Agency is important in the workplace; people typically need to feel as if they have responsibility over a task in order to derive satisfaction from doing it. This is one of the most basic facts that someone managing a team should be aware of. Sure, it's important that you know what's going on with your team, but that doesn't extend to the level of having comprehensive direct access to every last bit of their personal workplace communications. The point is that you have a certain level of trust…

It should not be revelatory that the number of hours one spends at the office is completely separate from the amount of work one completes. Productivity and efficiency are relative to the individual worker, and there is something to be said for leaving employees alone when it comes to how they get their work done, provided that no other team members are negatively impacted by their process. This thread was posted to Reddit's r/MaliciousCompliance subreddit by u/Fun-Pin9061 , whose boss insisted…

Working at a company with a newly established HR department can lead to the establishment of many a shady policy. We're talking about people who don't really understand what it is to be professional and well-managed steering the ship. If you work at a company like this, you certainly cannot expect a smooth sailing experience. Rest assured, there will be bumps along the way. Here, we have an employee who took five days off at the end of last year at the request of their boss after the loss of th…

Be careful what you wish for, boss! It's common for bosses to have strange rules and regulations; nine times out of ten, they are tied to a bizarre superiority/inferiority complex. However, we often find that bosses misinterpret perfectly normal behavior as disrespectful, and that's when this becomes an issue. It's rarely insubordination; in fact, most of the time, employees are so laser-focused on their tasks and responsibilities that they do not have their boss's emotions at the top of their…

It's difficult to picture your life any different than it is in this exact moment… and that's not talking simple wishful-thinking. It's easy to say “I wish things were better” or “I'm grateful and lucky for what I have” or “I'm glad things aren't worse." But that's not the same as being able to actually see yourself—

You know it's doomed when the well-being of a company is solely reliant on the work of three people. Several ways things can go wrong come to mind, the first of which obviously is the question of what will happen when one or more of the employees leaves. If the owner is smart, they will do everything in their power to keep these three employees happy and fulfilled. If the owner is smart, they will create a contingency plan that starts with expanding the team before anything goes south. If the o…

In every industry, you are bound to find annoying people. However, some occupations are way worse at attracting bad apples than others. These folks shared what they believe to be the worst jobs for the worst kinds of people via this r/AskReddit thread, and we have a lot of questions. First, why did so many people mention nurses? This has me worried the next time I go to a hospital. On the other hand, car salesmen and real estate agents did not shock me in the slightest. Raise your hand if you'v…

Coworkers can be a lot of things: a compatriot, a confidant, a thorn in your side, a shoulder to cry on, a best friend—even a worst enemy. One thing they certainly aren't ever going to be is your boss—not without a promotion at least. And, still, throughout your working career, you'll come up against many a power-hungry colleague who thinks that they have the authority and experience to order you around. Letting you know what's what and making demands of you…. but, as bossy as this person might…

Relocating for work is a tough choice to make. On the one hand, the opportunities on offer could open doors and lead to opportunities that would set you up for the rest of your life. On the other hand, you'd be leaving your life, as you know it, behind. There's no telling whether or not what you're giving up will actually be worth it or how things will even turn out on the other side. All this counts on the fact that you like your current job that's being relocated and that you trust the people…

Employers who throw random unnecessary temper tantrums are essentially asking to make enemies. It should not have been a surprise to this toxic boss that someone was going to witness his public outburst at a young intern and do something about it. Thankfully, there were enough employees at the company who were already over this guy that retaliation against him snowballed at an abnormally fast pace. This thread was posted to Reddit's r/AmITheA**hole subreddit by the former employee who started t…

The process of booking leave exists for one reason and one reason only: So that managers can maintain some control over staffing levels ensure the continuity of the business and make sure that everyone doesn't all go and take off at the same time. The thing is, this takes—well… managing. You, the manage-er, have to be able to manage your workers' leave requests and ensure that the business stays running while your workers get the time off that they need (and are entitled to) so that a little th…

When will these bosses get off our backs? Those of us who are at the bottom of the food chain are starting to develop back pain over here. We've been seeing a lot of instances lately about employers stirring up a fuss about their team members leaving the office early, even if it's just a few minutes before the end of the day. Apparently, it doesn't matter if all your work is complete and there's nothing left to get done for the day. It doesn't even matter if you got to the office early for a me…

Any type of information is now readily available online. We can access any book, paper, article, or even blog we want with only one simple click of a button. Consequently, given how simple it is to access all of this information, one might assume that everyone—including you and me—would be more cautious about what we publish online. The following is the story of a frustrated tech firm customer support representative. The Original Poster (OP) describes a terrible boss from back in the early 2000…

Talk about unprofessional! There are many instances when the personal details of an employee might come up in general banter during a team meeting. Examples of this include questions like “how was that concert you went to?” or “did you enjoy your trip?” Those are, of course, acceptable. However, questions like “did they refill your ADHD meds?" most certainly fall into the unacceptable category. What possessed this CEO to think inquiring about this was a good idea? Even privately, that question…

One of the biggest red flags an employer could have is being disrespectful of their employees' time off. When an employee takes time off, it usually signifies that they could not work at that time, and have other matters to attend to. If an employer disregards that time and insists their employees would accommodate the work schedule needs no matter what, then something is extremely off. The employee in this Reddit story was dealing with the same problem with his boss. The employee was constantl…

It's always hard to quit a job, but it feels worse to drop a job that you've been looking forward to starting because you have to give up one. No one prepares you for the whole process of putting in your two weeks with your current employer. After the awkward conversation, you then have to work 14 uncomfortable days with your coworkers who already know you're leaving to work somewhere else. But it's really not that personal.