my lying coworker claimed someone said I couldn’t eat at my desk by Alison Green on April 19, 2023 A reader writes: I have a very low-stakes question that I’ve been wondering about since I left my last job a few years ago. In my previous role, I shared a four-person office with two junior employees and one other senior employee. The other senior employee, Sam, had 20 years more experience than I did, […] Read the full article →
telling recruiters I won’t move to states that discriminate, AirTag etiquette, and more by Alison Green on April 19, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Telling recruiters I wouldn’t move to a state that discriminates I’m currently job searching, trying to relocate from a mid-sized city in a purple state to somewhere like Chicago or DC, and one of the major reasons is because of the worsening political climate here […] Read the full article →
is it unprofessional to have hickeys at work? by Alison Green on April 18, 2023 A reader writes: What’s the workplace norm around hickeys? Obviously, I would never want to make my coworkers uncomfortable, involve them in my sex life, or lead anyone to think I’m being abused. I figure the general policy is that any obvious marks are unprofessional and should be hidden from view at work. But what […] Read the full article →
should I even consider interviewing somewhere else if I’m happy with my job? by Alison Green on April 18, 2023 A reader writes: I am having a personal and professional struggle deciding if I should even entertain the idea of applying for an attractive job when I am fairly satisfied and secure where I am, a position I never found myself in before. Some context: My education and first few years of professional experience were […] Read the full article →
coworker says she hates me and refuses to have any contact … and my boss told me to fix it by Alison Green on April 18, 2023 A reader writes: My coworker, “Jane,” was promoted to the same level as me eight months ago. I had only spoken to Jane twice in her two years at the company prior to her promotion. About a month after moving into the role, Jane set up a meeting with me. In the meeting, she yelled […] Read the full article →
can a meh middle manager be a good CEO, stickers in a work notebook, and more by Alison Green on April 18, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can a meh middle manager be a good CEO? It’s common to hear of “worker bee”-like employees excelling in their duties only to flounder when promoted to management roles. However, is it possible for someone to be a meh middle manager only to shine in […] Read the full article →
update: HR won’t do anything about a coworker who’s angry about my weight loss by Alison Green on April 17, 2023 Remember the letter-writer whose HR wouldn’t do anything about a coworker who was angry about her post-surgery weight loss? Here’s the update. All I have to say for this update is hold on to your bananapants. I saw a lot of comments asking where management was in all this, so I’ll address that first. My […] Read the full article →
a vendor pushed religion at a work dinner by Alison Green on April 17, 2023 A reader writes: I’m still Monday morning quarterbacking my response to this one in my head, I’d love your opinion. This past week, a colleague (let’s call him Sam) and I traveled to visit a vendor out of state. The first night, the vender’s (super enthusiastic and talkative) head of sales, Bill, took the two […] Read the full article →
a manager (not mine) told me to stop organizing lunchtime yoga by Alison Green on April 17, 2023 A reader writes: I work for a large corporation. There are 30 people who do my job. We are divided in to three teams of 10, each with one manager. Our culture encourages taking lunch hours, and it’s common for people to leave the building, schedule an appointment, or eat together in the break room. […] Read the full article →
why am I anxious at work when I’m doing so well, requiring internal profile photos, and more by Alison Green on April 17, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Why I am irrationally anxious at work when I’m doing so well? I feel as though this question is more appropriate coming from a 20something, but I’m well into my 40s. I work for a very large organization, and I am the only person with […] Read the full article →