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…

No workplace or school is without some drama, and we've got our popcorn buckets ready as we read these stories. Gossipy places aren't always the nicest to work at, but there will be some great stories. A little bit of drama can spice up any boring Thursday afternoon. Whether it's two coworkers who can't agree on the heat, or the entire office waiting for someone to have a meeting with HR, it certainly breaks up the monotony. I'm fascinated with the story of the office where no one could agree o…

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…

As we've all seen over the weekend, because of all of the Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals being shoved down our throats, sometimes companies need to slash their prices in order to make a sale. Discounts drive the consumer populous mad with desire and even if they're only saving 10% with our coupon, most shoppers will stop at nothing to get it redeemed.

Look, by nature, the interview process is going to require jumping through hoops and putting a little bit of yourself out there—and it's a lot like dating in that respect. The whole thing may seem like an unnecessary performance, but like with a first date, the idea is that setting a basic social exchange with some universal ground rules in place allows each party to assess the other party and decide whether there is any compatibility for proceeding further.

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…

Interns are allowed to make mistakes over and over and over again. It's kind of just part of the job. As a young person in college, you want to get some valuable experience in your career field with an internship. But since you are still in college, and have probably never worked in an office setting before, you're just bound to mess things up. At least at this point in your not-yet-existing career, you're allowed to make a few mistakes in the name of learning and gaining experience. This perso…

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's one in every office. Each business place has that one person who everyone else gives a side-eye to. They probably have some kind of personality quirk that irritates everyone. But it's the kind of thing that you can't go to HR for, because what is HR going to do about issues like “Tina is always breathing too loudly” or “Jack has been heating up three meals a day in the microwave and he lets the microwave count down to the beep each time”? These are minor issues, and we all have to live…

In the world of client service, there's a common belief: go to any length—great lengths—to keep all clients satisfied, under contract, and coming back for more. Most managers frown deeply upon contract cancellation notices, forcing workers to submit justification for cancellation along with what their work group did to try and retain the customer. At the end of the day, the number of contracts signed versus the number of contracts lost is the only metric that's being tracked, so that's the only…

Some people don't like to be told that all their work is wrong, even if it's the truth. We have all been there in some way or another, whether it was in school or at home or at work. At some point, some more knowledgeable person probably took a look at all your hard work and pointed out an error that effectively rejects all the hours of time and effort you put into the project. It's an inevitable part of learning and growing up, and it can be especially hard to take this news if you lead with y…

First impressions are important when establishing a working relationship, so important that people tend to read way too far into things during the first interview. It's not unheard of for interviewers to take one single harmless thing you said and extrapolate it into some wildly imaginative reason why you're a risk to hire. Tell the wrong interviewer you like baseball, and maybe they'll decide you're not fit for their team since baseball reminds them of their resentful father who tried to force…

If you have ever worked part-time or seasonal jobs, you know how hectic schedules can get, especially during holidays when most people take time off to travel or be with their family. The open shifts are sadly diverted to the few employees who can still work, leaving them slammed with overtime for their so-called part-time gig.

Working from home has its perks. But you know how irritating it can get if you've ever tried to do it with other people in the house (like during the pandemic). The couple in the story both work from home, and her spouse has developed the annoying habit of following her around the house whenever he's on a business call. It started off innocent...

The burnout from being overworked and from constant exposure to a toxic workplace environment can really creep up on you. One day, you'll think that you're doing fine, under a lot of pressure and stress, but managing it just fine. The next, your composure shatters, and everything you've been enduring hits you like a ton of bricks. Suddenly, you feel the weight of it all. No energy and sinking, you're now struggling to keep your head above the water level of all the tasks you have to complete.

When an employee leaves a company, there's a duty-vacuum that opens up in their wake. All of the responsibilities that that employee once did are now left to the devices of those left behind. Usually, it's simply a nuisance until the higher ups hire someone new, but for some, that opens a door of opportunity into a promotion. Right?!