office holiday gift-giving stories: worst gifts and weirdest gifts by Alison Green on December 14, 2023 In the spirit of the season, let’s hear about workplace gift debacles. Did a game of Secret Santa end in tears? Did a coworker throw a tantrum when she didn’t win a raffle? Did your boss try to give you Hanukkah balls? Were you given a jar of mold as a gift? These are all real […] Read the full article →
letting a man open a door at an interview, Icy Hot at work, and more by Alison Green on December 14, 2023 I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. I’m afraid that a manager will see me trash-talking her in my former coworker’s emails A coworker was let go as part of a large layoff at the Fortune 500 company where […] Read the full article →
updates: the awful workload, the extra sick days proposal, and more by Alison Green on December 13, 2023 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. I asked my boss for help with my workload, but she didn’t come through First I want to thank you […] Read the full article →
update: my boss is pressuring me to be more “visible” by Alison Green on December 13, 2023 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember the letter-writer whose boss was pressuring them to be more “visible”? […] Read the full article →
update: I dated someone who was using me to get back at his ex-wife … who turned out to be my boss by Alison Green on December 13, 2023 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember the letter-writer who dated someone who was using her to get […] Read the full article →
update: an acquaintance I recommended proselytized to all my clients (with singing) by Alison Green on December 13, 2023 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember the letter-writer recommended someone for a job and the person proselytized […] Read the full article →
update: I want my coworker to stop giving me “psychic messages” from my dead family members by Alison Green on December 13, 2023 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember the letter-writer who wanted her coworker to stop giving her “psychic messages” […] Read the full article →
how do I tell an employee he isn’t welcome at our holiday party? by Alison Green on December 13, 2023 A reader writes: We have an employee, Steve, who has just resigned. He has a history of being rude, explosive, and verbally abusive. I’ve lost count of how many times he’s yelled at or insulted coworkers, including higher-ups. In fact, he is currently refusing to speak to Dave, his department head. Steve’s last day will […] Read the full article →
update: when my boss wants me to do something I really don’t want to do, can I just … not? by Alison Green on December 13, 2023 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember the letter-writer asking whether, when her boss wants her to do […] Read the full article →
vote for the worst boss of 2023: round 2 by Alison Green on December 13, 2023 It’s round 2 of the Worst Boss of 2023 voting. In the first round we narrowed the pool from eight nominees to four (see results here). The four winners from round one are paired off in two match-ups below, as we move closer to declaring a winner. Voting is now closed. The results in this […] Read the full article →