an industry colleague is lying to me about a dispute we had years ago by Alison Green on July 10, 2024 A reader writes: Six years ago, I was vice president of the board of a national advocacy body (Org A) that had a long-standing, mostly good, relationship with another national advocacy body (Org B). The two organizations had some commonalities but also quite well defined swim lanes. While I was VP for Org A, Elsa […] Read the full article →
my coworker won’t speak to female customers if they’re with a man by Alison Green on July 9, 2024 A reader writes: I work in retail currently, after decades of doing something else. I’ve been doing this for about a year, and I’m finally becoming comfortable in the role. We have a lot of regulars, and some of them are couples or families who always come in together as a group. I’ve noticed that […] Read the full article →
my coworker REALLY doesn’t like me by Alison Green on July 8, 2024 A reader writes: I work in a small office (less than 15 of us). There’s pretty low turnover so most of us have been around for at least a year, most of us more. I have one coworker, Paige, who is great at her job and really personable around everyone … except me. She was […] Read the full article →
my coworker disrupts meetings and explodes or freezes us out if she’s angry by Alison Green on July 2, 2024 A reader writes: I work on a four-person core team, and we have a standing weekly meeting that is required of every team in our organization. We are all of equal standing and all have at least a decade of experience in our field. Occasionally a supervisor will come to these meetings, but often it’s […] Read the full article →
my coworker asked out a coworker, got turned down, and now won’t stop badmouthing her by Alison Green on July 2, 2024 A reader writes: I have a group of coworkers who I am rather friendly with. About a year ago, one of the members of this group (Josh) developed a crush on another employee who is not part of our social circle (Tiffany). Eventually he asked her out, but she declined. Josh was outwardly calm and […] Read the full article →
former coworker stole my work and keeps contacting me for help by Alison Green on June 18, 2024 A reader writes: I have a weird issue that I need help with. My former coworker, Lulu, joined my company about seven years ago as a relatively inexperienced but enthusiastic junior team member. I trained her on some of her duties and, due to the nature of our jobs, we worked closely together for a […] Read the full article →
how can I shut down gossip at work? by Alison Green on May 28, 2024 A reader writes: I like my job and my coworkers, but there’s one thing that keeps bugging me: There’s a real culture of gossiping, and I keep getting sucked into it. I used to be a huge gossiper myself, but at a previous job I was the target of some untrue and hurtful gossip, and […] Read the full article →
my coworker stabs office furniture with a knife and no one thinks it’s a big deal by Alison Green on May 15, 2024 A reader writes: I am dealing with a bizarre situation at work and could use some advice on how to proceed. My coworker, Charlie, has several concerning habits involving the lighter and several utility knives he carries around on a daily basis. When we’re in team meetings or things are slow in the lab, Charlie […] Read the full article →
my breastfeeding coworker won’t stop talking about her boobs by Alison Green on May 15, 2024 A reader writes: I work in a clinic setting. Eighteen of us are in and out of a room of cubicles all day as we see patients. Even with the open office, it is easy to have a quiet, even private, conversation. A coworker recently returned after having her first child. She had a challenging […] Read the full article →
I’m caught in the crossfire of my coworkers’ petty complaints about our company by Alison Green on May 1, 2024 A reader writes: The company that I work for has made a few changes recently, prompting disgruntlement from coworkers in my four-person department. We are all equal in seniority and the HR manager doubles as our manager. Previously our department was left to its own devices, resulting in a slack approach to work from my […] Read the full article →