8 terrible stories of companies getting sexism awareness very, very wrong by Alison Green on March 28, 2023 Recently we talked about workplaces holding egregiously clueless “celebrations” for various awareness days/months. Not surprisingly, a ton of the stories shared were about sexism. Here are eight stories of companies getting sexism awareness events remarkably wrong. (Note: some of the stories shared were so offensive that it’s hard to laugh at them, so these aren’t […] Read the full article →
let’s talk about passive-aggressive notes at work by Alison Green on March 23, 2023 In any office, you’re likely to find at least one passive-aggressive note — whether it’s the note scolding whoever keeps leaving dishes in the sink, or the frustrated sign in the bathroom reminding you to clean up after yourself (generally placed there after someone has not). Often you can feel the rage emanating off of […] Read the full article →
let’s discuss egregiously clueless “celebrations” at work by Alison Green on March 16, 2023 Earlier this week we had a letter about a company that inexplicably decided its sole observance of International Women’s Day would be … to interview a man about sexism. Let’s talk about other cases of egregiously oblivious “celebrations” — the office that sent out weight loss tips for Women’s History Month, the nurses told to wear […] Read the full article →
the baked cheese thief, the missing pot pie, and other stories of office kitchen drama by Alison Green on March 15, 2023 Earlier this month, we talked about office kitchen wars, and here are 10 of my favorites. 1. The baked cheese I used to work in an office where we would routinely have a lunch for a small group of people. There were usually leftovers from this lunch, and after the group had left, the people […] Read the full article →
I’m moving from retail to an office job — how can I make it go smoothly? by Alison Green on March 9, 2023 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: This week, I was offered a new job. I’ve accepted, and all being well I start in three weeks’ time. I’m fairly certain it’s an average entry-level office job, but I’m ecstatic because for the past six years, I’ve worked retail and my only other […] Read the full article →
stolen sandwiches, disgusting fridges, dish-washing drama: let’s talk about office kitchen mayhem by Alison Green on March 2, 2023 For those of you who are back in your office or who never left, let’s talk office kitchen wars: sandwich thefts, moldy food that stays in the fridge for months, drama over dishes in the sink, passive-aggressive notes, the oatmeal that exploded in the microwave three months ago and never got cleaned up… Are your […] Read the full article →
how do you handle being pregnant at work? by Alison Green on February 23, 2023 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’m about eight weeks pregnant. My spouse and I are very excited! BUT, the realities of Growing A Human have hit me like a ton of bricks. I’m dealing with constant nausea, and really intense fatigue — as well as all the weird little things […] Read the full article →
is your field accurately portrayed in movies and on TV? by Alison Green on February 16, 2023 Let’s talk about how your field is represented — or more likely, misrepresented — on TV and movies or books. Are you a lawyer who’s horrified by legal dramas? A nurse who can’t stand to watch ER? A teacher who is trying to wrap your mind around Glee? Is there any media that does portray […] Read the full article →
the $15,000 coffee fund, the cheapskate executives, and other stories of office coffee wars by Alison Green on February 14, 2023 Last week, I asked for your stories about office coffee wars (or tea/milk/etc. wars). Here are 15 of my favorites … plus an update. 1. The coffee fund I worked in a department store during summer breaks from college back in the late 80s. The break room had an old school coffee maker, powdered milk, […] Read the full article →
office coffee wars: share your stories by Alison Green on February 9, 2023 One of my favorite “ask the readers” posts ever was one five years ago about office coffee wars (or tea/milk/etc. wars). It produced some amazing stories, including these: “LastJob had a coffee club. I was not a member. There was one coffee maker. There were coffee wars over caffeinated vs. decaf coffee. Regular coffee vs. flavored […] Read the full article →