my coworker is setting toilet paper on fire in the bathroom by Alison Green on October 3, 2024 I’m off for a few days, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2019. A reader writes: I work in a small office (about 20 people at this branch of our company) and we have two individual restrooms (as opposed to stalls) in our central hallway. There is certainly […] Read the full article →
I get angry when my coworkers make mistakes by Alison Green on October 2, 2024 I’m off for a few days, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2017. A reader writes: I’ve got a question regarding how much “mistake tolerance” is expected in the workplace. Just to give you some background, I’m a (tech) team lead, which, in my case, means my daily […] Read the full article →
I’m in trouble for re-sorting a coworker’s trash — and I’m enraged by Alison Green on October 1, 2024 I’m off for a few days, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2019. A reader writes: I’ve worked at a medium sized tech company as a software engineer for the past two years now. Our city has an ordinance requiring all businesses to compost and recycle. I fully […] Read the full article →
my coworker told me to stop flirting with a student employee by Alison Green on October 1, 2024 I’m off for a few days, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2020. A reader writes: I am part of the HR department at my workplace, and we hired “Andre” a few months ago as a part of our student group. He’s only 18, but he’s been a […] Read the full article →
I share an office with someone who won’t stop talking by Alison Green on September 30, 2024 A reader writes: Due to renovations, I’m temporarily sharing an office with another employee. We work different jobs, but are technically peers. He is, frankly, driving me crazy. Every question that comes across his mind, he gets up and asks me. Most of these are surprisingly basic questions. Some questions are work-related. Some are random, […] Read the full article →
my coworker is obsessed with us being happy all the time by Alison Green on September 26, 2024 I’m off this week, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2019. A reader writes: My coworker, Lenora, is the oldest person in our office. She is generally friendly, cheerful, and a hard worker. However, despite her genuinely sweet nature, she is about to drive us all up the […] Read the full article →
my coworker apologizes All The Time — how can I get him to stop? by Alison Green on September 24, 2024 A reader writes: I work at a small public library and I have a coworker who is a very naturally anxious person. He apologizes for every little thing, whether it’s his fault, not his fault, or not something that could possibly be anyone’s fault. I feel like I hear him say “I’m so sorry” with […] Read the full article →
I’m intensely jealous of my coworker by Alison Green on September 24, 2024 A reader writes: I am extremely jealous of my coworker, and I have no idea what to do about it. My coworker, let’s call her Lacy, and I started in the same entry-level position around the same time (Lacy started a few months before me). We’re similar in age and, while Lacy graduated from a […] Read the full article →
my coworker is upset that I didn’t tell her I’m pregnant by Alison Green on September 17, 2024 A reader writes: I am just a few weeks pregnant (and not showing at all). I have only told the few people at work who need to know, as I’ve had a rocky first trimester and needed some time to deal with pretty terrible morning sickness. The people who know are as follows: my boss, […] Read the full article →
I can’t travel because my cat is sick — and my boss and coworkers are unhappy by Alison Green on September 17, 2024 A reader writes: I joined my employer earlier this year as the only fully remote worker. At my first on-site, the only other coworkers in my department resigned. Instead of being the junior member of a small remote team as I expected, I was suddenly THE team. The CEO told me that day that he’d […] Read the full article →