at work, asking why someone was pushed out of a job, and more
• the sick call with sound effects, the cheesecake, and other stories of triumphs over jerks at work
• can I rescind a job offer on the spot if an applicant seems curt?
• is it crazy to quit my job to go freelance in 2021?
• I’m not included in meetings about my team’s work, my boss says remote workers should get paid less, and more
• our new entry-level coworker thinks he’s our boss
• how do I keep working in a job I hate while I look for a new one?
• my employee complains that her coworker has too much flexibility
• am I being pushed out of my job because I’m moving, fundraising when everyone’s remote, and more
• my boss said sick days aren’t something you can announce in advance
• my company isn’t enforcing its vaccine mandate
• how do I manage an employee who doesn’t need the job?
• I got Covid at work and my company won’t cover my sick time, horrible new coworker wants to be friends, and more
• how can I tell our boss we’ll all quit if we can’t work from home?
• I re-hired an employee … who promptly quit again
• my awful former boss works at the new job I’m about to start
• my dog barks on work calls, how far out can I schedule an interview, and more
• weekend open thread – August 14-15, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – August 13-14, 2021
• I secretly moved people’s desks 2 inches and they freaked out, late-night work emails, and more
• Mortification Week: the county lock-up, the disrupted town hall, and more
• Ask a Manager in the media
• tell us your stories of triumphing over work jerks
• can I take a year off work, do I have to use nicknames, and more
• Mortification Week: the sleepover, the angry bees, and more
• my employee won’t speak to me
• Mortification Week: the museum captive, the accidental grope, and more
• my mom is pushing too hard on my job search, I can’t do the work fun scheduled just for me, and more
• Mortification Week: the copied texts, the unamused clients, and more
• should I have to go to happy hours to get a promotion?
• Mortification Week: the terrible interview answer, the velvet bra, and more
• my friend is a bad employee, will attending an anti-gay college hurt me, and more
• the intern who took over an office, the dragon pajamas, and other stories to cringe over/revel in
• a senior staffer is inviting junior staff to her house for drinking parties
• remote jobs that aren’t really remote
• my boss says I lied about my level of experience because I took maternity leave, same-day interviews, and more
• weekend open thread – August 7-8, 2021
• open thread – August 6-7, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• clients don’t understand what I do, business casual for men, and more
• should I reach out to an employer who ghosted me?
• this is why you need a good cover letter
• how do I adjust to working 8 hours a day?
• employee is taking free snacks, Parks and Rec vs. The Office, and more
• our boss won’t speak to us, hides in his office, and drops off calls if anyone greets him
• should I give a bad reference for a nightmare employee?
• a friend of my ex-boyfriend verbally attacked me at work
• I was rejected for not sending a thank-you note, aggressive office money collections, and more
• my coworker won’t stop poking me
• 10 really good questions to ask in a job interview
• my company’s survey questions are awfully intrusive — are they really anonymous?
• annoying coworker lurks near every conversation, am I over-dressing, and more
• is it dishonest not to disclose you’re pregnant when you’re interviewing?
• my employee constantly talks about waiting for 5:00 and the weekend
• my company is requiring us to travel because “they miss us”

July 2021

• cutting off a hired mentor, dealing with pushy new grads, and more
• weekend open thread – July 31-August 1, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – July 30-31, 2021
• company didn’t even read my application, forced to take a promotion you don’t want, and more
• can I refuse to do a self-assessment?
• updates: the anonymous complaint, the biopsy, and more
• how can I look more polished at work?
• my coworker lied to me, warning someone before reporting them, and more
• coworkers can’t hear me on calls from home because it’s loud here
• my employee keeps staying late even though I’ve told her to stop
• interviewer badmouthed me to my references because I didn’t want to “harness the power of QAnon”
• my boss thinks perks should be earned, working at a bathhouse, and more
• my new hire quit after his first day
• my remote employees say our in-office perks are unfair
• my boss won’t speak to us and says “please” is disrespectful
• I’ve been offered a job I’m not qualified for, a potential client who can’t use email, and more
• update: someone keeps farting in important client meetings
• the people who’d rather quit than give up remote work
• a manager scolded me for having a cold sore on my face
• coworker steals people’s snacks, a sales rep who rants on social media, and more
• weekend open thread – July 24-25, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – July 23-24, 2021
• my boss never praises my work, my awful ex-manager lists me as a protege, and more
• my boss says I’m an “unapproachable” manager
• Ask a Manager in the media
• should I leave my job if I don’t have to work for money?
