the file poacher, the reluctant apology, and other stories of jerks getting their comeuppance by Alison Green on January 28, 2025 Last week we talked about jerks getting their comeuppance, and here are eight of the most satisfying stories you shared. 1. The thief At an old job, I was continually denied raises by the bully finance director (who somehow was always able to find money for his own raises.) He oversaw all purchases for the […] Read the full article →
I talked to Vulture about Severance by Alison Green on January 28, 2025 I talked to Vulture about what the TV show Severance reveals about workplace life — including the inauthenticity of corporate life, how the Overtime Contingency exists in real life, the weirdness of workplace perks, and how work can degrade your spirit. Read the full article →
my coworkers have way more money than me … and they constantly expect me to shell out cash for meals and gifts by Alison Green on January 28, 2025 A reader writes: I work in a government agency that’s very analogous to a private sector industry (think trade vs. banking or procurement vs. real estate) and many of my colleagues have either joined us after having made plenty of money on the private side or are otherwise independently wealthy. Our senior leadership are politically […] Read the full article →
touchy-feely team-building, are job search gimmicks less popular now, and more by Alison Green on January 28, 2025 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Am I being a grouch about this touchy-feely group activity? I work at a school. As the closing activity for today’s professional development session, Fergus (an administrator) split us into three groups, then asked two-thirds of us to stay seated with our eyes closed while […] Read the full article →
my “on-site” coworker is never on-site by Alison Green on January 27, 2025 A reader writes: For the past 18 months, the person in my office who holds the same job title as me has had serious attendance and communication problems. I’m not talking a few times a month. I’m talking it’s a miracle if he makes it in most of five days in a week. He’ll be […] Read the full article →
is it OK to nap at work? by Alison Green on January 27, 2025 If you’ve ever come to work after getting a bad night’s sleep and struggled to be productive — or just awake — it’s probably occurred to you that being able to take a quick nap at work would be an incredibly worker-friendly amenity. Of course, in most offices, sleeping on the job is an absolute […] Read the full article →
do I have to share my story on a “women in industry” panel? by Alison Green on January 27, 2025 A reader writes: I just received an email from my company’s corporate marketing team inviting me to speak on an internal diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) panel about my experiences being a woman in a male-dominated industry during the national Women in (Industry) week this spring. I know exactly why they asked me – I […] Read the full article →
should conjoined twins receive one salary, daily meetings with my boss, and more by Alison Green on January 27, 2025 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should conjoined twins receive one salary or two? I recently read this article. The summary is that Abby and Brittany are conjoined twins who are fifth grade teachers. They only draw one salary between the two of them because they occupy one position in their […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – January 25-26, 2025 by Alison Green on January 24, 2025 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: God of the Woods, by Liz Moore. A teenager disappears from the summer camp her family owns, 14 years after her older brother […] Read the full article →
open thread – January 24, 2025 by Alison Green on January 24, 2025 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 […] Read the full article →