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…

Did you ever get a package of something you ordered, and what you got was a different item, but a slightly better one than what you were supposed to get? If you did, what was your thought process at that moment? Did you contemplate whether or not to contact the store that sent it and let them know? or did you decide that if they made the mistake, it was theirs to pay for it? I'd like to imagine that each and every one of us has a good conscience and a bad conscience, like an angel and a demon s…

“Humans are creatures of habit." Bla, bla, bla, whoever said that was not talking about going to work.

No one can agree on the way this person should've talked to their boss. In any job, communication is key, but it's a skill that one develops over time. You don't enter the workplace at 20 years old already knowing the decorum of an office setting. People might give you weird looks if you speak up loudly during meetings or say something off-putting, and that's just how you learn those things over time. This person isn't sure if they talked to their boss appropriately or not, so they asked the in…

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…

Respect begets respect—and flexibility begets flexibility. It's no surprise that as in the old adage of ‘The Golden Rule' along with so many other maxims, if we treat others with esteem they'll be far more likely to do the same. In the context of the modern workplace, this comes into play with a surprising frequency. Say, if a member of the team you're managing needs to leave early one day for an appointment or to take care of a personal errand, not making an issue of this means that they're go…

A good old-fashioned dramatic quitting can really boost morale. When times are already rough at the workplace, watching someone quit with flair can feel so righteous. Most people don't quit on the spot. Even if it seems like they're doing that, usually the resentment has been building for some time. There's that common saying that people don't quit bad jobs, they leave due to bad management. Over time, having a micromanaging boss or a supervisor who continually berates you really wears an emplo…

Loopholes can be so sweet. This former department head now knows this all too well after they gained more than two weeks PTO! Reorganizations aren't usually a positive sign. No matter how much the company insists that workers won't be impacted, they'll all feel the differences in some way. At this university, a reorganization caused the loss of several highly-trained personnel. That's an issue in a specific field, and a major loss for a university. But when the only thing that matters is “pinch…

Focusing intently on petty mistakes and slights is a surefire way to make sure you miss the big picture. As a leader, this is a fantastic way to make your workers feel like they're being micromanaged and have no agency, potentially derailing the entire organization along with the workers' sinking morale. Sure, if someone isn't pulling their weight it makes sense to step in, but when your team member is late back from lunch one time after coming in sometimes hours early, you'd do well to cut the…

It didn't take long after leaving a job before this employee began plotting their revenge . If your boss cost you roughly $10,000, you'd probably feel the same way! As you rise through the ranks of your career, you might spot opportunities to prove yourself. Maybe your boss is going on vacation, and they ask you to keep an eye on things until they're back. Or maybe your supervisor wants you to take on extra responsibilities to help you better understand the industry. Employees will often take o…

If you could work just five hours per day , would you? Most of us would thrive with that lifestyle and would take that offer instantly. For many or most adults, working full time is a norm we get used to. In other parts of the world, people take three month vacations or work just a few hours every day. Meanwhile, America is a bit more focused on hustle culture. People love to talk about how they're always grinding away to make money and advance their careers. Have you ever been to a party and s…

Serving customers is not always an easy task. Having said that, most people who decide to work in the hospitality sector are people who like engaging with customers and have excellent interpersonal skills. Nevertheless, it should be noted that there is no justification for rudeness or improper behavior on the part of clients. The story that follows is an account of an irritated server. For some time now, the Original Poster (OP) has been employed by his brother-in-law, who runs a Mexican restau…

Yuck. I mean, yawn . Eh, same, same… Do you know what you're doing in life? I don't. I haven't a clue. Eat, sleep, work, repeat. The days drag on and turn into weeks that turn into months. Winter is crawling by at a snail's pace, and I wonder when the sun will come out (properly) and shine again. When does the cold end? Why is it still dark out past 5 pm? Summer, where are you? I wish I could fly somewhere and take a break, but money-wise, that's a problem. I bet for most people it's a problem.…

It may be said that working as a customer support agent is really challenging. If you stop to think about it, your bosses' opinion of you, or at least their general impression of you, is entirely dependent on your capacity to manage challenging clients in a cool, collected manner. In other words, performance evaluation only takes into account a customer service representative's ability to maintain composure, regardless of his or her level of talent. The story that follows proceeds to be told fr…

As someone who sports sweatpants and a hoodie for most of the year, I certainly don't have an aura of intimidating professionalism, but the guy in our next story realized how quickly our stylish social stigmas can derail a couple of employees.

Leave it to an executive with no common sense to make a huge mess. As so often happens, this higher-up wanted to prove that they were the head boss in charge, and made everyone else's days a little worse for it. Our society would be nowhere without the folks who work in construction. Concrete is in just about every modern building, not to mention sidewalks and roads. Construction crews can make quick work out of this. In just a few hours, your company can go from having a broken slab of concret…