• my boss objects to a joke I made a year ago, employers who freak out when you turn down a job, and more
• my coworkers keep asking me when I’m due — and I’m not pregnant
• my boss hasn’t talked to me in months
• I found my boss’s highly critical notes about a coworker
• employee’s weird email about a coworker, job wants people who enjoy jokes made at their expense, and more
• am I supposed to remember the details of every job I apply to?
• should I warn my work friend she might get fired?
• I had a meltdown during an office welcome back party in my honor
• companies incentivizing returning to work, shaking your hair out in a meeting, and more
• update: my interviewer asked about my personal finances
• my coworker treats me like a child
• my coworker told HR I was interviewing and now they’re posting my job
• my boyfriend left me for an intern, we under-estimated how long a nursing employee would need to pump, and more
• weekend open thread – July 17-18, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – July 16-17, 2021
• I’m overhearing my partner’s work conversations and they’re bad, rude companies during a labor shortage, and more
• my coworker tells others I’m going to be overwhelmed
• I was rejected after a manager looked at my LinkedIn profile
• my coworker’s bad customer service is irritating me … and she’s friends with my mom
• thermostat wars with a classist twist, boss won’t return clients’ calls, and more
• did the pandemic really show we can be just as effective working from home?
• how exactly do you quit a job?
• my boss will not physically acknowledge me in social settings
• false affair rumors, a boss who talks of self-harm, and more
• do employers set up secret “gotcha” tests for job candidates?
• why haven’t I heard back after my interview?
• my coworker sends us incessant updates about her kid
• employee is trying to force me to accept a loan I don’t want, a raise for covering for remote coworkers, and more
• update: my manager is annoyed that I keep getting Saturdays off
• my freelancers don’t turn in work on time
• my trust fund coworker bullies staff for being “poor”
• unfireable employee is having affair with the boss, dealing with a pushy donor, and more
• weekend open thread – July 10-11, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – July 9-10, 2021
• my client altered my email to make himself look better, what’s a good job, and more
• should I take my Etsy business off my resume?
• updates: the berating coworker, the higher salary, and more
• has the last year changed your thinking about what you want to do with your work hours?
• is my girlfriend cheating with her old boss, turning down handshakes, and more
• why do interviewers expect you to have already researched their company?
• my coworker’s stress is stressing me out
• do I need to keep covering a remote employee’s work?
• can I work from a museum or the zoo if I’m remote, how open should I be about retiring really early, and more
• I think my assistant would be better at my job than I am
• how to turn down a job offer
• my employee takes over meetings with endless monologues and no one can get a word in
• required to jump in the pool to get a day off, recovering from over-sharing, and more
• open thread – July 5, 2021
• weekend open thread – July 3-4, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – July 2-3, 2021
• my boss might drink during work hours, work acronyms gone wrong, and more
• how professional-sounding do resume email addresses need to be?
• updates: the short maternity leave, the needy replacement, and more
• how can a full-time parent support their breadwinner partner?
• backing out of a social trip with coworkers, colleague has a bad attitude with a good reason, and more

June 2021

• updates: the terrible attitude, the lack of real world experience, and more
• should you connect with strangers on LinkedIn?
• my coworker is really aggressive about commuting home with me
• my coworker is overworking herself, are tank tops business casual, and more
• updates: the complaining coworkers, the embarrassed boss, and more
• my new job said I could work from home – and then changed their minds
• can I keep mentioning my period at work?
• our babysitter ghosted us and now works at my office, replacing a beloved employee who died, and more
• updates: disgusting boss touches and chews on everything on my desk, and more
• can I leave an unproductive meeting?
• should I leave my family business?
• contractor deleted shared files I paid for, it is OK to discuss a firing with others, and more
• weekend open thread – June 26-27, 2021
• updates: no job descriptions, struggling with working from home, and more
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – June 25-26, 2021
• how to handle a creep at someone else’s workplace, should I return to the office if I’m immunocompromised, and more
• updates: the unsafe holiday party, the dominatrix, and more
• update: I resist pressure to work long hours — but my coworkers don’t
• would you quit over your employer’s work-from-home policy?
• my employees prefer remote work but I don’t, feeling emotional about resigning, and more
• update: a client sent me a thank-you check as a way to avoid paying my boss
• my new employee keeps complaining about missing her kids
• my office wants my pronouns — but I’m still figuring it out
• managing an abusive manager, coworkers keep talking about my new luxury car, and more
• update: really aggressive spam callers are giving me anxiety attacks
• I hate working from home
• my new office has a no-humor policy
• we’re asked to share our bra and underwear sizes with the team, crawling at work, and more
• updates: the scream-yawns, the condescending coworker, and more
• update: my new job is a nightmare built on a hellmouth
• asking to use the boss’s limo and other unprofessional mishaps
• I sent an angry response to a work email — was I in the wrong?
