Attitude is important when it comes to the workplace. Still, the workplace itself is largely responsible for your attitude when you're at work. You can't just demand that your workers be happy and have that be the solution to what is an otherwise miserable job. Yet, one of the first things you're taught in retail is that you should always smile and “greet” “guests” as they walk in the door, setting the stage for an enjoyable experience for them during which they're more likely to fork out more…

There's this thing that happens in some organizations where upper management knowingly sets policies that they know infringe (or come close to infringing) on their legal minimum obligations to their workforce. Then they act all surprised when said minimum obligation isn't being upheld because it's simply not possible to do under the constraints they've created. A perfect example of this is employee breaks, of which there are usually laws where you're working around when, how long, and how often…

There are plenty of times in life where things just don't make sense and where people try and lead you to believe that 1+1=3 which doesn't really line up with the figure that you might have expected or the actual truth of the situation. A lot of these situations will probably take place at work under the supervision of someone who has no business being in charge. Let's do a little math equation as an example. I know—I know…. you didn't think you were signing up for homework when you clicked on…

Some people thrive on red-eye flights, while the rest of us are left trying to figure out how they do it. Personally speaking, I have never been able to get enough sleep on long flights especially red-eyes. Part of that is because for whatever reason, I am always seated next to a bathroom, a screaming child, or a sick passenger who will not stop sneezing or coughing. The fact that this boss thought it was a good idea to force his employee to take a red-eye says a whole lot about how he values t…

Overtime, by definition, is still time on the clock, and voluntarily staying to work that time doesn't automatically mean that your employer is now a charity. You can't just “volunteer” for your employer. The very premise itself is silly. Sure, if you're on a salary that is exempt from overtime pay, you'll probably have to work some extra hours during times of high workload, but it's expected that, in turn, during times when there is less work to be done you'll still get paid your full salary.…

When you first start working in the business sector, you might believe that you have to invest more time and energy into the company as a whole in order to please your supervisors. The same supervisors that, ideally, will offer you increases in pay and promotions when they become available. This seems like a fantastic idea in theory: you overinvest in the company, demonstrating on a daily basis how important your work is to you, in the hopes that your superior will ultimately understand who bel…

Imagine quitting your job, moving to an entirely different city, and then two years later, hearing back from your former employer that you've been fired. Come again? If you were expecting anything from this guy, it was probably a message wishing you well, or perhaps even asking for recommendations or requesting a personal non-work-related catchup. Instead, of all things, it was a letter of termination on the grounds of "job abandonment." The Redditor mentioned that their former boss was a bit d…

Scheduling appointments during the work day can be difficult to navigate depending on how flexible and understanding your boss is. Most folks understand that it isn't exactly easy to schedule a doctor's appointment after work hours or on the weekends. Sometimes, you have to take what you can get. Furthermore, most employees understand that if they do have to leave the office early for an appointment, they will make up for lost time before or after. In short, it really should not be an issue wha…

Typically, when working a shift job that relies on a schedule, you'd expect your obligations simply to be present when that shift starts until when that shift ends—nothing more and nothing less. Yet, it's common in many industries that rely on the “almighty” schedule for managers to expect you to be present and ready to work (sometimes even actually working) before your shift starts. Usually, this expectation will be somewhere around five minutes before the start of the shift but occasionally w…

In the realm of business, there will always be those at the top and bottom of the corporate ladder. It's your responsibility to gradually establish your position at the top. But let us not fool ourselves; the only reason they are there instead of you is because they had the audacity to be born ten years ahead of you. The employee who was left speechless and booted from her office as it was 'above her pay grade' is recounted in the story below. To put things in perspective, the Original Poster (…

This manager could only do one thing: sink every department he was put in charge of. As much fun as it probably is to hire a bunch of your friends to work with you, that strategy is going to come with some drawbacks. Next up, these people had some completely awful meals at the weddings they attended, like one person who had to eat “plain boiled chicken with no seasonings.”

Finding work is never an easy task. It would be an understatement to say that there are times during the interview process when it feels overwhelming—it appears like a never-ending process that only the lucky few are able to complete. The story that follows centers on a clever lawyer who happens to stumble upon a job posting seeking a research lawyer. The Original Poster (OP), a research lawyer by profession, applied for the job immediately. Upon submitting his application, he was requested to…

Contracting is a tough gig, yet it is becoming increasingly common as companies seek to shift further towards a low-cost, low-obligation workforce. The thing is, as a contractor, you have fewer benefits and less guarantee of income, but while that uncertainty can be hard to manage, it makes up for that in flexibility. See, when you're a contractor, your “employer” (clients) really can't make you do anything outside of the contracted production they're paying you for. They can't set when or how…

Large companies function like machines. The managers and employees are in charge of keeping the machine operating as efficiently and profitably as possible. But occasionally, people become so engrossed in their work that they lose sight of what needs to get done right now and what can wait. In the story below, a devoted IT worker has had enough of his supervisors' ridiculous expectations. Since the Original Poster (OP) has been employed by the same company for quite some time, he is familiar wi…

Getting denied a raise stinks, but at least you've left your thoughts and intentions on the table for consideration, hopefully setting yourself up for a pay bump in the near future when the next round of budgeting is finalized. Of course, this isn't always the case, and your employer may go the route of stonewalling you indefinitely—or gaslighting you by dangling the potential of a raise in front of you like a carrot on a stick in order to get you to do more work. Still, in most cases, it's alm…

Trying to keep up with an increasing workload on an understaffed team is a lot like trying to drive a car that only has three wheels. It's difficult to keep things moving forward without veering off course; things operate extremely inefficiently, and there's probably a lot of noise and scraping going on. Of course, managing these situations is no easy task—not impossible for a talented manager, but only through a great deal of effort. For this reason, managers who manage to protect their alread…