It's always surprising when decisions directly contradict an organization's stated values and fly in the face of their own data and analytics. Yet, many companies' responses to remote working are exactly that, choosing to return to offices despite increased productivity and record profits. It leads one to wonder… why? The real answer we'll never know, but it is probably close to what is often theorized in these discussions: Somewhere a manager—who still hasn't adapted to their perceived loss of…

This manager denied their employee a mere three days off which was requested three months in advance. So now, instead of managing a schedule three months in advance, they get to organize a permanent schedule—a man down… immediately. Constantly needing to organize an adequate schedule with minimal resources is one of the worst parts of managing retail. Typically, these companies run staffing at a bare minimum to save on labor costs, offering poor compensation, meaning that when a full-time worke…

Undertaking a gambit with the sole purpose of making someone else look ridiculous—well, that's a risky move. There's a good chance that the whole thing could backfire and make you look ridiculous instead. After all, you should never put down all your best monsters at once when your opponent has a trap card face down on the field. (Mirror Force, anyone?) This manager tried to use a security guard's report as an example, presumably as a way of humiliating them to get them to leave the company. Th…

Having too much work to do and unrealistic expectations from your superiors about that work is a surefire way to make you hate your job… and your entire existence. This will usually happen in some sort of toxic workplace environment where middle managers have been selected and promoted on their willingness to enforce any policy they're told to rather than on any actual skills in operations, administration, or management. These middle managers are more than willing to pass any pressure placed on…

Just because you're in charge doesn't mean you know better or have more experience—that's not your job. It's your job to ensure that the people who know how to do that job are getting it done and have the resources and ability to do so. A lot of managers get this confused or let their gargantuan ego get in the way, and then they end up with situations like this. Bonus points in these situations apply if the experienced subordinate is also significantly younger than the manager, which will often…

Interviewing for a new role within a company or an internal promotion has its benefits, especially when compared to a normal interview process. For one, you'll typically already be at least somewhat familiar with the manager of the workgroup you're interviewing for, which means that they, in turn, have some knowledge of you and the work that you do. This means that you don't have to blindly convince a stranger of your qualities and capabilities like you would in a normal interview—playing the f…

Sometimes the warning signs that you might not want to work somewhere are readily apparent as if someone commissioned them to be made in neon and hung in the lobby for all to see. Other times, they're not so obvious, and it's highly likely you won't notice them until you've started working there and have learned to read between the lines. These workers came together in a viral internet thread to share their stories and experiences to help uncover some of the things that we might be missing in i…

What often gets lost in translation in our workplace culture is how important leave is. In fact, it's just as important as the work itself. From a business-first perspective, you need to be able to maintain an appropriate work-life balance in order to remain at peak effectiveness. Even if you're someone who is all about your career, taking time off will help you come back refreshed and reinvigorated—with the right headspace and fresh ideas to tackle your job. This worker shared their story of h…

Taking credit for your subordinate's work is a part of being in charge. After all, if you're managing the team, delegating, and making things work, you deserve it—partly. However, it's incredibly important to give credit where credit's due and recognize the people who actually did the work, came up with the ideas, and put in the time; pretending you did it yourself is dishonest and a good way to get a whole lot of bad karma barreling down on you. Plus, you might end up in a circumstance like th…

This manager found their workload increased dramatically when their co-manager was fired for a ridiculous reason. They then had to operate the entire store alone, which was rife with unique issues. The boss continued to be pettier and pettier. When they finally hired a replacement co-manager, they expected the manager to "cut their hours" immediately, which led to the titular confrontation. This thread was posted to r/MaliciousCompliance by the manager in the story, Redditor u/A-Stackhouse. Whe…

Problems will present themselves in our lives with a constant certain predictability—it's how we go about solving those problems that determines the course it will take. Say you have a bad boss or are otherwise unhappy with your job—what do you do? Do you sit and silently suffer, day after day, week after week, month after month? If you don't have to, why should you? Take your life into your own hands and find something better. That's what this worker has done following advice they received whe…

Sudden loss for a thing that was great about your life can cause grief—even when that thing was your job. Sometimes it will be a sudden change of ownership or leadership; sometimes, it is the same leaders making sweeping changes in policy to increase profits. Sometimes it's a smaller change within your team, maybe a coworker or boss you like leaving for a new role. This last scenario normally ends up with you working closely with someone who you like significantly less than the coworker they're…

Imagine submitting a cover letter that is so well written and on point with calling out and solving the company's problems that you immediately get contacted by the company's lawyer and a frantic department head who demand to know where you got your information. Then, after all of that, you still don't get the job when they balk at your compensation request… Talk about a roller coaster! If you've ever wanted undeniable proof that you have the qualifications for a position and are generally skil…

We might expect that experience, performance, and time in a role would lead us to an increased take-home pay… and that we might be earning more than the college graduate the company just hired—who has no experience and is still wet behind the ears. But, changes in company hiring policy resulting from fluctuations in the demands of the job market could very well mean that new hires are earning far more than you. Companies are often reluctant to increase the cost of existing labor—even in times o…

There are plenty of great opportunities to reach out to your network and enquire about open positions—with friends, family, and former colleagues all being solid possible leads. You can volunteer, attend industry events, utilize contacts through shared interests—even turn to social media. Heck, just about the only person you shouldn't reach out to for a job is a candidate you're supposed to be interviewing. It's bold, for sure, but bound to land poorly. The interviewee already has so much going…

When you're doing great at your job, taking on extra duties, and performing admirably, the last thing you expect is to be replaced as a cost-saving measure—especially by your boss's (presumably unqualified) daughter. But, this can happen when your profession is a necessity that your bosses don't understand… and there are certainly some old hats hanging around in various institutions who still don't quite “get” the point of social media marketing. It's akin to the common adage about the catch-22…