• I don’t want to chip in for a birthday gift for our boss, apologizing to a former coworker, and more
• weekend open thread — June 19-20, 2021
• updates: my boss wants me to help him jump the line for the Covid vaccine, and more
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread — June 18-19, 2021
• my boss hates when I mute myself on group calls, telling a job I’d only take it if I could work remotely, and more
• update: can I leave my job after one year if I committed to more?
• our employee lied about having a sick child
• how can we get older members of our field to stop complimenting women on their appearances?
• I’m earning less than someone who lied on their resume, difficult client will only deal with one of my employees, and more
• updates: my coworker told everyone we’re married (we’re not) and more
• updates: I work with my awful boss’s sister, afraid to give feedback, and more
• are all jobs bad?
• my ex-boss is using my firing as content for her company social media pages
• manager keeps talking about astrology, recording video calls, and more
• update: I accidentally threw a sandwich and it caused a work crisis
• remember the manager who wouldn’t let her best employee attend her own graduation?
• I’m afraid I’m terrible at my new job
• should I warn our terrible managers that most of our team is about to leave?
• it’s time to close the life insurance gender gap
• when HR cuddles with an employee, asking kids what they want to be when they grow up, and more
• updates: the meditation and yoga office, the detective, and more
• update: my coworker is upset that I’m pregnant
• did Covid kill office dress codes?
• can I apply for a temporarily remote job and then insist on remaining remote?
• employer asked if we should use force to protect traditional values, working with a coworker who drops balls, and more
• weekend open thread – June 12-13, 2021
• updates: the nosy coworker, not oversharing as a manager, and more
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – June 11-12, 2021
• do younger managers still care about thank-you notes, I don’t want to hire my ex’s father, and more
• updates: I insulted my boss’s daughter, and more
• updates: avoiding political talk, the feelings boss, and more
• I feel mediocre compared to our new hires
• frequent bathroom visits, putting an out-of-state address on your resume, and more
• updates: the false affair rumor, the coworker ripping artwork down, and more
• my employee says I can’t stop her from leaving work early
• is this job description full of red flags?
• telling an interviewer God said this is the right job for you, my mentee hasn’t taken Covid seriously, and more
• updates: the hidden breast milk, the wedding chaos, and more
• how is the return to work supposed to work, exactly?
• I’m worried my new hire won’t fit into our very liberal — and vocal — team
• my manager is annoyed with my days off, missing work because “something came up,” and more
• update: my coworker put a magical curse on her boss
• are employees obligated to speak up when they’re unhappy at work?
• what to say to job applicants when you know you can’t offer fair compensation
• joking about people getting fired, what’s up with pantyhose, and more
• weekend open thread – June 5-6, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – June 4-5, 2021
• hiring a replacement before someone is fired, I accidentally sent a dirty message to my friend’s work email, and more
• unvaccinated employees are complaining about a $100 bonus for getting vaccinated
• Ask a Manager in the media
• when out-of-office messages go wrong
• coworker loves to abuse robocallers, boss uses Facebook photos without permission, and more
• should I let my staff take retroactive leave for unproductive days?
• my employee doesn’t work enough hours
• we’re being put back in cubicles even though we’re more productive in private offices
• interviewer became rude after I got his name wrong, coworkers keep asking to see my baby bump, and more
• I’m ready to rage-quit my job — am I being unfair to my boss?
• how can I get a management job without management experience?
• my company’s leadership program for women excludes men
• coworker made a rude comment about a family death, a reference stole my job offer, and more

May 2021

• a coworker stole my spicy food, got sick, and is blaming me
• can an employer steal your work when you apply for a job, why can’t low-wage jobs retain workers, and more
• weekend open thread – May 29-30, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – May 28-29, 2021
• video cover letters, asking for money to cover a lost perk, and more
• my interviewer asked about my personal finances
• update: our employer wants to cut our pay — retroactively
• will office dress codes relax permanently after Covid?
• using a famous athlete as a reference, boss showed up at friends’ barbecue, and more
• does working remotely harm your chances of advancement?
• where are you now? (a call for updates)
• my boss liked my work — until we met in person and she saw my weight
• is “thanks in advance” rude, interviewer kept saying he liked my smile, and more
• how to help coworkers who have been in the office all along
• someone gave me a terrible review on Glassdoor
• a creepy customer complained my employees aren’t friendly enough
• who will look after your digital and social assets when you die?
• how do I stop my boss from contacting my dad, new hire dresses too casually, and more
• someone keeps farting in important client meetings
• my terrible intern is a VIP’s son and can’t be fired
• should I blow the whistle on the harm my organization is causing?
• coworkers who complain about returning to the office, job candidate disclosed autism, and more
• weekend open thread – May 22-23, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – May 21-22, 2021
• the commute to my new job makes me too anxious, brushing your teeth at work, and more
• what’s the etiquette for people in the background on Zoom calls?
• update: I work at a boarding school and my partner can’t visit during the week because we’re unmarried
• how can I come out as queer mid-career?
• dealing with abusive patients, incompetent coworker needs too much help, and more
• an expert on how to get what you need from your health insurance
• my employee injured his coworker in an office prank
• my boss wants me to ask a rejected problematic job candidate to volunteer
• names that make a religious statement, HR keeps sending anxiety-provoking emails, and more
• am I the only one excited to return to the office?
• my nightmare former coworker is now a superstar
• my condescending coworker tries to take over my work and is a disruptive know-it-all
• my boss excludes me from social events, I’m leaving my job after promising not to, and more
• some findings from 24,000 people’s salaries
• the loose cannon job candidate, the interview from a toilet, and other tales of interview mishaps
• my office is doing “circle work” with “offerings to the ancestors” and lots of talk about feelings
• my job is causing me physical pain, I want to keep wearing a mask, and more
• weekend open thread – May 15-16, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – May 14-15, 2021
• talking about Jesus on a resume, I threw my boss under the bus when I quit, and more
• we need paid family and medical leave — and a new bill in Congress would give it to us
• my employee barely speaks to me
• how can I stop coming across as quiet and timid?
• my dad wants to call my boss, are out-of-office auto-replies unprofessional, and more
• I had a great interview but didn’t get the job — what happened?
• what’s the etiquette for taking vacation time?
• my employee is overwhelmingly emotionally needy
• CEO wants staff to buy his wife’s book, junior assistant keeps calling me “hun,” and more
• don’t do this
• my coworker’s constant emails make me less productive
• student employee keeps venting on social media about a work decision
• I manage the CEO’s horrible nephew, quitting a job I love over money, and more
• here’s an example of a cover letter that will make you a stronger candidate
• people who haven’t been working from home feel invisible
• my coworker asks me to google things for her and treats me like her assistant
• my boss had a long-term affair with my husband, allergies on video calls, and more
• weekend free-for-all – May 8-9, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – May 7-8, 2021
• my boss set up a secret email with my name, coworker keeps gushing over her married crush, and more
• I’m being pressured to chauffeur interns to and from work
• update: my office includes me in Administrative Professionals Day just because I’m a woman
• veterinarian is breaking under the weight of free-advice seekers
• do I have to come out at work to support diversity initiatives, new boss sends our team ads for other jobs, and more
• look at 24,000 people’s real-life salaries and sort by industry, job, and location
• my old employer is trying to intimidate me into removing a Glassdoor review
• did I make a mistake by reprimanding my direct report’s employee?
• company will let us work from home — but our pay will fluctuate based on our productivity
• traveling with my boss when I’ll need two airplane seats, sending “thanks!” emails, and more
• how should I respond to feedback from my boss to show I’m not upset?
• my interviewer wants a reference from my current boss
• my boss’s dog rampages through our work gatherings
• asking my boss to reimburse weight loss surgery, company fires people by phone after work, and more
• my coworkers said they’d write me LinkedIn recommendations — but never came through
• how to recover after yelling at an employee
• I’m about to be the manager of an employee who made my child cry
• manager complains about my time off, flower theft, and more
• weekend open thread – May 1-2, 2021

April 2021

• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – April 30-May 1, 2021
• my neighbor plays loud adult content while I’m on work calls, letting candidates know my boss is a micromanager, and more
• was my “probably not, but maybe” response to a recruiter appropriate?
• update: HR treats my autistic employee like he’s an incompetent child
• my boss is having an affair with our assistant — and I’m friends with his wife
• how to fire a jerk, is it OK to drink with the team I manage, and more
• how do I respond to employees asking if they should be worried about an upcoming bad-news meeting?
• what to do when your coworkers keep coming back from lunch drunk
• interview with an employee at an employee assistance program (EAP)
• boss keeps removing his clothes in front of me, I worked for months while everyone else got paid to do nothing, and more
• my boss’s wife just called me to yell at me
• how can I ask to keep working from home long-term?
• how much money do you make?
• my coworker quit but our CEO is pretending he’s still here, having to pay to work at an event, and more
• my new coworker can’t handle our new-agey woo environment
• my employees won the lottery and quit, but now they want their jobs back
• my new hire is too attractive for me to manage her
• employee isn’t flushing, colleague puts “read me” in every subject line, and more
• weekend open thread – April 24-25, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – April 23-24, 2021
• where’s the line on religious accommodation, my boss says she can see work is “wearing” on me, and more
• can I ask contacts at other companies how much money they make?
• updates: the partner’s employer’s quarantine requirements, the boss who thinks everything is fun, and more
• people who have been at work all along are exhausted
• should I tell my boss I’m unhappy with my job, being assertive about safety, and more
• I’m a woman — does my interview attire have to be feminine?
• my company is planning an overnight trip with secret activities
• my whole office works from home except me — and I’m getting stuck with everyone’s admin work
• rejecting a candidate because they can’t interview by video, interviewer asked to see the writing I do for fun, and more
• my former coworkers hired me to work for them … but it was a bait and switch, they fired me, and I’m ashamed
• you need to ask for a raise — here’s how
• my employee wants to work from home without child care for his baby forever
• scheduling a Zoom call to reject a candidate, an insulting trophy, and more
• my employee is paranoid — can I help or is it not my business?
• how can I protect my team from last-minute rushes?
• our boss’s high salary is tanking morale
• coworker doesn’t pay attention in meetings, LinkedIn’s “stay-at-home-mom” job title, and more
• weekend open thread – April 17-18, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – April 16-17, 2021
• lunch meetings when I can’t eat, I’ve fired my new employee before, and more
• have I destroyed boundaries with my team during Covid?
• how to screen out micromanagers in a job interview
• how have other people helped you in your career?
• new employee has gone AWOL, asking someone to mentor me, and more
• Ask a Manager speed round
• do I really have to have career ambition?
• my coworker is a talker and whines when I ask him to stop
• job candidate was fired twice previously, I have to pay to volunteer, and more
• speed round — submit your questions
• how should I address my interviewer in application emails?
• how bad is job-hopping, really?
• how do I get out of my office’s toxic positivity meetings?
• coworkers keep interrupting my closed-door meetings, is it weird to throw a party for coworkers at your house, and more
• do I have to wear a bra when I go back to the office?
• people are freaked out about going back to their offices
• is this office culture cutting-edge or a cult?
• pretending not to know my old boss, waiting for a ride after an interview, and more
• weekend open thread – April 10-11, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – April 9-10, 2021
• I’m constantly interrupted while I work, no comfortable space to work in at home, and more
• should staying remote when my coworkers go back to work mean I get left out of everything again?
• updates: the personality tests, the storage stealer, and more
• how should I deal with a pompous, sexist coworker?
• can I ignore a toxic employee who’s leaving, warning candidates about weirdness in our hiring, and more
• I was offered a job, not given much time for an answer, and then things went south
• my boss won’t leave me alone when I’m sick or on vacation
• is a salary request 40% over the max enough to rescind an offer?
• leaving right after a huge bonus, rejected because I wasn’t relaxed enough, and more
• a person I asked to be a reference is telling people I’m job hunting
• I’m becoming my friend’s boss — do things have to change?
• HR questioned me for hours about a sex injury
• my boss wants my husband to come to work so he can scold him, vaccines and BMI, and more
• my interviewer said I lacked “real world work experience” — what does that mean?
• how to say “I don’t know” with confidence
• do you really need to say “I want this job” in interviews?
• coworker is writing a dissertation on our boss being a narcissist, using social media comments to get a job, and more
• weekend open thread – April 3-4, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – April 2-3, 2021
• mentoring a very timid employee, secretary asks every day if I’ve been vaccinated yet, and more
• my staff is anxious about reopening, even though they’re vaccinated
• if you lost your job recently, you’re eligible for 6 months of free health insurance
• the plastic-wrapped office, the fake brownies, and other pranks at work
• being in a play with an employee, my boss yelled at my recruiter for hiring me away, and more

March 2021

• I want my employee to be more engaged and work more hours
• how to deal with meetings that never end on time
• interview with an employee at a majority-autistic company
• coworkers hold daily prayer sessions, employee might be working a side gig during work hours, and more
• is “dear sirs” outdated or sexist?
