r/work • • Jul 18 '26

I've moderated this sub for six years and never introduced myself. Doing that now.

11 Upvotes

I've been the top moderator here since 2020, and r/work itself has been going since 2008, which is longer than most of us have held any of the jobs we complain about šŸ˜†

For most of that time I stayed out of the way. The sub mostly ran itself. I've been too hands-off this year and a few things got away from me, so I'm going to be around more. It seemed right to say about what's going on.

What changed this week

  • The mod team is smaller. Earlier this year I gave full permissions to someone I hadn't worked with, which I shouldn't have done, and I've reversed it. Anyone who joins the team from here goes through an application and starts with limited access.

  • I rewrote the AutoModerator rules. The old ones were removing posts from new accounts, which meant a lot of people tried to post and then left. Those go to a queue now and a human looks at them. If you posted here in the last couple of months and it vanished, that's probably what happened, and I'm sorry. In the short term, that queue might take time. But as we grow the mod team we'll be on top of it (more on that below).

  • There's a Friday vent thread starting this week, for whatever happened at work that you need to put somewhere. If it goes well I'll add a Monday check-in for the smaller stuff that doesn't need its own post.

I'm looking for two or three more moderators

Applications are open in the sidebar. I'd rather have people who already read and post here than people who moderate a lot of other subs. You don't need experience. You need to be around regularly, be nice to people who are having a bad day, and want to help this be a better place for everyone.

That's it. What would make this a better place to spend time?


r/work • • 5d ago

Friday Vent Thread — what happened at work this week?

0 Upvotes

Some weeks you just need to put it somewhere, so put it here. The bad meeting, the manager, the policy that makes no sense, the thing your coworker said on Tuesday that you're still thinking about. Big or small, it all counts.

Two things to keep this useful. No real names of people or companies. And go easy on each other in the replies. Not everyone wants advice, so if you do want it, say so and you'll get it.

So how was your week?


r/work • • 8h ago

USA Is it okay to quit with out a notice?

16 Upvotes

Hello! I have been at this new job for about 2 months. It's horrible, I've tried to push through but it's just badddd. My manager has excuses my coworkers being sexually harassed. Her response was basically "aren't you glad you're getting male attention." On top of that my coworker keeps talking about her intimate life in detail. All of this makes me uncomfortable and unsafe.

I called my last job which I loved but left because the new one offered more money for part time than what I was getting at the time. She offered me a job to come back, and I can be a supervisor which is a full time position. I turned the supervisor position down due to school, but now I have a few months until I start school again.

Is it okay to quit with zero notice because I am uncomfortable in the work place? These last 2 weeks have been rough and I cant even imagine going into work. My mom keeps telling me two weeks is the right thing, but I don't know if I would feel comfortable.

Edit: this is a retail job and won't affect my career in any way.


r/work • • 10m ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts My boss got mad because I won’t cover extra work without pay

• Upvotes

I’ve been at this job for 18 months. Last week, one teammate quit suddenly. My manager pulled me aside and asked me to take over their whole workload, on top of my existing tasks. No raise, no bonus, just ā€œhelp the team get through this tough time.ā€

I politely told him I could help with small urgent tasks for two weeks, but I couldn’t permanently absorb another full job without extra compensation.

He looked annoyed and said I was being selfish and not a team player. I was shocked. I already work occasional overtime without extra pay when emergencies pop up. Taking on another person’s full duties would mean working 10+ hour days every day.

He kept pushing, saying everyone else would step up. I stuck to my boundary and said I’d only accept this with a formal pay increase. Now the atmosphere between us is awkward.

Am I wrong for refusing unpaid extra work? I feel guilty but I know burning myself out won’t help anyone. Has anyone dealt with this kind of pressure from management?


r/work • • 11h ago

Questions How to deal with rude employees

16 Upvotes

Small biz owner here, there’s a middle aged employee who performs well, but he is rude, always sounds like giving orders to peers even to upper management. E.g enter office without knocking, sending email without addressing the person no please, thanks etc. how to teach him basic manners without piss him off and leave , feel a a little awkward like such manners should be taught by his parents school not me.


r/work • • 1d ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts Passed up for a promotion, quitting once my bonus check clears

182 Upvotes

Today I heard through the grapevine that one of my colleagues was receiving a promotion to become the head of project management. For some background, he had started working at the company last year, and I’ve just finished my seventh year working at the company. I’m currently their most senior project manager and stuck with the company through some very bad times financially.

