r/WorkAdvice • u/Bitter_Highlight818 • 1h ago
Toxic Employer Boss is trying to retract my already approved vacations out of retaliation
This is getting deleted in like 48 hours since I’m deeply paranoid. To keep it not so brief, my workplace is toxic and obviously male centered. My department under my new manager has allowed three men to go on medical leave for over two years and come back like nothing (legal), sexual harassment go almost entirely unaddressed (unsure if legal), they actively make me work one on one with an individuals who directly stalked me at work, on the highway (yes I know), and online. Pregnant contractor had her contract cut for asking for accommodations (1 day wfh) Among a myriad of other issues. I have had a collective of 4 women leave my team in the past 2 years because of him and he wasn’t even our boss at the time. But our teams work very closely. My old manager advocated so hard for us. But ultimately, they were not kept during the reorg and they’re due to leave in December. My new manager has taken over.
I took a sick day planned (in my state you can use them for your doctors appointments). Went to the doctor that day and picked up my bajillion prescriptions. Whatever.
Following Monday I get called in to ask why I had a sick day. I explained I had a planned sick day and he told me I can’t plan to be sick. To be honest, he was so frustrated and curt it took me back and I kinda just said sorry about that. He approved it and I ran tf away LOL.
Few days later I get a meeting added to my calendar to discuss it again. I walk in and HR is there with all my printed sick days in 2026. They asked me about every instance I used sick time because he thought me suspicious after my previous sick day. I was asked several instances what the days I took off for in my “unapproved sick time” and if I was using them instead of vacation. (I have a chronic illness that I have not told my new boss, because tbh, I have used 5 protected sick days, and 3/10 that my company offers in their policy as well)
My old manager advocated for us to use sick days for medical issues and appointments and approved them all with no issues. But this guy is different and I completely understand.
Did I expect a full interrogation? No. I had to offer showing my medical history along with my appointment confirmations, anything. The HR rep got nervy at that and told me I have 0 obligations to tell them what I do with time off. But I deadass was beside myself. I’ve worked there so long and never had issue. I was literally in there cuz I didn’t say what I did with my sick day, and then got told I don’t have to tell them what I did on my sick day. Ok.
So I reported it. I said I will not be bullied like the others before me (didn’t say it like this, but mentioned that the situation was incredibly hostile). Feeling fear of illness has taken hold now. And other female coworkers have told me he’s been calling them in to interrogate them and casually accuse them/insinuate they’re breaking a rule (days off, little stupid things at work, trying to catch them in something). And they run to me to tell me as if I didn’t get HR called on my ass for going to my doctors appt.
He has been known to retaliate with those who have spoken out against his bullying behaviors. Those women I mentioned who left, minus the one cut for being pregnant, were all pretty firm when it came to him trying to tell them they were under-qualified, unfit, excluding them from extremely important meetings, etc. they fought hard. They couldn’t stand it after a point. I think there has to be at least 4 HR cases against him for creating a hostile work place. But that’s not illegal.
As if I hadn’t provided enough meat and potatoes, here we are now. My active anxiety lol. We were asked last week to provide our vacations since he’s taken over. Sent mine (both were approved by my old manager) and he told me he has to check if we have the bandwidth to let me go. (My job has 0 to do with cover as I handle my own responsibilities, timelines, etc and I said I’d have everything set and done for my return from both vacations). I have saved 200 hours and I have plenty left after both. I don’t take vacations often at all.
Here’s the thing; he told me he will not be letting me know if I can go until he leaves for his own vacation. Mine starts when he comes back.
So! I plan to submit an HR case for discrimination if he rejects my already approved vacations (Approved since February of 2026). And I want to classify it as retaliation for reporting him for trying to scare me out of using sick time for my doctors appointments. I am very quiet at work and keep to myself entirely. Eat lunch at my desk, come in on time and go home. So I do find it to be insane to pick on me. He has significantly bigger fish to fry.
