my coworkers resent that my boss no longer yells at me October 18, 2023 A reader writes: During the interview for my current job at a small family-owned company, I was informed that one of the people I would be working with, Bob, had a strong personality and was challenging to work with. What I wasn’t told is that Bob is the owner’s husband. One of the reasons he’s […]
I was told I’m socializing too much with another team, two employees arrested for embezzling, and more September 26, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I’ve been told I’m socializing too much with other teams I have been at my current job for a year and have been struggling with fitting in. I think there’s a big culture difference than what I’m used to, and I’ve also dealt with a lot […]
husband’s coworker is horrible to me, how do I tell my boss I can’t afford to live in our town, and more September 14, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My husband’s coworker is a jerk to me At my husband’s company party, a colleague of his got quite drunk and started asking me really demeaning questions. I shut it down politely and quickly, and chalked it up to a one-off irritation. Yet every time […]
my boss emailed my mom after laying me off, resigning right after being promoted, and more September 8, 2023 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. My boss laid me off, then emailed my mom My mother was a regular customer at the business I work at for some years before I was hired there. OldBoss likes to mentor employees and takes pride at those who move onto prestigious companies in […]
it’s your Friday good news August 18, 2023 It’s your Friday good news! 1. “I am an ex-academic who has just transitioned into private industry. I had reached a point where my old job was so toxic I felt perpetually poisoned. I was consistently miserable, at work and not, paying thousands for therapy to try to cope, and completely OWNED by the sunk […]
my coworker tries to drown out my music with her own, propping your foot up on your desk, and more July 24, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. We take turns choosing music but my coworker tries to drown mine out I work in a compounding pharmacy and we are allowed to play music in our compounding room. The room is about 30 feet by 10 feet in size, so not huge. On […]
requiring a doctor’s release after medical leave, vaping on video calls, and more July 7, 2023 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Should we require a doctor’s release to return from a medical leave? I am a director at a manufacturing company, and our positions have different physical requirements (sedentary to heavy lifting to outdoor work). When employees request time off for medical reasons, I’ll use my […]
it’s your Friday good news June 30, 2023 It’s your Friday good news! 1. “I stayed at my first job at a small company for a year before learning that I was getting paid $15,000 less than the person who had my role before me, basically because the boss wanted to pay as little as possible. (I did try to negotiate for more […]
updates: coworker prayed I’ll return to Jesus, the awful corporate jargon, and more June 22, 2023 It’s a special “where are you now?” season at Ask a Manager and I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are four updates from past letter-writers. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. 1. My coworker prayed that […]
can I say anything about my boss’s affair, how long should you wait when your interviewer is late for a Zoom call, and more June 12, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I say anything about my boss’s affair? I’m 99% sure my boss and another subordinate are having an affair, but I’m not sure if I can or should say anything. A couple of days ago at lunch, I was sitting in the window of […]