Narcissists will always find a way to make everything about themselves, especially when the narcissist in question is your boss. We have all had the experience of working for someone who is just a bit too into themselves. I remember being warned about specific rules of formality around my first boss back when I was stuck in an unpaid internship in my late teen years. All this kind of behavior did for me was it taught me exactly what kind of work environment to avoid. However, sometimes it's com…

It's always fascinating when bosses decide to get petty right before one of their employees walks out on them. They have absolutely nothing to gain from being savage and they're probably risking their already lukewarm reputation, yet sometimes folks in authority cannot help themselves. This boss had a habit of taking credit for other people's work, and he even did so when his employee (now off to bigger and better things) fixed a major tech issue at work. Not only did he get petty, but he had t…

These coworkers are at an impasse, it would seem. In some workplaces, peoples' competitive nature can be a positive. When employees are competing to gain clients or meet a financial target, that can make the bonds between workers stronger. It helps to grow camaraderie, and a sense of purpose as you work those same 40 hours each week. Other offices have a different dynamic: employees start to work against each other. This can happen for numerous reasons---for example, having a toxic boss breathi…

This boss claimed to be “old school,” but in reality, he was just creating a toxic work environment. You'll probably encounter toxic bosses at some point in your career. You'd think to be a manager, you'd have to prove your communication skills are on point. But no. Instead, this boss manages to make every conversation and task as arduous as possible.

When you get fired, usually you have an idea of what went wrong… even if it wasn't necessarily your fault. But here, we have an instance in which an employee was told they violated so many rules and genuinely had no clue what was meant by that. After some investigating, they discovered that a manager had it out for them ever since the employee refused to break a customer's large bill four months ago. Talk about a particularly specific vendetta to hold against someone! While I personally have ne…

People often forget that in any job search, you are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you. That means that no matter what your level of desperation is, always keep in mind that you still have the power of choice during your interview and search process. That means that you should feel empowered to ask questions and not just the basic fundamentals like salary and benefits. You should feel entitled to ask your interviewer about their experience at the company, what their concerns…

Every so often, your coworker asks you to do a favor for them. It might be to proofread an email, grab something from the kitchen, or brainstorm for 15 minutes. However, giving them a free manicure is not exactly the kind of favor one expects to be confronted with at work. This employee's coworker admired their nails and asked them what they were using. You would think the conversation ended there, and the coworker would just take it upon herself to purchase the same product as the employee. Ho…

Now that it's the Holiday season, we are unfortunately subjected to that time of year when we have to get gifts for more people than we'd like. The idea of having to participate in an annual Office Secret Santa on top of all that other shopping is truly too far. Thankfully, I have never been asked to participate in one, and honestly, thank goodness. I'm not quite sure what I've done in my life to deserve that luxury, but I'll take it. Knowing myself, if I were pressured to be a part of an Offic…

There are some things that even your strict boss should not be able to argue with at work. We've seen several instances of bosses overstepping and overreacting when they have no business doing so. We often see this manifest itself when people request well-deserved paid time off or take a mental health day. Bosses who can't step outside their own stress and experiences tend to react this way out of a place of selfishness, whereas you know you have a good boss when they are able to take a step ba…

There are many heartless acts toxic bosses commit in order to keep a “well-oiled machine” running, but reprimanding employees for having family emergencies is about as bad as it gets. Everyone

Those of you with toxic bosses surely have occasionally considered how you could possibly get them fired. It's not necessarily a realistic thought or one that you could easily pull off, but you have probably entertained the idea after a tough meeting or a difficult encounter on the job. Sometimes, these are folks who had it coming. They have treated you unfairly or have taken credit for your accomplishments or have even tried to undermine you and make you look bad. In other words, these are peo…

The reality of being an adult in the working world is that not everyone is going to like you. This can be especially hard to hear for the people pleaser of the world. As someone who once upon a time would identify as a people pleaser myself, I understand the mental and emotional adjustment that comes with learning that some people are just not going to be your friend. Perhaps this phenomenon has weighed on you since your school days, or perhaps you're only just realizing it now because you lear…

Rule number one of being a manager should be to never become the enemy of your team. Of course, it's nearly impossible to be the best friend of your team members. There will always be a power dynamic there and a sense of authority and professionalism that you cannot shake (nor should you, in many cases). However, what you do need to do is create a sense of approachability and to lead with empathy and understanding. This is, of course, easier said than done, and there are certain work environmen…

Has anyone else been fooled by their boss into thinking they were being singled out for something special when in reality, they were just being taken for granted? It's a common occurrence in the workplace, especially during busy times of the year like the Holiday season when people tend to be the most selfish under the guise of graciousness. Now that Thanksgiving has come and gone, many employees have already begun to plan for their office Holiday parties. Few of you are excited, many of you ar…

There is nothing like a technical problem at work that allows you to have the whole day to yourself until it's resolved. Whenever a situation like this arises, it's important to luxuriate in the moment. This means you can finally get your act together. You can vacuum the apartment, do laundry, and cook yourself a nice meal. Or you can lie down on the couch for hours on end and finally binge the new episodes of The Crown . Who cares? The world is your oyster, and it's not like you're shirking an…

We often talk about work-life balance these days, with many folks managing to keep their professional and personal lives completely separate, meaning no work at home (rip remote workers). However, what happens when a personal issue becomes a work issue, too? That's the situation the OP found herself in. OP has been working at her company for a while now, and there's this colleague who seems to harbor some envy. We will call her Karen.