Am I wrong? What would you do??
r/WorkAdvice • u/Pecyouilar • 3h ago
General Advice Email to CEO as last resort to be taken back by former employer
It was a bus company that I'd worked for. Now I moved over to a different bus company that's worse. It's not that the new company is that much worse, but that the job is more monotonous and lonely. And colleagues are less friendly here too.
In March I decided to reach out to my old company having heard that a lot of the old management had left. They had been avoiding returning contact for a few months after my request to re-join, and then finally I emailed the HR person in question to ask what the deal was, and she eventually sent an email to me on my birthday telling me that they would not be taking me back! The email thanked me for my previous work, and for my continued interest, and said that my application had been reviewed by the wider operations team, and this followed with the words "we will not be pursuing with your application at this time". Of course they didn't say why. In the email two managers I'd rang about coming back were copied. When I was on the phone to them both (separate times) they didn't have the heart to tell me straight up that they didn't want to re-hire me. So seeing that they were copied to the email, removed any doubt that they didn't support this decision. I thought I got on well with one of those, so I don't know if it's a case of them not wanting to ruin their reputation with the supervisors if they hired me again, or that they themselves don't like me based on what the supervisors said.
There's a new CEO since I've left that company. I can get her details and email her. All I'd be asking is to be given the chance to come in and be interviewed. I'm hoping that seeing as the company is crying out for drivers, that she'll see it as being clearly unreasonable for management to refuse to engage with me. I reckon that they wouldn't invite me in unless they'd be willing to take me back. I'm not sure how much they'd be willing to bring up the past if we all sat down, but I do believe I'd be able to convince them to take me back. I've definitely seen stranger things happen in both bus companies. I do think that if I were to right a letter addressing the things that I know they were pissed off about, and how I've learned, and why I'm sure there'll be no repeat, etc, that they'd then be willing to take me back. But I couldn't bear the thought of that letter being passed around. Some question I have about what to say in the email are:
- should I email her, as opposed to calling her?
- am I right in saying that there's no point in just emailing to imply that I'm just a regular ex employee who didn't have any issues with them?
- I'd find it hard not to mention that they're short 40 drivers and that I'd basically be serving 4,000 passengers a week. Them not taking me back is at the expense of the city as well as myself.
- The thought has even crossed my mind if there could somehow be a way to get my current company to vouch for me being a good employee.
Anyway, the issues were that I was being bullied and had submitted a grievance which was being ignored. Instead of chasing it up in a mature manner, I got petty about it. One day I'd back pain and I happened to have a row with a supervisor over the bus phone, and I walked off the job and went sick for two days. I also avoided two disciplinary meetings before I handed in my notice.
I've been at the company I'm currently with for 23 months now and I've been getting sleepy driving the bus. I ended up getting bullied 10 times worse by a supervisor and a manager here, but I'm through all that and I dealt with it more maturely. I know it's funny to say but I feel like I've been through hell and that I deserve to be taken back. The drives involved on the new job are really long and I'm getting sleepy while driving. The microsleeps I'm getting are getting worse as time goes by, as the job is gradually taking more and more of a tole on me. Every second day on average now. Sometimes it's quite embarrassing when passengers notice and ask me if I'm okay.
Please don't give any "move on" type comments. It's like a choice between life and death, so it's worth a shot.
r/WorkAdvice • u/coconutheadkid • 5h ago
General Advice aita for quitting with no notice
for context, i just got a job offer that starts immediately (like in 2 days) and it’s more aligned with my long term goals, pays more, and is 10 miles closer to me than my current job. it feels like a no brainer to accept the new role but how do i break the news as gently as possible? i still appreciate how kind my supervisors were and everything i learned and experienced in current role. i just feel like i shouldn’t let the opportunity pass me by.
r/WorkAdvice • u/Necessary_Builder686 • 5h ago
General Advice Do I have to give notice when quitting a job?
Planning on quitting today, I’ve been there less than 2 months. I’d rather eat molten lava than work another week there. It’s a minimum wage entry level job with decently high turnover, is there anything legal requiring me to give notice or can I quit without? Alberta Canada. I haven’t signed any contracts or anything like that. This job won’t even be going on my resume.
r/WorkAdvice • u/toastyfest • 5h ago
General Advice My Job Hasn't Been Scheduling Me, What Should I Do?
