8 horror stories for Administrative Professionals’ Day by Alison Green on April 26, 2023 Administrative Professionals’ Day is today, so please enjoy these horror stories submitted by readers in the past. 1. The dance lesson For Administrative Professionals’ Day (a “holiday” that must die), my company used to order snacks and cheap wine and give us a little token like a mug with the company name on it. One […] Read the full article →
can we talk about GOOD companies for a change? by Alison Green on April 20, 2023 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I work for a large company that, when I started, I thought was going to be really great. It isn’t. It is the opposite of great. On an almost daily basis, I am blown away by how cruel this company is to its workforce. What […] Read the full article →
how do you decide whether or not to relocate for a job? by Alison Green on April 13, 2023 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I am currently in a position where I am content, but I keep my LinkedIn to “open” because, well, why not? Recently I was contacted by a recruiter for a position I’m interested in but I’m not sure about the location. It would require a […] Read the full article →
let’s talk about layoffs — how to prepare and the fall-out afterwards by Alison Green on April 6, 2023 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I have a question I’m hoping you can ask your readers. The tech industry is going through massive layoffs right now and it’s a pretty stressful time for those of us who are 35 and under, who didn’t go through the Dot-Com Bubble or were […] Read the full article →
the Tupperware lawn party, the parking commandment, and other stories of passive-aggressive notes at work by Alison Green on April 3, 2023 Earlier this month we talked about passive-aggressive notes at work — or, more accurately for many of them, notes that are just plain aggressive, weirdly dramatic, or just funny. Here are 15 of my favorite stories you shared. 1. The motivational signs Morale is a bit low. So management is trying to do things about […] Read the full article →
what are the best and worst pranks you’ve seen at work? by Alison Green on March 30, 2023 In preparation for April Fools’ Day on Saturday, let’s discuss pranks at work. One thing I’ve learned writing this column is that pranks are a lot more controversial than I’d previously realized. Some people see all pranks as inherently mean-spirited and thus never okay at work. I’d argue, though, that plenty of pranks aren’t mean-spirited, land […] Read the full article →
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 →