• my coworker suddenly dislikes me
• my coworker is too personally invested in her job
• boss is pressuring me to attend a drunken weekend, thank-you notes when you resign, and more
• should we require resumes from high school volunteers?
• why do companies lead candidates on about salary?
• a VP wants me to out myself at work and won’t take no for an answer
• are angry customers just part of life, my company overpaid me, and more
• weekend free-for-all – March 27-28, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – March 26-27, 2021
• colleague won’t leave me alone after my former employee died, lunches with a strictly kosher employee, and more
• my boss sent me work questions while I was in the hospital
• Ask a Manager in five languages
• what’s the best networking experience you’ve had?
• my company is way too positive, my boss won’t let go of a months-old disagreement, and more
• is it weird to text a job applicant for your first contact with them?
• how do we fire a well-liked employee who can’t do the job?
• can I leave my job after one year if I committed to more?
• do I need to tell my employer I’ve been vaccinated, interviews that don’t include higher-ups, and more
• a man claiming to have an Oscar (he doesn’t) wants to give me advice on my field (that he’s not in)
• I feel no ambition whatsoever at work
• my boss offered me money to film a sex tape with two coworkers
• my coworker thinks I’m being abused, I don’t know how to do my interview assignment, and more
• should I tell my boss I hate my job?
• can you bill for your time after a long interview process?
• my employees ignore my wife
• I was falsely accused of messing up the bathroom, I declined a lowball offer, and more
• weekend open thread – March 20-21, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – March 19-20, 2021
• my younger staff prefer communicating by text, boss keeps missing our meetings, and more
• is there a professional way to call BS?
• managers can’t be held hostage by a bad employee
• I’m always late to everything!
• our boss told us where we can and can’t grocery shop, unfriending someone I have to fire, and more
• I want to ban my staff from debating who should be eligible for a Covid vaccine
• every job posting asks for more experience than I have
• my coworker sounds drunk on work calls
• my old boss is now my peer, asking for a pay increase for working from home, and more
• I thought of work as my family — and then they laid me off
• can I recover from a bad reputation at work?
• the office admin refuses to speak to me
• company sent us PayDay candy as “appreciation,” manager discouraged me from getting vaccinated, and more
• I flew out for an interview — and they ended it after one question
• has Covid killed work-life balance?
• Captain Awkward and I answered some letters
• I reported my boss to HR on my first day, an AWOL manager, and more
• weekend open thread – March 13-14, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – March 12-13, 2021
• partner’s employer makes me quarantine whenever I have contact with another person, and more
• how to talk about past jobs as a former sex worker
• updates: the complaining coworkers, the awful boss, and more
• my career hit a dead end when we moved to a small town
• employee doesn’t want to leave her baby, I keep getting assigned work that’s not my job, and more
• can my company require employees to get the Covid vaccine?
• my team complains I don’t give them feedback fast enough
• my office loves expensive, physically demanding team-building activities
• pink hair at a job interview, coworkers who don’t knock, and more
• is being salaried a scam?
• I hate my boss’s mandatory Zoom happy hours
• I quit a new job after they took away my office, and my friend says I’m being petty
• should I try to get my HR rep fired, new boss lives on my street, and more
• is it okay to take advantage of calm weeks at work?
• employee’s long bathroom breaks are tying up our bathroom
• I had to fire someone and I feel like a failure
• my boss won’t stop calling my dogs my children, hiring the boss’s girlfriend, and more
• weekend open thread – March 6-7, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – March 5-6, 2021
• expecting too much when interviewing students, what to wear on the first day of a virtual job, and more
• how can I explain a mistake wasn’t mine without looking like a tattletale?
• update: can my job make me travel during the pandemic?
• how can companies be fair to people who can’t work from home?
• manager’s toxic positivity, why you can’t badmouth your boss in an interview, and more
• I’m forgetful and disorganized — and I’m a project manager
• here’s a massive discount on the Ask a Manager job-searching bible
• my employee refuses to use her coworker’s correct pronouns
• I have a professional crush on my boss, should I tell my office when I’m vaccinated, and more
• employer rejected me, then sent a list of everything I did wrong
• my terrible boss asked for feedback — should I be honest?
• is it normal to assign hotel roommates on a work trip?
• I’m stuck with my coworker’s work because she has kids, denying employee bathroom breaks, and more
• my boss told me I’m “not a good human” when I asked to be paid for my time
• how to talk to an employee about a struggling coworker
• should I report to someone with less education than me?