Anyway, I get the news through one of my superintendents, who knew that literally the day before I turned down a job offer for a substantial pay increase at a competitor company. Apparently my bosses stopped by the site late yesterday and told him that they would be elevating the other PM to the new role. My superintendent and I were talking today and he was floored that I didn’t know.

I called my confidante in the office and she broke down in near tears telling me that the bosses essentially threatened her not to tell me. I calmed her down and she told me that apparently the PM was threatening to quit and they made this role to appease him.

By no means do I feel entitled to the promotion, what bothers me is that I found out second hand that I will now be reporting to a PM that I onboarded just over a year ago. I’m angry that the bosses didn’t have a baseline respect for me to at the very least approach me and say that this is the direction they felt we should go and why.

So in the last 48 hours, I turned down a job opportunity elsewhere out of loyalty just to immediately get passed up for a role that they had known I’ve wanted.

My best course of action now seems to be to just tough it out for a couple more months, get my holiday pay and then give my two weeks. I’ll be honest though, this blow to my pride has been painful.


r/work • • 17h ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts How to tell manager that im not coming in unless absolutely necessary?

37 Upvotes

I work a bluecollar job and requested time off (1 day) on my birthday which just so happens to be during a really busy week and one person just quit. My manager told me that they know I requested off but they "really need me." Normally I wouldn't really care because I have personal/sick time that I submit and move on but the only reason I'm hesitant now is because I actually like my coworkers. 2 in particular would have a rough time if I didn't show but they both pretty much told me they'd figure it out and it's just my manager trying to guilt trip me. So how do I professionally tell them that I'm only coming in if absolutely necessary? (I checked in the staff portal and the time has not been denied nor approved)


r/work • • 9m ago

Work-Life Balance and Stress Management Burnt out at Microsoft, new offer.

• Upvotes

A Microsoft employee feels like the job is killing them. Not paid enough to just play hunger games politics. There's an offer for around $200K, remote, as a Sr PM with another company. They know it's a very chill culture, and the company has a strong managed infra business. It'll suck going from around $265K to $200K, but they live LCOL anyways rn.

The side business has a few customers, but it's not profitable yet. There's a path. They also want to get healthy again and upskill for bigger roles.

Thoughts?

Early 30s, around 8 YOE, married with one kid, roughly $875K NW, no debt besides a mortgage.


r/work • • 16h ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts Should I attend the going away party of a manager who never liked me?

21 Upvotes

Okay I want to give a summary of some of the things that have lead me to believe this manager doesnt like me.

  1. He has organized happy hours with other members of the office without inviting me.

  2. He has given gifts and helped other VPs around the office with tasks without helping me.

  3. He has intentionally not allowed me to add him as a contact on Linkedin.

  4. He has shown at times gross favoritism to his favorite associates, letting them leave work early and work less.

This could be partially my fault because i did not join off hours group chats etc. He was not my direct manager and i hate the idea of sharing socials with coworkers. I generally do not trust them.

He was never outwardly hostile to me but it was clear he was not my biggest fan. Now he is leaving the company and i have been formally invited to the going away party by his admin.

A part of me doesnt want to go. Out of self respect why should I go to the going away party of a man who made my life harder than it should have been? Also I wont have to deal with him in the future so it wont count against me.

But another part of me thinks i should just man up give a strong 30 minutes and leave as a sign of respect. What would you do in my shoes?


r/work • • 1h ago

Questions I have a 1x1 with my director next week. How honest do I be with her?

• Upvotes

I like my director. She is easy to talk to. However im at the point with my team where I dont care to share any of my personal life with them and I dont care to make small talk at this point. Feeling like its time to move on if im being honest. Is this something I should just keep to myself?


r/work • • 1h ago

Work-Life Balance and Stress Management Employee Morale

• Upvotes

Many workplaces have heavy workloads and demand a lot from their employees. These requisites can cause exhaustion and stress which can eventually result to low production quality and output. Is it the responsibility of management to lift the employees' morale and improve the work atmosphere?


r/work • • 6h ago

Employment Rights and Fair Compensation an awkward salary situation

2 Upvotes

hello everyone

i've been working for 6 months now, before that i was unemployed for a year and a half.

