152
votes
Accepted
How to manage an "over worker"?
It depends on why this employee feels the need to overwork. I've encountered several "types" and if I'm being honest have been at least one of them myself, if you can try and work out what their ...
- 107k
149
votes
New manager is a jerk - is it OK to quit without providing a reason?
While turning around in an exit interview and saying you're leaving because your new manager is an arse may seem like a good idea (been there, done that), it doesn't achieve anything when said ...
- 3,624
142
votes
Accepted
Should I inform my colleague/manager that I get sudden "bad days"?
I think you'd best get some kind of professional (medical) diagnosis for this.
It is a lot easier to go to your boss with a medical term that they can, to some extent, relate to and appreciate, ...
- 951
117
votes
Accepted
Deal with toxic manager when you can't quit
First of all, quitting is always an option. What would your colleague do if the company suddenly closed its doors? (This happens, and the employees are usually the last to see it coming).
Your ...
- 31.5k
116
votes
Accepted
What should I do if I am strongly burned out at work, but resigning now would cause problems for my coworkers and burn bridges?
I think I recognize the mental state of a young knowledge worker around the time when they leave their first job. I think this feeling is pretty common.
Observation: In my career I've been incredibly ...
- 4,175
109
votes
Managing startup, how to control stress levels?
There is only one way to mitigate the "under-sleep" problem: allow your employees to have a healthy life, and to separate the job life from the private life.
Other than that, you need ...
- 26.9k
107
votes
New manager is a jerk - is it OK to quit without providing a reason?
You don't have to say anything in that interview and a few canned responses ("looking for new opportunities", "want to grow professionally", "in search of new challenges") will do to not appear ...
- 137k
105
votes
Stressed at work with no obvious source
How do I determine whether the stress is caused by my job, or
something else particular to me?
I am not a doctor, but based on what little I can glean from this post, your work is not causing you ...
- 84.8k
103
votes
Accepted
How can I recover my reputation and trust after snapping at my boss?
What’s the best way to rebuild trust with my boss and show that I can manage the leadership role?
This isn't your fault, you were not given the tools needed to fulfill a leadership role, so you're ...
- 218k
101
votes
Accepted
Should I be talking to HR about my struggles with stress and depression at my workplace?
What's the correct thing to do?
Do not continue talking to HR about this, they are not your friend. HR exists to protect the company.
Should I tell HR that I am having a very, very tough time, or ...
- 84.8k
96
votes
Accepted
Is being disliked due to making unpopular decisions expected in every management position?
I have a couple of thoughts in this area since you're expressing similar concerns as managers I've coached and/or led. You are correct in that every leadership position will require you eventually to ...
- 22.8k
95
votes
Deal with toxic manager when you can't quit
To reduce the stress: Stop caring. After 8 hours work a day, stop working. If the manager makes it hard to leave, stop working and get overtime pay without working. If he says “I could have done that ...
- 168k
88
votes
Workplace intimidation due to child's chronic health condition
If you haven't already take a look at the FMLA FAQ. This is the law in the USA so the fact that the company has changed hands doesn't matter. Under qualifying conditions it says "to care for an ...
- 5,286
81
votes
Accepted
Stressed at work with no obvious source
My honest advice is to talk to a professional psychologist about it. You show early signs of burnout and anxiety disorder. It could be caused by your work or by something entirely different, but we ...
- 9,804
79
votes
How do you take on less stress in a role than your predecessor did?
How do you take on less stress in a role than your predecessor did?
Do not take your predecessor's role.
Your boss in his attempt to convince you made it pretty clear that all the extra work and ...
- 78.1k
78
votes
Accepted
How can I learn to care less because it makes me sick?
You are jumbling up at least 3 categories of problems: those you can help with, those that you should advocate for someone to do better at, and those you need to just accept and stop worrying about, ...
- 148k
69
votes
New manager is a jerk - is it OK to quit without providing a reason?
Do you care about your co-workers? Do they share your sentiment about the new manager? If so, be honest at the leave interview. I worked at Google many years ago and ended up in the same situation ...
- 846
68
votes
How to deal with non-stop callers in the service desk
You're never going to eliminate this behavior entirely - some people always feel the need to be doing something regarding their "need" no matter how pointless or even potentially counter-productive it ...
- 107k
68
votes
Accepted
How much time should be spent on an assessment? Applied to entry level job that has 10 hour assessment
8-10 hours is excessive but not unheard of. It's also possible that this is an attempt to scam you into free work (this would become more apparent when you saw the task and there are questions on this ...
- 2,206
65
votes
Accepted
Boss showing lack of respect towards colleague
Yes, it is bad. Your instinct is right and the fact that you're asking us indicates you already know the answer.
Your boss' motivation for acting like this doesn't matter. He may be a sociopath, he ...
- 27.9k
65
votes
Anxious about daily stand-up meetings
I would treat your standups exactly as they were designed to be, short & to the point; "Yesterday I worked on ticket x, today I will do the same and I have no blockers and I'm open to help ...
- 795
62
votes
Accepted
How can I address and prepare for potential layoffs?
Speaking broadly, the professional behavior is to:
not repeat rumors
not create rumors
by default assume the agreements are still valid, proceed as planned
ask management for clarification, e.g. is X ...
59
votes
How can I raise behavioral concerns as a candidate?
I'm not really sure why you are considering working here, it sounds like your interview process revealed some ugly dynamics that were confirmed by employee reviews and this would be a miserable ...
- 2,123
56
votes
How do you take on less stress in a role than your predecessor did?
I don't have a direct answer, but I do have some additional thoughts/strategies...
1 - People are different
I have worked with folks that would be stressed out no matter what the situation. I know ...
- 80k
54
votes
How much time should be spent on an assessment? Applied to entry level job that has 10 hour assessment
It’s ok as long as the company puts in the same effort as you do. If different people interview you over eight hours, then you and the company both put in eight hours. Which demonstrates that you have ...
- 168k
51
votes
Accepted
Dealing with stress in coding interviews
I have a bit of experience with this question. I have sat in two job interviews as a candidate, and tens as an interviewer, so I do know both sides of the story.
As an interviewer, I don't care if ...
- 59.4k
50
votes
How much time should be spent on an assessment? Applied to entry level job that has 10 hour assessment
They expect you to study a specific library and produce 8-10 hours of work, and this even before interviewing you?
Run, and don't look back.
This is a company that A) is fishing for desperate ...
- 1,691
46
votes
Accepted
How to overcome fear while digging in HUGE code?
This amount of LOC is common. I've seen much bigger (a big French bank: 173,000 COBOL programs in 2002, must be far more today, not counting new techs). Don't depress, it's part of your job to dig in, ...
- 9,405
46
votes
How to manage an "over worker"?
To add to motosubatsu's answer (whose main premise - it depends on "why" - I agree with) - it could also be a couple of other situations:
The escapee
They are, indeed, as the question mentions, ...
- 2,408
43
votes
Stressed at work with no obvious source
Periodically (about once a month), I become very stressed or anxious
about something at work, and I can't decide what to do about it.
I often imagine that "all my problems would go away if only ...
- 380k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible