my coworker is setting toilet paper on fire in the bathroom by Alison Green on October 3, 2024 I’m off for a few days, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2019. A reader writes: I work in a small office (about 20 people at this branch of our company) and we have two individual restrooms (as opposed to stalls) in our central hallway. There is certainly […] Read the full article →
how can I tell if I’m a good manager? by Alison Green on October 2, 2024 A reader writes: I’ve recently started managing a team of several employees. While I love the work, I’m not oblivious to the fact I’m still very new at managing people and have lots of room to develop. I once heard a speaker say that bad bosses are typically clueless about how they are perceived by […] Read the full article →
employee expects us all to attend her destination wedding by Alison Green on October 1, 2024 A reader writes: I’m the owner of a company. Our team is mighty, but tiny — only 10 people, three of whom are in leadership/senior positions. One employee firmly believes that since we spend most of our time at work, coworkers should function more like family than like, well, coworkers. We try to find ways […] Read the full article →
I share an office with someone who won’t stop talking by Alison Green on September 30, 2024 A reader writes: Due to renovations, I’m temporarily sharing an office with another employee. We work different jobs, but are technically peers. He is, frankly, driving me crazy. Every question that comes across his mind, he gets up and asks me. Most of these are surprisingly basic questions. Some questions are work-related. Some are random, […] Read the full article →
my coworker is obsessed with us being happy all the time by Alison Green on September 26, 2024 I’m off this week, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2019. A reader writes: My coworker, Lenora, is the oldest person in our office. She is generally friendly, cheerful, and a hard worker. However, despite her genuinely sweet nature, she is about to drive us all up the […] Read the full article →
my new employee ran a background check on me and asked me about what he found by Alison Green on September 25, 2024 I’m off today, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2019. A reader writes: I started a new position recently and was promoted quickly to a management position. Great, I have a long supervisory background, looking forward to helping in a wider capacity. One of my direct reports is […] Read the full article →
should I promote an employee who doesn’t get along with coworkers? by Alison Green on September 24, 2024 A reader writes: I am a general manager of two quick service restaurant locations. Running two locations has left me stretched very thin. Last September, I lost my assistant general manager, who helped me with all the day-to-day to make sure things ran smoothly at both stores. Now enter my employee Abby. Abby is a […] Read the full article →
no one likes corporate team-building by Alison Green on September 23, 2024 A corporate “hiking retreat” made headlines last month when a participant was left stranded overnight on a 14,230-foot mountain. The employee was on a day-long “team-building” hike, and he was left behind after the rest of his colleagues made it down the mountain safely. Emergency responders found him stranded in a gully the next day. […] Read the full article →
is it ageist to tell an older team member they’re wrong? by Alison Green on September 18, 2024 A reader writes: When our company went 100% online work, my team and I helped set up 35 employees with hardware in their homes. The department we support is mostly people in their late 20s-early 30s. Two employees, Archie and Edith, both have bad attitudes and break their hardware a lot. I would say a […] Read the full article →
can I ask coworkers why they didn’t hire my daughter? by Alison Green on September 16, 2024 A reader writes: My daughter applied for a job at the firm where I’m currently employed, in a department supervised by three very good friends of mine. I’ve known them all for over 20 years. I consider them great coworkers and friends. My neighbor also applied for the job. My neighbor has been out of […] Read the full article →