my “hybrid” team is using me as their way to not go to the office at all by Alison Green on June 5, 2023 A reader writes: When the pandemic began, I was the member of my team who volunteered to go to the office to check the mail and do tasks that could not be done at home since I live alone, live closest to the office, tend to have the most tasks that cannot be done remotely, […] Read the full article →
my coworker got drunk and punched another coworker in the parking lot by Alison Green on May 23, 2023 A reader writes: I’ve been ruminating about a situation that happened at a previous workplace, and I’m wondering if I behaved appropriately or if there’s anything else I should have done. This job started as an internship, but I was eventually offered a permanent role at a higher salary. This company was in the retail […] Read the full article →
is there a reasonable amount of yelling at work, or is any yelling too much? by Alison Green on May 16, 2023 A reader writes: On a video meeting yesterday, my coworker (Orion) yelled at me. Orion was acting as our coach in this meeting — he’s not a member of our team. For the sake of anonymity, let’s say we’re llama groomers (we’re not). We were discussing how difficult it was that our llamas weren’t fully […] Read the full article →
I resuscitated a coworker, and people won’t stop talking about it by Alison Green on May 15, 2023 A reader writes: Six months ago, my coworker Jane collapsed at her desk. She was unresponsive and had no pulse. I started performing CPR while a colleague called 911. Someone else brought the office defibrillator, and I used it to revive Jane. By the time the EMTs got there, Jane’s heart was beating and she […] Read the full article →
I was asked to be “friendlier” when giving feedback about serious safety issues by Alison Green on May 10, 2023 A reader writes: I’m (she/her) a physician working in an academic teaching clinic (outside of the U.S. in case that’s relevant). One of the medical residents I work with, let’s call him Dwight, has some major performance issues and really struggles with responding to feedback. He’s on informal remediation with a learning plan and a […] Read the full article →
my coworker is pushing me to hire her daughter by Alison Green on May 9, 2023 A reader writes: I am hiring for an entry-level position. The daughter of our front desk manager applied for the position. Her resume was great, but her cover letter had two words misspelled, including in the company name. The position requires proofreading and careful data entry. I emailed her to let her know that she […] Read the full article →
my coworker talks non-stop and we can’t take it anymore by Alison Green on May 9, 2023 A reader writes: We have a coworker (we’ll call her Serena) who does. Not. Shut. Up. I don’t want to be rude, but there’s really no other way to put it. I’ll explain. She has information, a story, or life experience for EVERYTHING. We haven’t discussed nuclear fission yet, but I’m certain Serena would have […] Read the full article →
our cleaner pressures me to stay late with her because she fears our workplace is haunted by Alison Green on May 8, 2023 A reader writes: I have a strange question for you. I’m a graduate student at a university in a large city where I also work evening shifts at the university library. The librarians all leave by 8 pm, leaving one or two student workers to close up the library for the evening at 11 pm. […] Read the full article →
my boss from before my gender transition is now my colleague by Alison Green on May 1, 2023 A reader writes: My first full-time office job was at an awful place. I was there for nearly three years before I was unceremoniously laid off, just a week before I was supposed to take on a new title and a raise. My boss, Marcy, handled it really poorly. It turned out that, although she […] Read the full article →
your coworkers are stealing from you by Alison Green on April 24, 2023 You’d like to think that you can trust the people you work with all day – that coworkers who know you by name, hear about your kids, and trade jokes with you before meetings wouldn’t brazenly steal items that clearly belong to you. But in reality – at least judging from my mail – it […] Read the full article →