a manager scolded me for having a cold sore on my face by Alison Green on July 26, 2021 A reader writes: Is it unprofessional to go to work with active cold sores on your face? I occasionally get them and have never considered it to be a big deal until recently when someone at work commented on it. Last week I had a cold sore in the middle of my lower lip. It […] Read the full article →
my trust fund coworker bullies staff for being “poor” by Alison Green on July 12, 2021 A reader writes: We just got a new team member a few months ago, “Lucy.” Lucy makes no secret about it that she’s a trust-fund kid: private schools, Ivy League, owns a fancy horse, the works. She’s like a stereotype from a bad sitcom. She’s in a role parallel with mine and we have to […] Read the full article →
my ex-boss is using my firing as content for her company social media pages by Alison Green on June 16, 2021 A reader writes: My former boss is using my firing as content for her social media pages, including recording herself singing songs about it. The background: I worked for my boss for five years and now see the MOUNTAIN of red flags I ignored because I was desperate to break into the field — behavior […] Read the full article →
my old employer is trying to intimidate me into removing a Glassdoor review by Alison Green on May 5, 2021 A reader writes: I recently left a job after a few years of intense work and long hours. After leaving, I left a critical but fair Glassdoor review. Since then, I have received multiple emails from the CEO of my former employer asking me to remove the review and including (what I perceive to be) […] Read the full article →
a VP wants me to out myself at work and won’t take no for an answer by Alison Green on March 29, 2021 A reader writes: I graduated in May 2020 and started a great job in my field with good pay that I love. I’m in a same-sex relationship. My coworkers are a healthy trail mix of political and religious beliefs, but I can also only deduce this from snippets I’ve heard occasionally since related topics usually […] Read the full article →
a man claiming to have an Oscar (he doesn’t) wants to give me advice on my field (that he’s not in) by Alison Green on March 23, 2021 A reader writes: I’m an indie filmmaker in the process of hiring an intern to work on my feature-length documentary. I posted the job in some niche industry/women/BIPOC groups I’m in, along with one generic group of job-seekers in my metro area. The latter post prompted someone to message me directly offering to answer any […] Read the full article →
employer rejected me, then sent a list of everything I did wrong by Alison Green on March 2, 2021 A reader writes: I’m a younger person who is job searching for something full-time for the first time. Haven’t been having a lot of luck of course due to the state of the world, but I recently got an interview where I made it all the way to the final round and was rejected. At […] Read the full article →
my boss called me “disgusting” for not cleaning up my male coworkers’ mess by Alison Green on February 22, 2021 A reader writes: I work for a medical facility (think live-in treatment or residential care). I share a desk with the night and weekend staff, “Jim” and “Dwight.” I’m an administrator, and the desk and surrounding area need to be neat and tidy during the day because of the type of work I do. I’m […] Read the full article →
my company punishes single people who have to quarantine more than once — but not married people by Alison Green on February 16, 2021 A reader writes: I was recently told during a company-wide training by my company’s HR department that employees who have to be quarantined more than once a semester will have to work remotely but still take sick days and/or vacation time. We were also told that while HR understands and will make exceptions for families […] Read the full article →
when I asked for a raise, my boss went through my bills by Alison Green on February 9, 2021 A reader writes: I’ve been in my job for a little over a year. I asked my boss for a raise, and he asked if I really need it. It stumped me, seeing how I am barely getting by. I said yes. He went over my bills, and at the end he said, “You’ll have […] Read the full article →