my coworker treats me like I’m their boss by Alison Green on May 12, 2022 A reader writes: I’ve got a question that I’ve encountered in reverse a few times but never in this direction: I have a coworker who treats me like their boss. “Alex” is constantly asking me for approval on projects that I not only don’t have the power to approve or disapprove but am often not […] Read the full article →
Ask a Manager in the media by Alison Green on May 12, 2022 Here’s some coverage of Ask a Manager in the media recently: I talked to Vogue about complaining at work. Salon featured Ask a Manager in an article about office lunch thefts. I talked to Popsugar about the bad workplace behavior on Selling Sunset. I talked to Lizzie O’Leary about how to know if you’re paying […] Read the full article →
confess your moments of unprofessionalism here by Alison Green on May 12, 2022 Professionalism isn’t a thing people are born knowing — and it’s often a rocky journey to figure it out. I want to hear about unprofessional things you did in your past (maybe the recent past, who knows). To kick us off, here are some great moments in unprofessionalism that people have shared here previously. • […] Read the full article →
my coworker guilt-trips me when I won’t help, high-earning colleagues joke about my pay, and more by Alison Green on May 12, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How much am I obligated to help a coworker who guilt-trips me when I don’t? How much help am I obligated to give to a coworker who has a long history of struggling to manage their own life? We have a coworker, “J,” who, because […] Read the full article →
my manager yells at her boss through my office wall by Alison Green on May 11, 2022 A reader writes: I’ve been with my current employer nearly five years. My current boss has just reached her third year with our company, after spending 20+ years with a different company. She has been struggling to adapt, throwing screaming tantrums whenever she doesn’t like a procedure. She compares our company to her old company […] Read the full article →
updates: asking for more money to stay, the disorganized project manager, and more by Alison Green on May 11, 2022 Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. How to ask my company to pay me more if they want me to stay I was the reader wondering how to ask for a raise as a coworker was leaving, I was taking on more work, and I was being approached for jobs that pay more […] Read the full article →
my employer gives extra perks to thin people by Alison Green on May 11, 2022 A reader writes: I’ve just learned that my new employer gives extra perks to people who meet certain health metrics. BMI is one of the health metrics they use to determine if you receive the extra perks. Everyone gets a certain level of discount on the company’s products. But if you meet a certain level […] Read the full article →
do I have to wear concealer, should I edit the job posting when applying, and more by Alison Green on May 11, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Do I have to wear concealer to the office? I (they/them) am an early/mid-career professional who used to work in nonprofit. I recently switched into the luxury beauty industry, and I have a question about my appearance. In my previous organizations, there were various degrees […] Read the full article →
my boss won’t stop texting me — and I’m in a hospital bed by Alison Green on May 10, 2022 A reader writes: I’m writing you (literally) from my hospital bed, wondering if it’s worth trying to redirect my boss, who has texted me 8-9 times since I had surgery 10 days ago. That’s more texts than I received from my best friend. None of the texts are about work, which would actually make this […] Read the full article →
my employee is bad at taking feedback by Alison Green on May 10, 2022 A reader writes: I have a new employee who’s very organized and ambitious and generally competent, but she is terrible at receiving feedback. After reading your column for a while, I’ve tried to incorporate your advice. I’ll say things like “I’ve noticed you’ve been doing this X way, but we actually do it Y way […] Read the full article →