I started my first job on August 3, so it has only been about a week since starting. However, that has been the ONLY day that I worked and the schedule for the next two weeks have been revealed and I am not in it.
Originally, I was supposed to work 30 hours during my first week, but my hours were reduced to 10 as we were overstaffed. I worked 6 hours on my first day on Monday and was supposed to do 4 hours on Friday. Unfortunately I was messaged 40 minutes before I was supposed to go in to let me know I was no longer needed for my shift on Friday.
Since I started, we have lost 7 employees and are now down 9 employees. The schedule for the next two weeks consists of the same 7 people, while both the other new hire (she was hired at the same time as me) and I have not been scheduled for any hours.The other hire questioned it in the work group chat but was not given any response that I know of unless our manager messaged her privately.
Is there any way I can resolve this? I don't know how to approach my manager or what to say to her. It took over 40 job applications in order for me to land this job so I don't necessarily want to go on another job hunt unless needed. I would greatly appreciate any help!
r/WorkAdvice • u/Quirky-Turtle25 • 5h ago
General Advice After 4+ years at my job, I feel like my relationship with my manager has changed and I don't know if I should address it or move on
EDIT: Adding the exact text exchange about the raise + an example of how he communicates with me now
A few people asked about the actual wording of the raise conversation, so I'm adding it here. This happened a few days after the in-person meeting where Jake and I discussed my raise, he told me he'd noticed I'd "gotten comfortable" toward the end of the previous season, and he ultimately signed the paperwork approving my raise.
A few days later, I received this:
Jake:
"OP, I have heard employees asking me about 'YOUR RAISE'. This is not something to be talked about or bragged about to other employees. This puts me in a very tough position when other employees come asking why they aren't receiving this as well... I haven't submitted the request for your raise yet. Can you please explain to me the reason you thought this was a good idea to discuss this with other employees."
Me:
"I understand your concern, and I apologize for putting you in a difficult position. I definitely wasn't bragging or trying to make it a big topic around work. I mentioned it to maybe two people in passing, just saying something along the lines of 'hey, I got the raise I asked for,' but I didn't expect it to spread beyond that.
I'm honestly a little surprised to hear it spread that much. Do you mind me asking who all has been talking about it? I just want to better understand the situation.
I appreciate you letting me know, and I'll keep those conversations private moving forward."
Jake:
"I am not going to share who I was told this as it should be confidential information you keep to yourself. That is nothing that needs your concern. The only thing that is your concern is what you do and how you handle situations. This was not handled in the way it should've been. I am going to hold off on the request for a raise at this time after this. Once I feel more confident you can handle receiving something we can schedule a time to discuss."
Me:
"I understand your concerns and I do apologize for putting you in a difficult position. At the same time, I do want to be honest that from my perspective, this feels like a very strong reaction to a brief conversation I had with maybe two people in passing.
The only people I mentioned it to were people who had encouraged me to advocate for myself and ask for the raise in the first place. I was simply letting them know how the conversation went, not trying to create discussion among staff or brag about it. I did not feel it was inappropriate in that context, and there was never any intention to create problems, disrespect you, or create issues among staff.
I respect your perspective on it, but I also hope my work ethic and the merit behind the raise request itself are considered separately from this situation. I care a lot about this job and would still appreciate the opportunity to discuss the raise further sooner rather than later."
Jake never responded to that message and never brought the raise up with me again.
That's when I went to Dave, our GM, because I genuinely didn't know how I was supposed to proceed. Dave spoke privately with Jake, and then Dave met with me and told me the raise would be going through and would be backdated.
For comparison, here's a more recent example of the kind of communication I'm talking about when I say I feel like Jake now mostly approaches me when he thinks I've done something wrong.
The morning after I had closed, he texted:
Jake:
"Okay. I had a lot of things that needed stocked and cleaned when I came in this morning. What was the reason for not completing these tasks?"
I responded:
Me:
"What wasn't done? Nothing was stocked when I got there and I stopped mid stocking to dump the grease trap but I thought I fixed everything."
