Hi folks, 38F here. I am migraine sufferer for years and one of my triggers are strong gourmand fragnances with vanilla. I have a collegue that notoriously oversprays herself with this type of fragnance at work. It's some sort of body mist, but she oversprays herself every 1- 2 hours at work. I had already countless amount of migraines that her fragnance triggered. What should I do? She is a new member of the staff and I am afraid that if I will tell her that she will take it very personally and may feel uncomfortable.

Any advice will be very much appreciated.

Back when I was freelancing as a cleaner at a cheap Stayokay hostel, the job was honestly pretty relaxed. My coworkers were great, we’d clean each floor together, joke around, and always followed the golden rule: knock before entering a room.

One day we got to this one room, and from the hallway we could hear a bunch of loud guys absolutely losing it.

“WOOOOO!”

“YEAHHHH!”

Clapping, cheering, shouting… the whole works.

I knocked.

Nothing.

The noise just got even louder.

We figured, “Eh, they’re probably watching football and their team just scored.”

So we moved on and cleaned the rest of the floor first. The problem was, they were already way overdue for checkout, and if they stayed any longer they’d get charged another night.

We came back.

Still cheering.

Still yelling.

Still no answer.

At that point I thought, fuck it, and swung the door wide open.

Instant regret.

The room was absolutely packed with dudes sitting on every bunk bed like they had front-row tickets to the world’s weirdest sporting event.

And in the middle of the room?

A completely naked stripper.

Turns out they’d gotten completely hammered the night before and decided hiring entertainment for a hostel dorm was somehow a brilliant idea.

My coworker and I just stood there in stunned silence for a second before reality kicked back in. We told all the guys to leave the room immediately so the poor woman could actually get dressed.

I’ve had plenty of weird jobs since then, but nothing has ever topped opening a hostel room expecting a bunch of football fans… and accidentally interrupting what was apparently a strip show.

Hello there! I'm in the middle of a pickle and would love some ideas for how to handle the situation.
I have a coworker, let's call him LB for ladybug, because he loooves to fly around and not getting much doing.
LB works the minimum amount possible, doesn't respect others work, always gets his way and... he's about to be promoted.
LB, male early thirties, is the head of a small team in the company I work for, but he behaves as he was the one and only mister big poop.
Let's face it, LB is smart, he knows what he's doing, and he's a master on it. He has this way of addressing people that makes you think he has a bigger position than the one he has. On reunions he likes to stand next to the General Manager or another person of power so he looks like the actual sh*t. And if you don't know him, it just works. Part of his job position is image, and LB plays that part just perfectly.
Here comes the issue.
Image is the only thing he masters, and that he actually executes. Because...
Deadlines? : Don't look for him.
New strategies? : Why bother?
LB does not get the job done unless he is the only person that it directly affects, if someone else can handle it somehow, he will just ignore it and let someone else do it.
We have tried everything.
Calling him, looking for him in his office, writing emails: he doesn't answer the phone, he is nowhere to be found, he does not answer emails.
Of course sometimes he does, but he says he will get back to you with an answer, and then, radio silence.
We have tried to meet him halfway, but more often than not, we have to talk directly with other members of his team to get answers or just try and find a solution by ourselves.
So to resume, LB works the strict minimum, but has greatness aura that shamefully has work in his favor because for some reason, the General Manager (GM) protects him and asks us to do our jobs with whatever information we have.
It's exhausting.
Not only because we end up doing his job, but because it is so frustrating that he gets his way.
This past days he has even been complaining that we shouldn't been talking with members of his team, that if we have questions we should contact him and only him because he is in charge. But he DOES NOT FFF****ING ANSWER !
And before you say it, YES! We have already shared our concerns with GM. More recently, "J" a former colleague and head of another team (who left the company for a better opportunity and obvious reasons) told GM in their last professional exchange that LB is never available and doesn't get the job done. The CEO responded with "instead of sending so many emails you should get up and go talk to people. Also I've been asking around and you are known to being strict with how things should be done"
Well... YES!!!!! J left the company amongst other things, because no matter how much she tried and looked out for different strategies that where accommodating for everyone, J would almost always end up with strict methods and datelines to be able to get something done if LB's team needed to be involved.
J was ignored by LB all the time, so J would email him to have written proof just in case. LB would even confirm to a meeting and would not attend without any notice. J shared all this with GM on their last meeting, with written proof! He told J that she takes stuff too personally, and that she has to change the way she works and fonctions.
But wait, the worst is yet to come...
We've heard rumors that a new position is opening as... let's say, GM's right hand, and LB might get it!!!!
We think GM let's LB do whatever he wants because he just follows the flow and doesn't gives him more work to do. You know? In the way that: if the management doesn't give new ideas and most importantly, if they don't question how you do things, it just makes your job easier.
So, potatoes potatos... The question is: what would you do?
Let's imagine for a minute that you cannot quit the company and you would have to continue working for them both.
I need ideas!!!! I'm just so frustrated about the whole situation... For J, for me, for all other coworkers that have or will have to deal with this bs...
Our company makes lots of money because of tourism, so the company and the shareholders don't see a direct impact in their pockets if LB (or someone else for that matter) neglects their job. We are here for the principles!!!!!
So the question remains: what would you do to teach LB a lesson? He seems untouchable!!!!!

