July 2023

I have to train an aggressive man when I have a trauma history

A reader writes: I’m part of a project team creating and launching a new online system, which will mean significant changes in the way employees do their job. There’s some resistance to this change within the organization and one department in particular that is deeply opposed to the new system. We have been on a […]

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my coworker quit as soon as I became his boss

A reader writes: Soon after I started in my current job, “Bob” joined our team in a similar role as me. He was noticeably very anxious and insecure, and he struggled with getting the basics down. The job includes giving feedback on others’ work, and I noticed that I kept having to ask him to […]

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a “thought experiment” is causing a cold war in my office

A reader writes: I work in an office of ~20 people. The majority of us have lunch together in the conference room most days. It’s not organized or mandatory, just a preference for most of us. People drift in and out and sometimes skip if they have errands or out-of-office meetings that day. The only […]

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weekend open thread – July 8-9, 2023

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: My Last Innocent Year, by Daisy Alpert Florin. A college student in the 90s has an affair with her professor, as the Clinton impeachment […]

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it’s your Friday good news

It’s your Friday good news! 1.  “I was previously published in AAM Friday Good News with the news that I had gone from a really toxic job to essentially my dream job with a 35% pay increase. Since then I’ve continued to enjoy my job a ton, my boss is wonderful, my team is super […]

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open thread – July 7-8, 2023

It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to take your questions to […]

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how can I avoid getting my hopes up for a job I’ve applied for?

A reader writes: I’ve been feeling stuck at my job for some time now, and especially trapped because I’m unhappy in my field and am considering changing careers in my mid-30s (which I know isn’t particularly late, but still daunting). I haven’t done much job-searching yet since I figure I’ll have to do some retraining. […]

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update: my coworker sent a classist, racist email company-wide after a janitor won our Christmas contest

Remember the letter-writer whose coworker sent a classist, racist email company-wide after a janitor won their Christmas contest? The first update is here, and here’s the latest. I’ll start with the good news: my spouse passed the bar and has a job. We started receiving Health Insurance through his job, so I started seriously looking […]

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