how can I stop being frustrated with a coworker who’s making my job harder? by Alison Green on February 26, 2025 A reader writes: I just got feedback from my manager that I need to work on communication with a coworker. I think it’s mainly about tone not content, and I agree with the feedback — I have admittedly been pretty short. I’m irritated and it’s coming across. Where I’m getting stuck, though, is that it’s […] Read the full article →
how do I handle endless rounds of nitpicky questions from coworkers? by Alison Green on February 18, 2025 A reader writes: Lately I’ve been subject to a technique by coworkers that I call “death by a thousand questions.” It goes something like this: Q: Hey, are we getting in the combination llama/alpaca wool? A: I don’t have a date yet, I’m hoping for the 20th. Q: So the 20th. A: It’s not confirmed. […] Read the full article →
coworker swears angrily during the day by Alison Green on February 11, 2025 A reader writes: My office is next to a person who swears a lot during the work day. I assume it’s frustration with his computer, but a least a couple times an hour I’ll hear an onslaught of expletives coming from his desk. It’s pretty disconcerting to hear and it’s also really distracting. Otherwise, he’s […] 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 →
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 →
my coworker accused of me of deliberately snoring to keep him awake on a work trip by Alison Green on January 21, 2025 A reader writes: I went on a work trip and thought it went well. On the last day, I woke up to hear my senior teammate bashing me. We shared a wall, and it was paper-thin. I snore, and it’s something I’m embarrassed by, but there’s nothing I can do to control it. My teammate […] Read the full article →
my coworker keeps demanding I say “please” by Alison Green on January 20, 2025 I’m off for the holiday, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2018. A reader writes: I have a problem with a coworker and have been hesitant to send this to you as it seems petty but it has been bugging me for awhile. It started as a pet […] Read the full article →
I’m angry at my coworkers — can I refuse their apology? by Alison Green on January 8, 2025 A reader writes: I was out for a few days recently for personal reasons and came back to discover that two of my colleagues have done something incredibly thoughtless that has completely screwed up a major work product for me and then lied about it to my supervisor, saying I was involved in the decision. […] Read the full article →
I think my disastrous ex-employee is co-opting queer identity by Alison Green on January 8, 2025 A reader writes: I work in a country with strong job protection, have a boss who is reluctant to do performance improvement, and I just transitioned out of managing a team. One of my reports was a recent-ish hire I’ll call Pam, who is mid-career but entry-level. Pam volunteers for an optional LBGTQ+ employee resource […] Read the full article →
should I call out a vulture who takes way more than his share of food at meetings? by Alison Green on January 7, 2025 A reader writes: I work at a small college, and part of my job involves working with new faculty. I have one new faculty member who is well on his way to becoming known as a vulture on campus. My events for new faculty often involve food in addition to programming, and this faculty member […] Read the full article →