Category: Your Office Coach

Q: “After being promoted and given a raise, I discovered that I was actually making less money. Because I am now an executive assistant, I have been reclassified from hourly to salaried. This means that I no longer receive overtime, so my take-home pay is less than before. How should I approach my manager about this?” Better Job, Less Money

Q: “Our team recently had a lot of problems while one person was on vacation. No one had been given responsibility for ‘Beth’s’ duties, so her calls were transferred to anyone who was available. Unfortunately, some of the calls were not handled well, and that’s when the finger-pointing started. Our supervisor is blaming the team for these problems, even though she never gave us any direction on how to handle the calls. What should we do now?” Blameless

Q: “Recently, my supervisor abruptly terminated one of my co-workers in front of me and another employee. She then asked the two of us to give her written summaries of what we had witnessed. After reading our reports, she told us to rewrite them based on her version of events, which is basically a lie. Lying is against my principles, so this is totally stressing me out.”  Honest Abe

Q: “My assistant, ‘Amy,’ is a brilliant manipulator. She claims to get along with everyone, but with me she is disrespectful, arrogant, and intimidating. To make matters worse, Amy has become friendly with my boss, so he thinks I’m exaggerating when I describe her behavior. What can I do?”  Hopeless

Q: “I recently learned that one of our new employees has a bad work history, but I’m not sure what to do about it. This woman was involved in embezzlement and fraud while working at a small retail store. She has access to petty cash and a company credit card. I don’t know whether I should talk with her myself or have my source call the company. What do you think?”  Concerned

Q: “My boss’s arrogant and pushy daughter is one of my co-workers. ‘Belinda’ orders us around and challenges anyone who disagrees. The biggest problem, however, is that she gets involved in other people’s work without asking permission or telling anyone. How can I stop her?” Helpless

Q: “My supervisor, ‘Rhonda,’ has been pressuring me for two years to go to her church. I tried to respond to Rhonda’s overtures diplomatically, but she was not pleased with my reaction. She said that my life is going nowhere and she is fed up with me. Now Rhonda is giving me the cold shoulder and making snide remarks about me. I tried going to human resources, but the HR manager said I should apologize to Rhonda because she is just trying to be my ‘sister in Christ.’ Quitting is not an option, so what can I do?”  Innocent Victim

Q: “A colleague and I manage different teams in the same program, but his group never does their share of the work. I told him about my concerns, but he just ignored me. When I complained to our supervisor, he defended my co-worker. I’ve gone two more levels up the management chain, but no one seems interested in improving the situation. What do I do now?”  At Wit’s End

Q: “I work as a legal secretary for ‘Rick.’ ‘Carolyn’ used to work for him in another law office. When Rick separated from his wife about a year ago, he and Carolyn began seeing each other. Six months after the separation, Rick moved back home with his family. Although he supposedly ended his relationship with Carolyn, he still calls her every day and sends her flowers. My resentment must be obvious, because Rick recently called me into his office and said he would continue communicating with Carolyn whether I liked it or not. I plan to ask Human Resources to assign me to another attorney. Should I describe Rick’s deceitful behavior or just say that we have a personality conflict?” Disgusted

Q: “I have to share an office with a very messy colleague. My area is neat and organized, but his side of the room is completely covered with piles and piles of paper. As a result, he frequently misplaces information and fails to meet deadlines. This unsightly mess is so embarrassing that I have stopped bringing clients into the office. I can’t move out, so how do I cope?” Felix