my boss wants me to do her dirty work by Alison Green on April 5, 2022 A reader writes: I switched to a new team at my company last year, working on a project that was understaffed until several of us were recently brought on. One of my teammates, Joe, staffs a work area that heavily intersects with mine — on which he is supposed to operate fairly independently. Soon after […] Read the full article →
my boss makes me sign personal contracts for every rule he implements by Alison Green on April 4, 2022 A reader writes: Recently my significant other told me that his boss frequently makes him sign personal “contracts” at work. These are not contracts through his (very well known luxury car brand) employer, but a quickly typed Word document with a few sentences. The most recent ones he was given stated, “I will work every […] Read the full article →
my boss won’t stop hassling me about my smoking and my weight by Alison Green on March 29, 2022 A reader writes: I am middle management. My boss has always complimented me both on the way I work and present myself, but as of late she changed her tune. Now she says she really hates that “horrible habit” of mine, which is smoking. Smoking doesn’t impact my productivity, I take little breaks, and the […] Read the full article →
my ex-boss wants me to pay a phone bill for months I didn’t work there by Alison Green on March 28, 2022 A reader writes: When I was hired at my former job, it was to replace two employees who were leaving to start their own business. They were the owner’s only two employees (red flag, I know!). The way this woman talked about it made it seem like they had really screwed her over. I felt […] Read the full article →
my new boss ran his own background check on me by Alison Green on March 23, 2022 A reader writes: I have worked in my department in a large organization for 17 years. A coworker was promoted to be my boss. I suffer from PTSD, depression, and anxiety, and while having a high-stress day, I was called to his office. I just needed a half day to take a timeout and speak […] Read the full article →
my boss is angry that I couldn’t work while I was sick with Covid by Alison Green on March 21, 2022 A reader writes: I am hoping you can help me get some perspective on a recent situation between me and management at my company. I have shared this story with a few different people and everyone has a different opinion. Here is the background: Three years ago, I was hired at my current company to […] Read the full article →
my coworker gets upset when I say “thank you” and takes offense to routine work stuff … and my boss won’t manage her by Alison Green on March 7, 2022 A reader writes: I work in research at a university. Due to our schedules and proximity, I work most often with a peer named Sarah. Due to restaffing, we work on almost every project together. Normally Sarah and I get along just fine — we’re not grabbing lunch together, but until a few months ago, […] Read the full article →
is my manager the problem … or am I? by Alison Green on March 2, 2022 A reader writes: I’m in my second job after graduating college in 2020. My first job had a structural reshuffle, and so I was offered another role that I didn’t want. I turned it down and got this new job, which I have been at since November. The new job has a title upgrade and […] Read the full article →
I can’t get my boss to give me feedback or solve problems by Alison Green on February 23, 2022 A reader writes: I have been with my current company for about four years, as a software developer. A year ago, a new manager was hired for my team. He seemed pretty good at first, but lately I’ve been disappointed. We have a bi-weekly one-on-one, and if I bring up an issue, he’ll just nod […] Read the full article →
my new boss is changing the team culture I loved by Alison Green on February 22, 2022 A reader writes: I took a new job about a year ago at a major tech company with a strong culture promoting employee well-being via work/life balance, reducing meeting loads, encouraging asynchronous collaboration across flexible schedules and time zones, etc. My manager came from the military and has been at our company less than two […] Read the full article →