we can be fired if our friends and family don’t follow the company’s religious values by Alison Green on March 30, 2016 A reader writes: The company that I work for is fairly conservative and has warned us that they are implementing a new policy where everyone will have to sign a legal document stating we uphold our company’s values. We all had to sign something similar when we were hired, but there is a catch now […] Read the full article →
boss pooped in people’s lunch bags and set off small bombs for fun by Alison Green on March 11, 2016 You think your boss is bad? This one poops in people’s lunch bags. Seriously. Also: English apparently would indeed build bombs on company time from lengths of four-inch PVC pipe that he pumped full of acetylene gas … and wired to a battery charger. He would then plant the pipe bomb in an appropriate spot […] Read the full article →
low performers in my office are paraded around and forced to wear dunce caps by Alison Green on February 10, 2016 If you didn’t read Friday’s open thread, you missed out on this amazing story, which almost already wins Bad Boss of 2016 (but that can’t happen because it’s only February and that would demoralize all the other bad boss contenders out there, who are doing such good work toward the title too). Here it is […] Read the full article →
tickling as team-building, awkwardness about my vacation plans, and more by Alison Green on November 4, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. We were told to tickle each other aggressively at a team-building event I’m leaving my current workplace for a lot of reasons related to culture fit and disorganization, but I wanted to tell you about this misstep in hopes you’ll get a laugh out of […] Read the full article →
my new company wants me to change my name by Alison Green on September 29, 2015 A reader writes: I am starting a new job next week. Somehow another employee, who is a favorite of the regional manager, objects to my name, so I have been told I cannot use it. My middle name is King and it is a name that has been in our family for years. I have […] Read the full article →
my boss told me to write the same sentence 500 times as punishment for a mistake by Alison Green on September 16, 2015 A reader writes: I’m a currently an office manager, and I recently messed up and did not submit some health insurance forms that were required and cost my boss $1,000. I have been here for four years and never made a mistake, but for some reason my boss wants me to write 500 sentences stating, […] Read the full article →
I don’t respect my managers’ college degrees from 20 years ago by Alison Green on July 13, 2015 A reader writes: I work in the business/finance office for a large health care system that has hospitals in 5 different states. It is driving me insane that my regional director of finance does not have any sort of finance education. She started out as a call center rep and has been around for 20+ […] Read the full article →
holding a work party at Hooters by Alison Green on July 8, 2015 A reader writes: I’m wondering if you can settle a rather heated discussion between me and my boyfriend? The background: A couple of years ago my friend was doing a post-degree certificate in HR through a reputable (but mid-sized local) community college. Just before the end of the fall semester, her fellow students decided to have […] Read the full article →
my boss has phone sex with his girlfriend with his office door open by Alison Green on June 10, 2015 A reader writes: My boss calls his significant other on the phone quite frequently. They have “lovey dovey” conversations. His door is always open so everyone in the building can hear this. I find this annoying and unprofessional. But I’m new, it doesn’t seem to bother anyone else, and he’s not the most approachable person, […] Read the full article →
my team sent me a bag of garbage while I was recovering from surgery by Alison Green on June 8, 2015 A reader writes: I’m currently covering a maternity leave and had to go in for a not insignificant surgery. It was complicated by the fact I seem to be working in the real-life version of Mean Girls, most frequently with a Regina George stand-in. I ended up having my surgery, and negotiating remote work for […] Read the full article →