my boss won’t speak to us and says “please” is disrespectful by Alison Green on July 27, 2021 A reader writes: I started what I guess you can call my “dream job” six months ago, and it’s been going well except for one thing: my new boss. My boss, Jane, is a highly uninvolved person, and I am struggling to figure out the best way to communicate with her. When I started my […] Read the full article →
my boss hasn’t talked to me in months by Alison Green on July 21, 2021 A reader writes: Since I returned from vacation a few months ago, my manager hasn’t spoken to me. We are in different offices and she would usually drop by most days to catch up before, so it feels very strange to have a whole month go by without anything from her. I know that her […] Read the full article →
I found my boss’s highly critical notes about a coworker by Alison Green on July 21, 2021 A reader writes: After 10 years of working together, my direct manager — our director of operations, Jessica — was let go from our company a few months ago. There were apparently some behind-the-scenes issues between herself and our CEO, Bruce (he alluded as much to me and others in conversation, I think in an […] Read the full article →
my boss will not physically acknowledge me in social settings by Alison Green on July 14, 2021 A reader writes: I’ve noticed something odd about how my boss talks to me. He doesn’t physically acknowledge me in social settings — if I’m standing in a group with him and others, he doesn’t look at me at all, but he does look at everyone else. I can’t remember the last time he looked […] Read the full article →
my trust fund coworker bullies staff for being “poor” by Alison Green on July 12, 2021 A reader writes: We just got a new team member a few months ago, “Lucy.” Lucy makes no secret about it that she’s a trust-fund kid: private schools, Ivy League, owns a fancy horse, the works. She’s like a stereotype from a bad sitcom. She’s in a role parallel with mine and we have to […] Read the full article →
I’m ready to rage-quit my job — am I being unfair to my boss? by Alison Green on June 1, 2021 A reader writes: I am a department head at a small business. My boss, Alex, is the owner/founder. I was an independent contractor for most of my career, and this is the first time in years that I’ve had a boss. I have strictly enforced work/life boundaries, so when I’m out of the office, my […] Read the full article →
my boss liked my work — until we met in person and she saw my weight by Alison Green on May 26, 2021 A reader writes: After losing my job due to Covid-19 a year ago, I spent months job hunting and interviewing. As an overweight woman, sometimes I suspected that I was facing weight discrimination, but of course it is almost impossible to know for sure. Finally, after eight months, I got a job. The interviews were […] Read the full article →
how should I respond to feedback from my boss to show I’m not upset? by Alison Green on May 4, 2021 A reader writes: A few weeks ago, my boss and I had a meeting during which he mentioned a couple of things which could be improved on in my work. This conversation was not a formal reprimand. It was more like “good job on X and Z, but we would like to see more of […] Read the full article →
my boss’s dog rampages through our work gatherings by Alison Green on May 4, 2021 A reader writes: Over the past few months, my team has started doing occasional outdoor social gatherings. Several people on my team have dogs that they bring along, including my boss who is exceptionally irresponsible about her dog’s behavior. She takes her off leash immediately, regardless of the surroundings or posted signs. The dog then […] Read the full article →
my boss’s wife just called me to yell at me by Alison Green on April 27, 2021 A reader writes: I am at a total loss. I have been a paralegal to a highly successful attorney for almost 25 years. I have moved firms with him three times over the past few decades, and have never thought of ending our professional relationship. He is a wonderful boss, a calm and even keeled […] Read the full article →