Career dead? Maybe not — take steps to revive it
QUESTION: Three years ago, I was hired to set up and run a new hospital pharmacy. Everything was going fine until an external audit turned up some problems, and I...
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Scary boss must repair employee relations
Q: I supervise three technicians in a busy medical clinic. These employees recently complained to management that I belittle them, show them no respect, and occasionally cause them to leave...
Overworked? Let’s prioritize
Q: When my previous employer went out of business, I was relieved to find a very similar position with another company. However, I no longer feel quite so lucky. Over...
How to deal with an office chatterbox
Q: My manager has an annoying habit of talking non-stop about her family. She goes into great detail about her daughter's clothes, her son's sports activities, or her mother's latest...
Vacation-time strife is overblown
Q: I am angry with one of my co-workers because she stole my vacation slot. In our office, employees select vacation dates based on seniority. A calendar is circulated, and...
How to broach the subject of a pay gap
Q: A couple of years ago, after our small construction company was hit hard by the recession, all employees received a 5 percent pay cut. Last year, the owners told...
Clarify division of labor to end overwork
Q: I work for a very demanding boss who apparently feels that I can handle any task in the office. He assigns all the extra work to me instead of...
Proposing changes as an office newbie
Q: Since joining this company a few weeks ago, I have noticed a lot of areas that need improvement. However, I'm not sure how honest I should be in sharing...
Boss styles vary
Q: My boss, "Karen," feels the need to control absolutely everything. She asks me to provide weekly status updates on any project which involves my staff. Recently, she requested a...
Managers must deal with unstable worker
Q: I work in a county government agency with a co-worker, "Pam," who is crazy. Pam's mental state is so deteriorated that she has been placed in an empty office...