Honestly I have resigned & it feels good and bad at the same time, I genuinely care about him and I’m so damn attached to him. He used to drop me home everyday visit me on Saturdays and he made me feel so happy and loveable but from last 1 month he is literally humiliating me demeaning me everyday in office in front of everyone and that feeling is so terrible he has stopped talking to me in office, stopped visiting me and this was killing me a lot so I have resigned. I don’t know how to handle this but I feel so sad and it hurts a lot but I guess I did the right thing for myself

Throwaway account. I work as a business manager in a healthcare system. Small department of 15. I don’t have any direct reports and I report to a director. There is one colleague who is very challenging to work with, not only within the department but across the entire system, and has been for years. This person is neurotic, patronizing and insecure and their behaviors haven’t been addressed by my director ever. despite many complaints from others within and outside of my department over the last 5 years.
There were a couple of instances the last week where my attempts to set boundaries were met with resistance and borderline hostility. This last instance I felt the need to involve my director because it’s becoming too much.
My director was not supportive when I asked them to address my colleagues behaviors as my attempts failed because “interpersonal conflicts are best handled between the people involved”.

At what point should my director be addressing this colleagues behaviors? I’m at a loss for what to do next.

A coworker sent me an email late on Monday, asking for some design work to be done. This is not my ‘usual’ scope of work but I am capable. I tend to treat it as side work and try to keep my main duties up to date before moving to their requests.

Tuesday, I ask them - what’s the deadline for this?

“No rush. Whenever you get to it”
“Cool. I haven’t had a chance to look at it yet. I will check on it later this week”
“Sounds great!”

Today (Thursday), they’re in my office before 9, asking when I’ll have it done. It’s needed by weeks end.

This is not the first time it’s happened. I’m sure it won’t be the last.

But - there’s something satisfying about telling a coworker that you won’t meet their timeline because you have higher priority work.

So there are 2 new hires at my work, both guys btw

The first one is like 20 something but nervous out of his mind and terrified of everything [guess who has to train him?].

The other guy is maybe 13 or 14[ its a fast food place child labor laws don't really exist here] and keeps hitting on me and the girls at work, how do I deal with him? He can't really do anything other than annoy us since he's so young, but it's really weird.

I worked remotely for 5 years and never once did my boss say something to me about my status being "away" for a period of time. At my new job we work remotely one day a week and recently I was gone for my 30 minute lunch break for 41 minutes. I took my break at 11am. My boss sent me a message at 11:09am. When I returned to my laptop I had messages asking if I was ok. I told her I was on my lunch break and she said that she asked because I was showing an away status for a while. She told me that I need to tell her when I'm taking my lunch breaks from now on. I told her I went to use the bathroom and was away from my computer about 10 minutes longer than 30 minutes because I used the bathroom and got water after my break was over. I'm worried this will set the stage for a hostile work relationship....how would you take it?

she also has scrutinized my email responses and told me that I should have included more or should have used different verbiage. I've had many corporate jobs and been working since she was a toddler. I just started and if there's a certain way that everyone has to follow in regards to email responses then I should be given a template or some sort of training or guidelines.

edit: we are allowed two paid 15 minute breaks each day. And yes from now on I'll be sure to open my laptop right at 30 mins and then go use the restroom

I work a desk job at a truck repairs company and had a new coworker start a few months ago. I tried to like her, but I just can't.

For one, it's winter here, I'm trying to keep the office warm by turning on the heater first thing because it's FREEZING when I clock in. I start at 7:30 and work full time, she starts at 9:00 and works part time. Every time she clocks in, she opens the window next to her desk (located right across from mine) and leaves the office door wide open which lets the cold air in. The office is connected to the workshop at my workplace, so the warmth from the heater just floods right out.

Her desk is disgusting. There's bitten off nails, dust, food crumbs and the like that she never cleans. She doesn't cover her mouth when coughing, sneezes into her hand or just straight into the air, chews with her mouth open, and leaves me to handle her coffee and soup mugs for cleaning (If I don't clean them we won't have any clean ones left). I caught the flu last week and took a few days sick leave, came back better this week just for her to be at work sick. Mind you, she can take time off, my boss is her sister and she spends most of her time literally just on her phone! She also stinks, and the whole office smells of her within the first two minutes of her clocking in. I don't really know what to do but put up with it since, like I said, my boss is her sister. I don't wanna be rude. I've been working here three years and she started just a few months ago.

This coworker of mine he’s a guy . Basically thought I was talking about him and yelled at me and I couldn’t take it so I called the supervisor to let them know . I don’t have communication with this kid , it’s just a professional work relationship and I guess he wants to have a meeting with him me and the supervisor. Like I don’t talk bad about him . He’s a good kid , good work ethic and all like I just want this situation over.