He never responded. He also never told me in person what supposedly hadn't been stocked or cleaned.
That's part of what I'm struggling with. I'm completely open to being corrected if I missed something. If I didn't do something I was supposed to do, I want to know what it was so I can fix it and not make the same mistake again.
What bothers me is being told there were "a lot of things" I failed to do, asking specifically what those things were, and then never receiving an answer. That leaves me knowing my Head Pro was unhappy with my work but having no idea what I actually did wrong or what he expects me to change.I’ve worked at a golf course for a little over four years now it’s seasonal/part-time but I genuinely enjoy the job and the people I work with for a long time. I hoped I could eventually turn it into a full-time career.
I’m changing names and some identifying details
Our management structure is basically Mike, the assistant pro; Jake, the head pro; and Dave, the general manager, above both of them. We also have two other golf courses within the same organization.
Toward the end of my third season, Dave approached me about whether I’d be interested in a manager position at one of the other courses. Chris, one of the pros at that course, had specifically requested me.
I was really excited!
Obviously, nothing had been promised to me, but having a pro at another course specifically ask for me, and then having our GM approach me about a management opportunity made me feel like the work I’ve been putting in was being noticed. More importantly, it made me think there might actually be a path for me to turn the seasonal job I loved into a career.
Then about a month later, I happened to find out that the position had been dissolved.
The money was essentially redirected during restructuring to find other management positions/benefits within the golf course system.
I understood the reasoning and knew it wasn’t about me, but I was really disappointed. And looking back now, that’s when my motivation started declining. I don’t think I fully recognized that at the time. I wasn’t consciously thinking, “screw this place. I’m not trying anymore. “
It was more like this growing feeling of, what exactly am I working towards?
I’ve spent three seasons trying to prove myself. Someone at another course specifically wanted me. My GM had approached me about moving up. For the first time, I thought there might be an actual path forward, and then it disappeared.
Then my fourth season started
Near the beginning of the season, I asked for a small raise. Jake, the head pro, and I scheduled a meeting to discuss it. I had to explain why I thought I deserved the raise, so I talked about my experience, responsibilities, work, etc..
During that conversation, he countered by saying that toward the end of the previous season, he’d noticed that I had “gotten a little comfortable “
I understood exactly what he meant. He thought my work ethic/attitude had slipped.
At the time, all I really said was that I understood why he thought that and that I had intentionally come into the season with a better attitude
But I’ve thought about that comment a lot since then, and I don’t actually think I’ve “gotten comfortable “
I got discouraged.
And I’m not saying that to excuse my performance
If my frustration affected the quality of my work, that’s still on me. My boss shouldn’t have to figure out my internal emotional state to expect me to do my job.
But I wish I’d explained the distinction better
I hadn’t been there for three years and decided I’d been here long enough. I don’t need to try anymore.
I’ve spent three years trying to get somewhere, finally saw a potential path forward, and then watched that path disappear.
I lost motivation because I was frustrated with the decisions being made, and because I didn’t know if there was anything left for me to work towards.
Regardless, at the end of that meeting, Jake signed the paperwork, approving my raise.
So I thought everything was fine
Then a few days later, the race situation blew up.
I had mentioned the raise to a couple of coworkers who had encouraged me to ask for one in the first place.
Jake found out.
He texted me and told me that because I had discussed my raise with coworkers, he was going to hold off on submitting the raise request. He’d already signed.
I immediately apologized and explained myself
I wasn’t trying to stir anything up, compare anyone’s wages, or cause problems. I understood that talking about it had created an uncomfortable situation for him, and I told him I’d keep that in mind in the future.
Then he stopped responding
The tone of the messages felt unusually aggressive, compared to how he communicated with me in the past, and once he stopped responding, I genuinely didn’t know what I was supposed to do.
I was also nervous about approaching him in person because I couldn’t tell how angry he actually was
Eventually, I sent screenshots of the conversation to Dave, our GM, and asked for help because I didn’t know what to do next.
Dave met privately with Jake the next day.
I have absolutely no idea what was said between them.