• coworker complains non-stop, inappropriate games at happy hour, and more

February 2021

• weekend open thread – February 27-28, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – February 26-27, 2021
• explaining a drastic appearance change, employees won’t use hearing aids, and more
• company gives employees 6 months to “fix” their health issues
• update: I want to quit … but if I leave, my project will die
• how can I move out of working in retail?
• trainer says I need to shadow her for a year, charged vacation days during a natural disaster, and more
• my coworker doesn’t quarantine after flying all over the country
• a drunken cowboy, gingerbread house chaos, and other office contests that went badly
• my employee is level 10 drama all the time
• my mother-in-law got a job at my company, my new coworker is someone I talked to on a dating app, and more
• how can I convince my employee not to work until 2 AM?
• I got promoted, but I can’t get a fair salary
• our staff aren’t underpaid but think they are
• what are you wearing on work Zoom calls these days?
• start-up founder with no work experience, my boss says I killed the business, and more
• update: my new team is taunting me because I have a nut allergy
• what to do when a low performer asks for a massive raise
• my boss called me “disgusting” for not cleaning up my male coworkers’ mess
• my ex-friend is my new boss, employer sending rides for us in the snow, and more
• weekend open thread – February 20-21, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – February 19-20, 2021
• my boss won’t manage a terrible employee, my coworker scream-yawns, and more
• interviewers want to know how I’ve been spending my time out of work … during the pandemic
• is applying for jobs a numbers game?
• the hot sauce contest, soup-gate, and other work contests gone awry
• board member brings a gun to meetings (but he’s a cop), coworker leaves early every day, and more
• how should I handle joking around during mental health discussions with my team?
• how to manage an employee with anxiety
• my employee keeps criticizing my food
• the best time of day to apply for jobs, working for an unethical industry, and more
• when asked about salary, I say “I’ll start for $X and earn the rest through merit”
• is it irresponsible to quit my job without having another one lined up?
• my company punishes single people who have to quarantine more than once — but not married people
• my coworker is copying my look, I blasted a recruiter for not answering me, and more
• thoughts on rejection from a hiring manager in a competitive field
• my employee debates every assignment
• I was used as a public example of what not to do at a team meeting
• can I ask my employee to remove his pronouns from his email signature, stuck paying for a business hotel, and more
• weekend open thread – February 13-14, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – February 12-13, 2021
• boss sends us daily sales pitches for a money management app, pressure for virtual socializing, and more
• should we provide the name behind anonymous feedback to a customer?
• updates: the coworker who came to work with Covid and more
• how do I talk to my husband about his poor work ethic and bad attitude?
• do I have to cover self-harm scars, boss resents that I can work from home after having a baby, and more
• I negotiated and got more money — why do I feel so weird?
• should I re-hire an employee with a bad attitude?
• my employee told me “I prefer not to” when I tried to give him a new project
• boss gives hand-me-down clothes to staff, employee wants help cutting the vaccination line, and more
• can my job make me travel during the pandemic?
• can I refuse more work without a raise?
• when I asked for a raise, my boss went through my bills
• my boss is being catfished, can I ask to be laid off instead of a coworker, and more
• my boss won’t talk to me and gave me a document of anonymous criticism
• employees who won’t wear masks should be fired
• HR treats my autistic employee like he’s an incompetent child
• colleague’s wife and mommy group attended our work talk, references from a romantic partner, and more
• weekend open thread – February 6-7, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – February 5-6, 2021
• coworker keeps buying me gifts, explaining a surrogacy pregnancy, and more
• is reading books at work ever OK?
• update: my boss’s stress is out of control
• what are you doing to advance racial justice? (plus win a free copy of Authentic Diversity)
• warning coworkers about my book’s adult content, returning to work 2 weeks after having a baby, and more
• my interview was great — but they hired no one instead of me
• should a job offer be “take it or leave it”?
• our new hire started another full-time job the same week he started ours
• interviews when you have food allergies, snow days when not everyone can work from home, and more
• I have to read my boss’s emails … including ones about the love nest he’s setting up to cheat on his wife
• I want to quit … but if I leave, my project will die
• my employee fired someone whose mother had died the night before
• I shaved my head and now my coworkers think I have cancer, I don’t want to take time off, and more
• people keep asking me for meetings that could just be an email
• how much do you need to self-promote when you apply for a job?
