February 2022

my wife’s complaints about work are overwhelming me

It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: My wife and I have a generally happy household, except for after work times: I think of this as the Airing of Grievances hour. And let me be clear in saying that it is my wife who does the complaining. She is pleasant with her […]

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I can’t get my boss to give me feedback or solve problems

A reader writes: I have been with my current company for about four years, as a software developer. A year ago, a new manager was hired for my team. He seemed pretty good at first, but lately I’ve been disappointed. We have a bi-weekly one-on-one, and if I bring up an issue, he’ll just nod […]

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my team keeps coming to work hungover

A reader writes: What’s your take on being hungover at work? I’m asking specifically about in an office situation where nothing truly bad will happen if someone has reduced concentration. I manage a team of six employees and over any given month, one or two of them will have a hangover each week. In our […]

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changing pronouns at work: a success story

A reader writes: Several years ago, I decided I was ready to tell people my pronouns are they/them. I wanted to do this at work, too, so I decided to tell my manager first and asked for her support in telling my coworkers “these are Sally’s pronouns now.” She told me that I’m welcome to […]

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was I wrong to quit my job?

A reader writes: I’m wondering if what I’m feeling about my resignation is normal, and how I can best position myself to still start my new role with confidence despite my fears. I gave notice at my job last week. My company is extremely small for our industry compared to the one I am going […]

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my new boss is changing the team culture I loved

A reader writes: I took a new job about a year ago at a major tech company with a strong culture promoting employee well-being via work/life balance, reducing meeting loads, encouraging asynchronous collaboration across flexible schedules and time zones, etc. My manager came from the military and has been at our company less than two […]

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