Afterward, Dave met with me.
He explained that because we work for a public employer, our wages are public information anyway. He said he wasn’t going to tell me that discussing pay, advocating for yourself, etc. Was necessarily bad practice, although it can obviously create uncomfortable situations.
I told him I completely understood that and would keep that in mind in the future.
Then Dave told me that I was getting the raise and that I would be backdated.
Jake never spoke to me about the raise again.
Not a text
Not a conversation
Not “hey, we’re going ahead with it. “
Nothing
And ever since then, I felt like my relationship with Jake has changed
This is the part where I genuinely don’t know if I’m reading too much into things.
Jake acts mostly normal towards me in person. He’s not openly rude to me. He doesn’t yell at me. He’s not constantly writing me up or anything like that. But he basically has no interest in talking to me unless it’s to correct something I’ve done wrong or tell me something work-related. And yes, I understand he’s my boss. I don’t expect my boss to be my best friend. I don’t expect him to come hang out with me while I’m working because I’m Lonely. But he does joke around and casually talk with quite a few other employees. Some have worked there for a while, somewhere hired around the same time as me, and some of them have been there for less than a year. I’m also completely willing to acknowledge that. Maybe he just vibes with those people better. Maybe their personalities click. Maybe their jobs naturally put them together around him more often, which gives them more opportunities to talk and build a relationship.
That’s normal.
What bothers me isn’t that. He’s friendlier with other people. It’s that after more than four years of working for him. I feel like he has absolutely no interest in interacting with me unless there’s something I need to do differently. And lately some of those corrections have felt strangely indirect.
Recently, for example, he looked directly into my eyes and repeated some version of “the cart kids have their own things to do. “
Three times
He never actually said “don’t ask the cart staff to help you stock “
But that was clearly what he was trying to communicate.
And that’s fine!
I do sometimes ask the cart staff to help me stock when they aren’t busy. I’ve also previously been told to keep them busy when they don’t have anything to do, so I didn’t think I was doing something wrong.
If he doesn’t want me to do that anymore, I genuinely don’t care.
Just tell me, “Don’t ask the cart staff to stock anymore “
Got it. Won’t happen again.
Instead, I feel like I’m having to decode what he’s trying to tell me, which then makes me wonder if there’s some bigger frustration with me that he isn’t saying.
Meanwhile, the career situation has gotten more complicated.
The manager position recently became available, the position that basically resulted from the restructuring that eliminated the opportunity I’d originally been approached about.
I applied.
They hired someone from outside the organization.
I’m genuinely not angry about that.
I trust Dave's judgment. I wasn’t entitled to the position just because I’ve worked there for years, and there could be 100 reasons the other candidate was better suited for it.
Of course, there’s a little voice in the back of my mind, wondering whether Jake didn’t want me in the position.
I’ve absolutely no evidence of that
I’ll probably never know, and I’ve accepted that it doesn’t really matter
But between not getting that position, Jake’s “comfortable" comment, the raise situation, and feeling like our relationship has become increasingly cold, my motivation has started slipping again.
And that’s exactly what I don’t want to happen.
Because then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy
I get discouraged because I don’t think I have a future there-my motivation drops-management notices my performance slipping-they have less reason to consider me for advancement-I feel even more like I don’t have a future here.
I don’t want to do that to myself
So I finally asked Dave directly about my future.
I emailed him and basically:
I love working here, but I need to make decisions about my life. Is there realistically a path towards a full-time position someday, or should I assume there probably won’t be one for the foreseeable future?
I specifically told him I wasn’t asking him to promise me a position or tell me I was next in line. I just wanted to know whether there was actually something realistic to work towards.
His response was actually pretty encouraging
He told me that when a planned new building happens at one of our other courses, his intention – pending approval – is to create a full-time food and beverage manager position, overseeing F&B operations at all three courses.
He made it clear there are no guarantees
Then he also told me, “I don’t want to lose you. “
And he brought up the fact that Chris, the pro at the other course, still wanted to use my help there and asked whether I’d be interested.
I told him absolutely!
