advice about your coworkers

Need advice about your coworkers? Here are answers to questions from dealing with a coworker who sings all day, to interrupters, to credit-stealers, and much more.

my coworker/friend keeps coming to work drunk

A reader writes: I have a friend (let’s call her Becky) I have known since we were in middle school, who is now my coworker. In college, it became pretty apparent that she was developing a drinking problem, which has only got worse as she’s gotten older. Because I’ve been around her so many times […]

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a toxic duo, a bitter chat group, a firing, and a lot of drama

A reader writes: I work in a small tech company. For a long time (starting around six years ago), there were two employees who had ongoing conflicts with dozens of people and were frequently reported for disrespectful, aggressive, or verbally abusive behavior. Toxic Employee #1 was a mid-level manager. Toxic Employee #2 was a vice […]

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my colleagues treat me like a kid and think I’m younger than I am

It’s the Thursday “ask the readers.” A reader writes: I’m a 30-year-old woman working in an overwhelmingly male-dominated industry as a technician in a specialized area. I’ve been doing this work since my early 20’s and I know I’m good at my job … consistent promotions, positive feedback, solid accomplishments, etc. In general both coworkers […]

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my coworker accidentally sent me a recording making fun of me

A reader writes: My coworker sent me a five-minute voicemail. She had inadvertently recorded herself talking about me, making fun of me and laughing at my appearance. She also promised the person she is speaking to that she will show them my picture later. Laugh laugh laugh. After listening to the message, I sent a […]

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I caught my coworker masturbating at his desk

A reader writes: I was walking past a coworker’s office one day recently and looked into his window. He had his head back and his eyes closed, mouth half open. I was going to go in and tease him about falling asleep at his desk until I noticed that his arm was pumping up and […]

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my coworker is secretly living at the office

A reader writes: I started a new job two months ago. My role is a senior one that reports directly to the CEO. I quickly discovered that one of my coworkers — who is also a manager — is living in the office. He would technically say that he lives in his van. However, his […]

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