when office potlucks and catered parties go wrong
This post was originally published on this site.As we approach the season of office potlucks, catered parties, and other holiday meals with coworkers, let’s discuss...
Category: Hiring & HR
coworker constantly derails meetings, bare butts at work, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker constantly interrupts our boss at meetings...
an email I thought was confidential was forwarded to the person it was about
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I work at a nonprofit as a director and report directly to the CFO. We...
people keep asking me for meetings that could be an email
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I’ve read your advice on making meetings more useful, but need advice on how to make...
how can companies ensure the person they hire is the same person who shows up for work?
This post was originally published on this site.The recent letter from the person whose company had been infiltrated by a proxy interviewer crime ring (and...
employee micromanages their coworker, colorful pimple patches at work, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Employee is micromanaging their coworker’s work One of...
the sullied gym equipment, the arsey comments, and other times emails were misdirected at work
This post was originally published on this site.Last month we talked about times misdirected emails caused drama at work, and here are 12 of my...
my employee fired someone whose mother had just died
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I have a manager who works for me, Ezra. He has an employee, Fred, who...
how do I talk to my employee about the problems with her work when no one else will?
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I manage a junior team member, Delilah, who is not meeting expectations. There are issues...
customer jokes that I’m incompetent, work meeting in a bar, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Customer jokes that I’m incompetent At my job...
I don’t want an in-person meeting to tell me I didn’t get a promotion
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I have just had an interview for an internal position, which is a promotion in...
my employees are harassing a disabled coworker
This post was originally published on this site.A reader asks: I manage a small digital marketing firm. The owner is usually in the background doing...
I was bullied and pushed out of the business I helped create
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: After being very successful in my field, including working for one of the most successful...
I don’t want to work from my coworker’s house, boss’s fingernails are too long, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I don’t want to work from my coworker’s...
weekend open thread – October 31 – November 1, 2026
This post was originally published on this site.Stella and pumpkin This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other...
open thread – October 30, 2026
This post was originally published on this site.It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers...
I can’t give my team the excellent ratings they deserve, boss read 6 pages of complaints to me, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. I’m a federal manager being told I can’t...
could my spouse be a reference in the future?
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I’ve been unemployed for more than six months after a layoff, and I’m extremely discouraged....
curses, hexes, and haunted offices: a Halloween round-up
This post was originally published on this site.In honor of Halloween, here’s a round-up of letters about magic, curses, and other supernatural matters at work....
has anything spooky happened to you at work?
This post was originally published on this site.Did you ever work somewhere haunted? Feel the ghost of your predecessor marooned in your office? Encounter an...
coworker says hi to everyone but me, can an interviewer ask about your belief in ghosts, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker says hi to everyone but me...
accessibility changes on Ask a Manager
This post was originally published on this site.I’ve been working on making Ask a Manager more accessible, and I want to tell you about some...
the music ban, the end to the chili cook-off, and other rules that exist because one person ruined it for everyone
This post was originally published on this site.Last month we talked about workplace rules that exist because one person ruined it for everyone. Here are...
my coworker goes overboard with grisly Halloween decorations
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: People in our office go bonkers over Halloween. The woman in the cubicle next to...
a student tried to lead our networking group in prayer
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I am on the board of the local chapter of my professional organization and on...
employee told my boss she thinks I have dementia, coworker misuses a word, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employee told my boss she thinks I...
should workplaces ban Meta glasses?
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: What do you do when you discover that multiple people in your office are wearing...
my boss stole my presentation
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I was hired by my current employer about two years ago and joined our internal...
my boss says I give too much praise to my employees
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: Recently, we had a tough situation where a new employee, Sam, rubbed my boss, Alex,...
boss brags about her vacations, how often should I be talking with my coworkers, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Boss brags to everybody about her vacations The...
my team thinks I’m not qualified to manage them
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I oversee a team that does hiring/staffing. I’ve worked in this role at this company...
the people who hate their jobs — but feel too guilty to leave
This post was originally published on this site.When it’s time to resign from a job, people tend to fall into one of two camps: those...
my boss wanted me to not do my job because I was pregnant
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I am currently on maternity leave with my third child (first at my current job)....
my boss tells me “I know you know this,” should an employer pay for an employee’s mistake, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss tells me “I know you know...
weekend open thread – October 24-25, 2026
This post was originally published on this site.Wallace and Sophie This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other...
open thread – October 23, 2026
This post was originally published on this site.It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers...
coworker who quit is claiming 150 hours of off-the-clock pay, my coworker keeps saying “per my last email, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker who quit on the spot is...
can I ask for another interview with the hiring manager for my own questions?
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I’ve been out of work for several months, since my last employer, a well-known tech...
where are you now? (a call for updates)
This post was originally published on this site.At the end of each year, I publish a slew of “where are they now” updates from people...
let’s discuss times your office was weird about pregnancy
This post was originally published on this site.Someone recently wrote to me: A good call for stories would be, “When was your job weird about...
dealing with a negative coworker and boss, more eggs at work, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Dealing with a negative coworker when the manager...
my coworker insists on being called “Dr.”
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: It is the corporate culture in our departments from the director down for colleagues to...
new hire is demanding a promotion after a year
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I hired a young employee, Frank, almost exactly a year ago in an entry-level administrative...
interview with a life drawing model who poses naked for artists
This post was originally published on this site.I recently talked with someone who works as a life drawing model about her work. Here’s our conversation....
my boss told me not to help a drunk conference attendee, a loud coworker, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss told me not to help a...
my team has almost no work but my coworkers claim to be stressed out and busy (and don’t want me taking on more either)
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I recently left a stressful senior role following a voluntary redundancy situation. I knew I...
should I re-hire an employee who left after five months?
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: We just had an employee leave after only five months in his position because another...
employee’s adult child constantly interrupts them at work
This post was originally published on this site.A reader writes: I have a barely competent employee, Lee, whose low productivity has been further harmed in...
employee reeks of cigarettes, boss/friend degrees of separation, and more
This post was originally published on this site.It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employee goes to clients’ homes reeking of...
11 times HR got it really, really right
This post was originally published on this site.We talk a lot about HR getting it wrong, but a few weeks ago we talked about times...