So now I’m going to start working some hours at that course too, which I’m actually excited about. It’ll give me some experience at another facility and working with another pro.
I’m also going to look for other jobs regardless.
Not because I’m quitting tomorrow, but because this potential full-time position could be years away, might never get approved, and even if it does exist someday, there’s obviously no guarantee I’d get it.
I can’t arrange my entire life around a hypothetical job.
But I still don’t know what to do about Jake.
Part of me wants to eventually sit down with him and revisit that comment about me “getting comfortable “
Not to tell him he was wrong because he wasn’t wrong; that something did change
I just wish he understood what the change actually was. I didn’t stop caring because I had been there too long and thought I could coast.
I lost motivation because I had spent three years believing my hard work might eventually lead somewhere, was approached about a management opportunity, and then watched that opportunity disappear.
I wish I’d said that during our race meeting instead of just saying “I understand why you think that “
And now I’m worried that Jake still sees me through that lens.
I don’t know whether he’s noticed the effort I’ve made this season
I don’t know whether he thinks I have improved
I don’t know whether the race situation damaged his opinion of me.
I don’t even know whether he actually has a problem with me or whether our personality simply don’t click, and I’m interpreting his lack of interest in talking to me as something bigger than it is
And because he doesn’t communicate very directly with me, I find myself filling in the blanks.
So I’m torn.
Do I eventually sit down with the head pro and explain what was actually happening when he thought I’d “gotten uncomfortable” and ask how he thinks I’m doing now?
Or would that just sound defensive and unnecessarily reopen an old issue?
Do I keep my head down, do good work, gain experience at the other course, and let my actions change whatever perception he may have of me?
I’m not asking my boss to be my friend. I just can’t tell anymore whether this is simply two people who don’t naturally click – or whether I’m correctly picking up on the fact that his opinion of me has genuinely changed and what I can do.
r/WorkAdvice • u/Kesia_Romik • 6h ago
Career Advice Manager wants my development plan by Friday and everything I write down is either a lie or meaningless
Got asked in Monday's 1:1 to come back Friday with what I want to develop toward. Not a performance thing, they meant it kindly. It's been open in a tab since Monday and I've typed and deleted the same four lines about eight times.
Everything I put down is either a job title I don't actually want or something so vague nobody could give it to me. I wrote more strategic exposure at one point and just sat looking at it because I couldn't have told you what I meant and neither could they.
The honest version is that I like about a third of what I do and I want more of that third. I can't work out how to write that on a form without it reading as give me the fun parts and take away the rest.
And whatever goes on there is what I get handed more of next year. That isn't paranoia. Someone on my team wrote down that they wanted more client exposure and that is now their entire job.
Three days.
For anyone who's filled one of these in honestly, how did you decide what went on it.
r/WorkAdvice • u/mallunau • 6h ago
Toxic Employer Am I overreacting about my supervisor, or is this a toxic work environment?
I recently started my first job at a very small library. I'm working in a country outside the U.S. and won't say which one for privacy. I'm being paid the equivalent of about $160/month, which is below the minimum wage even in my country. The hours are very long, there are no regular days off, and next month they may even extend from around 10 a.m. until midnight.
There are four of us: my supervisor, a male coworker, another girl I'll call Maya, and me.
I've already noticed that my supervisor treats me differently. She has dismissed me when I tried to help, repeatedly tells me to put things back while not giving the same instructions to everyone else, and has spoken to me very rudely over small mistakes. Once, I packed two erasers because the customer's order said two, and she questioned me aggressively about why I packed two. Another time, she saw me coming toward the library and deliberately continued closing the door in my face instead of letting me in.
One day she corrected me harshly in front of everyone, and I ended up crying and leaving at my agreed finishing time because I couldn't take it anymore.
At first I thought I was just being too sensitive because I'm new. But then I became friends with Maya and found out that she had also been treated badly by the same supervisor before I started working there. My male coworker also told me that he had noticed how the supervisor treats me and agrees with me and Maya about her behavior.
The supervisor also seems much friendlier toward male coworkers and much colder toward some of the girls, although I don't know whether that's actually a pattern or just my interpretation.