• I’m furious that my boss refused to interview my partner
• my assistant lies about days off, I don’t like our new hire, and more

January 2021

• weekend open thread – January 30-31, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – January 29-30, 2021
• employee cursed at a coworker over politics, boss has weaponized her personality test, and more
• how do I adjust to not being the boss anymore?
• update: how can we get privacy with a live-in nanny?
• sore winners: let’s talk about people who get weirdly competitive at work
• my employee got vaccinated ahead of high-risk people, my boss says you can’t negotiate salary, and more
• my employee started a false rumor that two coworkers were having an affair
• what to do when a top job candidate has another offer
• how companies can build more equitable workplaces … and what’s getting in the way
• company delayed telling us about a possible Covid exposure, coworkers won’t use my correct title, and more
• my boss’s relative treats me like his personal assistant
• should I fake interest in the job during an interview?
• your culture does not include everyone … or what employers need to do for racial equity
• I’m in trouble for sharing confidential info, boss is spying on our Zoom meetings, and more
• my colleague’s auto-reply says she might never answer your email
• how to manage a combative, negative employee
• my coworker refuses to wear a mask
• what does an “end of day” deadline really mean, bathroom breaks on video calls, and more
• weekend open thread – January 23-24, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – January 22-23, 2021
• anti-vaxx coworker is verifying vaccinations, paying for a cover letter, and more
• my networking meetings aren’t leading to interviews
• update: we’re being re-hired for work that doesn’t exist
• household employees keep ghosting me
• yelling at work, coworkers smokes e-cigarettes after being told to stop, and more
• my awful former boss is my new coworker’s sister
• how big of a deal is lying on a resume?
• my coworker is changing her appearance to match mine and rips my work off the walls when she’s mad
• should I tell a candidate her goals are unrealistic, I don’t want to lead all our meetings, and more
• am I being a dress code snob?
• my coworker hijacks our meetings with endless questions
• my boss wants me to help him jump the line for the Covid vaccine
• should I apologize if my fly is down, telling my bosses they need to work more, and more
• I pushed back on my coworker’s bigotry: a success story
• what to do (even now) if you’re stuck in a job you hate
• my boss complains constantly, mending things with a job I ghosted, and more
• weekend open thread – January 16-17, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – January 15-16, 2021
• quitting would destroy my company, I gossiped about a coworker, and more
• is it a red flag when a job is posted for a long time?
• can I keep working from home after my office re-opens?
• how to become a slacker … with Laurie Ruettimann
• my boss sits outside my house for hours, parking woes, and more
• should we let an employee resign instead of being fired?
• updates: the micromanagement, the fertility treatments, and more
• the head of my division gave me (and my niece and friend) COVID-19 and no one cares
• I resent coworkers coming back from furlough, I took over a colleague’s work, and more
• I didn’t even get interviewed for an internal role I was told I was a strong candidate for
• my boss’s stress is out of control
• was my company right to fire my coworker for accidentally sending me a graphic email?
• you need life insurance – and now you don’t need a medical exam
• can I ask my interviewer to get a Covid test, should my resume say I’ve been vaccinated, and more
• can I freeze out my coworkers who aren’t social distancing and refuse to work with them?
• my employee overshares medical details
• my coworker asked me to hide my breast milk because she doesn’t like seeing it in the office fridge
• is this resume writer shady, telling my boss I’m sober, and more
• weekend open thread – January 9-10, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – January 8-9, 2021
• coworker is throwing a tantrum over having to interview for a promotion, inviting coworkers to your wedding, and more
• can we all just keep working from home forever now?
• update: can job-hopping BE my career somehow?
• really aggressive spam callers are giving me anxiety attacks
• my job told me to ignore safety rules for kids, should I tell my boss a coworker is job-searching, and more
• am I being inflexible for not doing non-work things during work hours?
• how to support a struggling new manager
• 2 of my coworkers spend all their time together and don’t do any work
• my boss bought me new clothes, couriers who don’t wear masks, and more
• I accidentally threw a sandwich and it caused a work crisis
• should I disclose my depression to my boss?
• I work at a boarding school and my partner can’t visit during the week because we’re unmarried
• I have a crush on an older coworker, my wife read her boss’s diary, and more
• my coworker put a magical curse on her boss
• my team’s assistant is grumpy and impatient
• we went to the home of an employee who didn’t show up for work — and it went badly
• my boss is upset I won’t drive long distances, getting reimbursed for pole dancing classes, and more
• weekend open thread – January 2-3, 2021
• it’s your Friday good news
• open thread – January 1-2, 2021