This manager is asking for advice about their own manager . Every work place is different, with its own customs and ideas about how things should be run. Some workplaces are super casual, while others value a strictly professional environment . But most are somewhere in between. When you spend 40 hours per week with the same colleagues, your relationships expand over time. You will probably get to know all about Kathryn's favorite TV series or Jonathan's weekend trips with the kids. Since you'r…

Generally, your working life, including everything that comes with it, is reserved for—well, work—including your laptop, phone, and such that your employer has provided for you. By contrast, your personal stuff is for your own personal use, and that's why it's—well, personal. There are very obvious things you should and shouldn't use each device for, and those things should be kept separate. Sure, these lines can blur and often will—after all, not everything is black and white.

The way in which an employer responds to news of your departure is perhaps the most revealing moment of their overall character as a boss. There is the possibility that they will keep things professional and will respect your decision to pivot into something different. And then there's the more common response, which is the more selfish one. With this option, employers will take the news personally. No matter how professional you are, they will make your final weeks at the office all the more d…

Some workplaces function as if they're kindergarten classrooms and as if the employees are children who are incapable of making their own decisions and undeserving of self-determination. It's insulting, really, when you work in one of these places where constant oversight and continual encroachment into what freedoms remain are a part of everyday policies. Existing completely devoid of agency saps any empowerment employees feel and, over time, will make them less motivated in their jobs. Of cou…

Being tasked with performing action items during an interview process that only a full-time employee should be doing is the reddest of red flags. No matter how desperate you are for work, you have to be aware that there is absolutely nothing stopping these potential employers from taking your unpaid work, running with it, and still not giving you the job at the end of the day. If this happens to you as a prospective applicant, please know that you should feel empowered enough to send an inquiry…

Talk about a complete waste of a day! This employee had nearly completed all of his daily work tasks when his boss up and fired him in the afternoon. His boss even revealed that he had known since 9:30 am that morning and couldn't bring himself to do it. Now, there are a couple of explanations behind the boss's behavior. Firstly, he could be more conniving than he comes across. Perhaps he wanted the employee to finish whatever project he was working on before firing him so he could be rid of hi…

There is no shortage of stories online consisting of a misguided manager who establishes a blanket “No overtime” policy that ends up getting maliciously complied with by some worker or group of workers to the tune of disastrous results. It's probably wisest at this point to never implement any policy that strictly forbids workers from working overtime. Instead, set the expectation that any necessary overtime will be worked before forcing those overtime workers to jump through as many hoops as p…

There is a reason why you should avoid giving your boss your phone number if you can help it. Sometimes, you don't have a choice, but what you do have control over is when you choose to respond to your boss. The reality is that engaging with your boss is part of your paid employment. Therefore, you really only need to do it when you're on the clock. It can be hard to draw those boundaries, especially in this day and age when it's nearly impossible to unplug. However, if you do manage to establi…

Is Lisa not capable of making her own lunch? Can you imagine being wired in such a way that you genuinely would feel entitled to your coworker's lunch?! Lisa wasn't even slightly senior to OP as far as we know, not that it would be ok if she were but we all know how horrible bosses can be. This thread was posted to Reddit's r/AmITheA**hole subreddit by u/sxrllyya , who became known for making elaborate lunches and bringing them to the office. Now, as someone whose homemade office lunch is often…

There are moments in everyone's working lives when management goes too far and everyone knows it. These are the kinds of moments when you look across the room at your coworker and you immediately question if they are thinking what you're thinking. Perhaps there is a clear look in their eyes or perhaps there is a slight nod, the kind of exchange that signifies, “Are we doing this? Yes, yes we are." What happens next is the kind of solidarity among employees people only dream of… if only the circ…

The working arrangement is a relatively simple one: You provide your time and skills to your employer, and they provide you with a paycheck. Management likes to snazz this up and conceive unnecessary complications that weave a longer, meandering line between these two endpoints, but no matter how large of a labyrinth they build, those two endpoints remain in the same place. Things like being told you and your coworkers are a “family” “crew” or “partners," or the use of any other euphemisms to a…

As they say: It takes all kinds. It's our differences, our unique skills, perspectives, and experiences, that make us who we are, distinctive in our approach and demeanor from the other folks. The sum of our parts makes us decidedly better at different things, and when we band together, there's no telling what we can accomplish. While that's all feel-good and hunky-dory, and while we should always seek never to judge, it's worth recognizing that, sometimes, these unique traits come together to…

Every human resources department has been known for some shady behavior to protect the interests of the company rather than the interests of the actual humans who work there. Ironic, much? We all have these kinds of stories, particularly ones that involve employee benefits like paid time off. It's a tale as old as time: an employee requests vacation time for an important event like a wedding or a funeral, their boss approves said vacation time, then shames them in some way as the dates actually…

Sometimes, the best way to inform your boss that their newly implemented policy is flawed is by showing not telling. Lots of workplace practices are put into place in such a way that seems smart and productive in theory… until it's not. Of course, the people who are enforcing said policies often want them to work and refuse to hear any criticism from the people who actually have an understanding of how their workflow looks. This boss was running into some legal trouble and couldn't pay for any…

It doesn't matter what your line of work is. It doesn't matter if you work in an office, in a restaurant, in a warehouse, or remotely. Chances are you have dealt with an unruly and/or bizarre coworker. Perhaps in the moment, your experience with this person was a cringeworthy one. Perhaps it did not end well for you or for them. However, provided that you came out unscathed, you probably are grateful to have the story. Some of these coworkers range from the unethical to the strange. For instanc…

We're pretty sure toxic bosses are not allowed to do this anymore… This boss decided it was appropriate to fire his hourly employee on the same day that the employee filed for more state-protected paternity leave, a privilege that his boss doesn't normally grant to his other employees as well. First of all, let's start by acknowledging that granting maternity and paternity leave should not be seen as a privilege in anyone's else, nor should workers be rewarded for not taking their full time off…