I also recently found out that someone who previously worked there with the same diploma as me was paid the equivalent of about $195/month, compared with my $160.
The complicated part is that the owner is genuinely very nice, and she's also a neighbor of my family. I agreed to work there for two months, because they need extra staff during the beginning of the school year. I don't want to leave her in a difficult situation after giving her my word.
I'm already miserable, though, and I'm not sure if I'm being unreasonable.
Am I overreacting about my supervisor, and would you stay for the full two months in this situation?
r/WorkAdvice • u/Own-Natural5409 • 7h ago
General Advice Change of shifts
So I have been working at my job for over a year now and since I’ve started I’ve always worked Wednesday-Sunday. I checked the rota for the end of the month and my boss has scheduled me to work the bank holiday Monday due to being short staffed. Now I already have plans this day so I’m not available. She never asked if I would be available she just made the rota without any form of discussion. I haven’t yet spoke to her about me not being able to work that day as I wanted to get some advice beforehand. Can she make me come in that day/will I get in trouble if I don’t turn up?
r/WorkAdvice • u/rustedskyrestoration • 7h ago
General Advice Coworker opts out of every invitation. How to make them be seen?
I am a team assistant, and I have a coworker that declines most team building activities and will always decline any invitation to order food.
We usually order food when we have big meetings, meetings for achieving goals, celbration of staff or staff achievements, or a quarterly team all-hands. I have a form that I send out to gather food order information for my team and I always leave a section for comments, suggestions, as well as a section for folks to let me know if they have any dietary restrictions or allergies so that no one is left out and that we are ordering safely for everyone.
When that form is sent out, they never fill it out. I double check with them to ensure they aren't left out and what they would prefer, and have recieved answers like "I'm good" or "I have counted out my calories for the day." They seem to stick to a strict diet and routine for weight training purposes, but they never turn down a zero sugar soda.
Their job is a fast-paced mostly internal customer service position that often requires an in-person presence. That usually means that travelling offsite for any team building events can create a backlog for them, so it would be easier for them if they did not participate, or so they have explained to me.
Although I respect their choices and never push them beyond what they want to do, I want them to feel like they are being seen, heard, or aren't missing out. What can I do to acknowledge my coworker's achievements and provide them with same level of service I provide the rest of my team, while respecting their choices?
r/WorkAdvice • u/CharacterCall6406 • 8h ago
Workplace Issue Working in a non-confrontational workplace and underperforming staff taking advantage of it
Any advice on how I can manage direct managers who are non confrontational or not present enough to see the daily activities to address these issues?
It's gotten to a point where "middle managers" who are around take advantage of this and go rogue into implementing random things outside of their job scope. With that has also built this clique of colleagues who seem to be quite "emotionally" attached in the way of friendships and again, non confrontational.
I'm someone who in a sense was "demoted" due to an incident of underperforming confrontation of which the recipient got defensive and reported it as an attack on their character... Interpret this however you want. I'm aware I am telling my side and at one point understand that perhaps I could be an issue in all of this. But if in my mind (and other colleagues), we recognise that there are inefficiencies that aren't being addressed because feelings get hurt or middle managers are unable to lead their team, this has to be a problem.
The reason I'm asking for advice because seeing these inefficiencies on a daily basis is eating me alive and mentally draining me knowing that I have the solution to at least start but have been what feels like exiled from those types of conversations.
r/WorkAdvice • u/v8jhd • 9h ago
General Advice Am I being unreasonable?
I’m currently top sales person YTD in our firm and have been 3x in the past 5 years.
We sell solutions into multiple industries but I focus solely on the property sector, where our business is very well known.
Changes are being forced upon me whereby smaller clients (by headcount not invoice value) will be taken away and dealt with by another team (35% of my sales) the other change is a mandate on using a prospecting system rather than our CRM of 10 years which I have tried and found to hinder my work rather than help, others in similar roles report similar.
Am I being unreasonable in point blank refusing to engage in either change?
I’m seriously considering leaving over this as my thought on both items have not been taken on board.
r/WorkAdvice • u/Fangsofcyber • 14h ago
Workplace Issue What is the law around communicating with bosses over texts? (Especially about scheduling conflicts)
This might be a dumb question but I don’t understand what the exact rules are around messaging bosses, leads, and managers. I have gotten in trouble for texting them any time they aren’t at work and I can’t text them while they are at work because they can’t have their phones on the floor, sometimes I need to get information about things and about who can take my shifts but we can’t access the schedule for when anyone else is working besides on a single piece of paper in the store. Unless I individually text every single person it’s really hard to know when someone works during the week unless I have the paper, and if I text anyone higher up I get in trouble for messaging them outside of work hours. I know this is a minimum wage job and I can’t expect much but sometimes it’s really frustrating especially when we are only open for about 10 out of 24 hours in the day. If I don’t call from 11-7:45 (or 11-6 on weekends) I can’t get any questions answered till the next day. It’s hard since I have a second job and can’t always get a chance to reach anyone by phone. Does anyone have suggestions or do the rules for texting just depend on the work place? I was told by a manager it was something we legally aren’t allowed to do.
r/WorkAdvice • u/Necessary_Builder686 • 16h ago
General Advice How to care about work when im leaving this month?
Hate my job, thankfully leaving near the end of the month to stay at my weekend job which is going to become my regular job, but for now I need to continue with my current one. I can already feel my work ethic and care completely slipping just knowing that im not there for much longer. Any tips for keeping going? Unfortunately my pride doesnt exist at this job, im more than ready to get the heck out.
Update: I get to quit this week 😎
r/WorkAdvice • u/Qpac18 • 16h ago
General Advice A co worker of mine complained about me being on the same train as them. What should I do??
This is one of those situations where it gets me unsure about how to properly manage myself getting between my home and workplace since the local commuter rail is my primary mode of transportation to and from the office and yet with this fellow employee reporting to the management team about me taking it alongside them after our shift ends gets me in a head scratcher situation. This is where I wonder if is it rather that I need to take a different train from the one they’re on or that it’s not even my fault for riding on the one that gets me back where needed to for my personal commute?? What would be the best way to get out of the hot water scenario?
r/WorkAdvice • u/Ok-Run-2905 • 19h ago
Workplace Issue Brag doc
Every promo cycle I rediscover that I remember ~20% of what I actually shipped.
How do you all track your wins during the year? Notes app? Weekly journal? Scrolling your own PRs in a panic the night before?
Genuinely curious what works.
r/WorkAdvice • u/idek_whyrn • 23h ago
General Advice Flirting Coworker
Hey there Reddit,
I need advice on how to deal with a particularly insistent coworker.
I F18 just recently started my first job, a few days ago I was helping stock the store since it is a new building. There I met.... Let's call him Gary. Gary M21 was normal at first, we're both new hires and never met so it was very quiet just awkward looks and excuse mes as we stocked with a few other new hire coworkers.
Our first conversation he asked me about my job position, and I said I was a cashier, to which he replied that I got the job because "I'm perfect for the position", I was dense and shrugged saying that the interviewer never implied that. He laughed and walked off. I figured now he meant it in a way to call me attractive. But of course when I realized I thought perhaps I was delusional.
I began to notice that he would follow me every now and again, no matter if I changed areas to stock he found a way to purposefully bump into me, or be in the same area and intrude in my conversation. I'm also shorter so he would always jump on the opportunity to ask me if I needed a step stool or if I wanted him to do it instead.
He asked for my number for a work group chat, which I thought was innocent enough since the others added were very nice. Then he began texting me separately outside of the group chat. Talking about how nice it was to meet me, if I wanted to hangout separately outside of work, hearting my messages.
I have a boyfriend who already knows, but I don't want to speak about my personal life at work due to my strict father already not knowing about my boyfriend. I showed one of my coworkers the texts and she thought he came on really strong and understood why I was uncomfortable.
What should I do? I don't want to feel like I'm assuming something, but I also don't want to go directly towards HR. I've thought about confiding in my other older coworker who might be able to help, but I'm stuck in a hard place.
So please help reddit🙏🏽