someone tampered with an employee’s smelly shoes and now there are hurt feelings by Alison Green on May 23, 2022 A reader writes: I’m the safety manager at a small manufacturing company. Last week I was having a friendly chat with someone out in manufacturing (Fred) and somehow he got on the topic of a coworker’s (Bill’s) shoes smelling bad and how they all try to get out of the locker room before Bill takes […] Read the full article →
my wife says my relationship with my coworker is inappropriate by Alison Green on May 17, 2022 A reader writes: I’ve been working fully remote for a large company since 2020, and work IM’s have become the new normal. I took a new position in April 2021 and a previous female coworker began directly reporting to me. She accepted a new position on another team in July. Once she accepted the new […] Read the full article →
my coworker treats me like I’m their boss by Alison Green on May 12, 2022 A reader writes: I’ve got a question that I’ve encountered in reverse a few times but never in this direction: I have a coworker who treats me like their boss. “Alex” is constantly asking me for approval on projects that I not only don’t have the power to approve or disapprove but am often not […] Read the full article →
my coworker is a Zoom pest by Alison Green on May 3, 2022 A reader writes: I am struggling with a colleague and hope you can help me. “Gina” and I work closely together as part of a small sub-team within a larger team, and I have no problems with the professional side of our relationship. My problem is that she is becoming really overly familiar and takes […] Read the full article →
I’m a member of The Satanic Temple and got outed at work by Alison Green on May 3, 2022 A reader writes: I’m a member of The Satanic Temple. That information got out at work and now things are unpleasant and awkward. I became a passionate patients’ rights advocate when a family member almost died after they were denied emergency medical treatment on religious grounds. The unexpected delay in care almost cost my family […] Read the full article →
a coworker who I referred to a job is demanding I share my referral bonus with him by Alison Green on April 26, 2022 A reader writes: A couple of months ago, I bumped into a former coworker, Fergus, from my previous company. We chatted for a few minutes and he mentioned he’d recently started a job search because he felt he was underpaid in his current role. He volunteered his salary, which was shockingly low. I did not […] Read the full article →
I know my colleagues with kids are struggling … but it’s causing more work for me by Alison Green on April 21, 2022 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I think this is just a question of checking in with myself and better enforcing boundaries, but here goes: I’m childless in my late thirties, so I am: 1) surrounded by parents of young kids 2) constantly flexing or taking extra work for colleagues, folks […] Read the full article →
I walked in on a coworker making out with our married colleague — do I say something? by Alison Green on April 18, 2022 A reader writes: I work in a local government department in the UK, in a loud and busy office. Our work is demanding emotionally and mentally, and we are quite a close team. This is one of my first jobs after leaving school so I am a lot younger than nearly everyone (I am only […] Read the full article →
my coworker keeps asking what my clothes cost in front of other colleagues by Alison Green on April 12, 2022 A reader writes: I am relatively new at my job and have a great team who I like very much. I have a teammate we will call Ava. Ava is very young (I am late 30s, she is probably 22-25) and is brand new to the industry I work in and to office culture, I […] Read the full article →
my coworker keeps bringing me “problems” that aren’t problems … and they’re definitely not HER problems by Alison Green on April 4, 2022 A reader writes: Is there a polite way to say, “It’s not your problem anymore?” I’ve been dealing with the worst coworker I’ve ever had (I’ll call her Emily) for the past two months, and last week, she turned in her letter of resignation. Emily had a very spotty work history, but my manager thought […] Read the full article →