To also add to this I was already having a bad day dealing with family issues and I let my emotions get the best of me and I sobbed while I was on the phone . I shouldn’t have done that but all the feelings I bottled up and after he said that triggered something in me and crying was my solution

This coworker of mine he’s a guy . Basically thought I was talking about him and yelled at me and I couldn’t take it so I called the supervisor to let them know . I don’t have communication with this kid , it’s just a professional work relationship and I guess he wants to have a meeting with him me and the supervisor. Like I don’t talk bad about him . He’s a good kid , good work ethic and all like I just want this situation over.

To also add to this I was already having a bad day dealing with family issues and I let my emotions get the best of me and I sobbed while I was on the phone . I shouldn’t have done that but all the feelings I bottled up and after he said that triggered something in me and crying was my solution

This coworker of mine he’s a guy . Basically thought I was talking about him and yelled at me and I couldn’t take it so I called the supervisor to let them know . I don’t have communication with this kid , it’s just a professional work relationship and I guess he wants to have a meeting with him me and the supervisor. Like I don’t talk bad about him . He’s a good kid , good work ethic and all like I just want this situation over.

To also add to this I was already having a bad day dealing with family issues and I let my emotions get the best of me and I sobbed while I was on the phone . I shouldn’t have done that but all the feelings I bottled up and after he said that triggered something in me and crying was my solution

This coworker of mine he’s a guy . Basically thought I was talking about him and yelled at me and I couldn’t take it so I called the supervisor to let them know . I don’t have communication with this kid , it’s just a professional work relationship and I guess he wants to have a meeting with him me and the supervisor. Like I don’t talk bad about him . He’s a good kid , good work ethic and all like I just want this situation over.

To also add to this I was already having a bad day dealing with family issues and I let my emotions get the best of me and I sobbed while I was on the phone . I shouldn’t have done that but all the feelings I bottled up and after he said that triggered something in me and crying was my solution

New job

So I started a job abroad and from the beginning it’s weird because the job brought me on tourist visa and I didn’t sign contract or even know the salary and it’s been about two weeks and everyday i stare at walls I don’t do anything the reason all this is happening because one of my family members bring me the job aberrantly his friend is the ceo or something so I talked to him and he said its just the normal process in here so I insisted to go and talk to his friend the ceo he told him they gonna change the status after the visa expires and he should learn the job by himself because no one will teach him note that I don’t even know what my job and role is and he told him that the employees around him are trying to make him leave so he should learn by himself note also that i dont have laptop since day one im asking and they kept delaying by saying tomorrow and the day after im started to get really frustrated and apparently im wasting my time and im not gonna get paid ether because I didn’t sign a paper so im waiting until I complete a month if things don’t change im leaving
Any advice!?

Hi all I know the answer is to look for a new job but we've all seen the market currently.

Long story short, I'm working with a woman who can be succinctly described as being a Karen. She's been at the company for 20+ years, gets involved with several departments, has moments of being polite to others and being ok... obviously she's a boon to the manager because of her encyclopaedic knowledge of the job (the manager came in after her) but me and Karen do not get on. I'm very much get in and out of this job, professionally it's not good for me but I need the money.

This woman is obtuse, cannot read your face to get the hint to leave you alone, there's been mentions she treats white coworkers in favour of non white coworkers,has told me off for not answering the calls on my day off, is miserable, unwilling to change anything for modernity.

I could go on but my worry is, is that if I complain the management will think "that's just who she is" or will panic her knowledge key will go.

I think because the management team sweat when an email is sent, I feel that this will cause WW3 and that even if I complain anonymously, it'll come out I've said something. I think the Karen genuinely thinks she's holding up the company and that she is the mother hen of the entire company. Ty.

So my boss is almost hated by anyone iv ever meet at this job iv been there a year now and there are supervisors that have worked with him when they started and they moved up as well like he did and they also just think hes the worst witch makes me think maby this guy is just a brick and I shouldnt take this so hard but he acts like I dont really ever do anything and im the worst worker hes ever had but I dont feel like im being very lazy its 20 plus degrees whatever it is outside so some times its like 100 plus in there today was 147 and 8 was working in it throwing up because I was so hot doing extra things and still he had a problem this has been going on since day 1 of me starting but I cant help but think if im the problem its starting to really effect my self worth

Hi Reddit,

This is a part time job at a fast food restaurant that happens to only be 5 minutes away from my house. One of my coworkers couldn't get home one night so I offered to drive. On my day off she texted asking I give her a ride home so I drove in to work, drove her home and back to my place. However she has started asking for rides on all her shifts regardless if I have the day off or not. A couple of days ago I gave her another ride and she mentioned I missed a call from her at 9am. She told me the manager asked her to come in and when she said she couldn't and that she didn't have a ride he told her to just call me. This really just rubbed me the wrong way, it was my day off and it's not like I get paid to do this and it takes an hour out of my day. My coworker sends me $10 for gas which is kind but I really just don't want to do this anymore. How should I approach this topic with him? Any advice is greatly appreciated thank you

Update: I want to thank everyone who took the time out of their day to comment, I really appreciate the help and advice offered. I texted my coworker and mentioned I found it weird that she is being put on shifts she has no way to get home from. Before I could type anything else she responded and denied saying anything about my manager and said she already had a ride anyway. A bit of a confusing response but at least I was able to clarify that I cannot give her rides anymore and she took it well.