i was offered one by a friend the moment i quit my job, but i was uncomfortable about it so i didn't take it. my plan didn't work out for a while so i decided to take it, but i needed part time hours because i don't want to stop what i started for my self, my friend agreed and generously offered me full time salary, borderline minimum but still gracious for 5-6 hours a day.

now after 6 months, it seems like him and his brother (also partner) are not enjoying it, starting to feel im overpaid, now im in a tough one, would it be dumb to tell them they can lower my salary to match what they think is fair? or do i just keep going because im not the one who pushed for it in the first place?

its the same reason i initially rejected the job, and it came back biting


r/work • • 2h ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts Would you recommend a better way to do something to a higher up

1 Upvotes

I recently listened to someone I follow on facebook talk about how to get along with others in the workplace. He said not to suggest a better or more efficient way of doing something to someone higher in rank. He said they perceive this as threatening. He said its better to just let them fail rather than put your job in jeopardy. For anyone reading this would it bother you if a person of lower rank recommend better procedure for something? No judgment if thats how you feel


r/work • • 6h ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts Do I have reason to be upset?

3 Upvotes

I work at a casino as a security guard and i’m also a member of the National Guard in my state. As everyone knows, once a month I have to attend drill and for this, the casino provides leave. We have a set amount of paid military hours per year and if we go over that in the year, we still get leave approved but no pay. Throughout the year the casino gives its associates paid holiday leave as we work year round and on holidays.

The issue is, my management has made it so that if I have military leave on the same pay period as the holiday leave, they simply use my holiday leave for military. They don’t give me a choice, they simply say, ā€œif you have any kind of leave during the pay period, you don’t get the holiday leave.ā€ This irks me because im still working on military leave, doing a more demanding job than my regular work. The way I see it is, how come when I have my military responsibility come up, I don’t get a day off? I should have the choice on how I wanna spend my leave and they don’t give me one. Is this a valid reason to be upset or am I asking for too much?


r/work • • 10h ago

UK First couple of days have not gone as planned

3 Upvotes

Started a new job on Monday. When I'm nervous I talk WAY too much, and I'm currently at home having a complete meltdown over how bad of an impression I've probably made and how annoyed my colleagues must be. What would others do in my situation/am I overthinking this? Obviously I'm going to be really careful with my mouth from now on, but I'm wondering if tomorrow I should very causally/jokingly mention it (kind of a "Sorry for talking your ears off yesterday, tend to talk a lot when I'm nervous but I'm on it!) and move on, or just say nothing and hope they were not as annoyed as I assume they were. This may be a weird post, I'm just now super anxious and overthinking everything and I've convinced myself they're going to fire me!


r/work • • 17h ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts My manager humiliates me in front of everyone, micromanages me, and expects me to be available 24/7.

10 Upvotes

I honestly need to vent because I'm so tired of dealing with my manager.
I'm already working on my own projects, but she keeps assigning me her tasks too. When I ask her which task to prioritise, she expects me to finish both. And if I fail to meet her expectations, she yells at me in front of everyone.
She also expects me to work on weekends and after working hours. If I refuse, she questions my dedication and says I'm not passionate enough about my job.
I've gotten so used to her behaviour that I've started accepting it, but what's really affecting me is the constant humiliation, micromanagement, and lack of basic respect.She treats me like I'm her personal servant rather than an employee with my own responsibilities.
To make things even worse, I am stuck in a contract by the company with a hefty amount to repay which I dont have. Somebody please help me out how can I overcome this situation.
I’m very early in my career, i have tried standing up for myself but whenever I answer her back her ego gets butthurt.
I'm 23F working as a business analyst.


r/work • • 1d ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts Costing the company over $7,000

61 Upvotes

I'm literally hiding in the bathroom as I write this.

I fucked up so bad at work it's not even funny and I'm waiting for my manager to get back from break so I can tell her and it feels like I'm waiting to be executed. I'm already on thin ice, not to the fault of my own in all honesty.

I forgot to get two invoices processed that were due like over two months ago and it costs about $7,000, so this might be it. How do I even tell her? I really don't want to loose my job, not in this economy. I just want to rip the bandaid off...

UPDATE: I ambushed my manager the minute she was back and we went over the first invoice of $1,500, which had already been done and dealt with, so yay. For the second one of about $5,500, she said it was good that I didn't send it because there was some inconsistency on the invoice that the third-party organisation wouldn't have accepted anyway, so I will be following up to get a cost breakdown of items and go from there.

Thank you all for your kind words! I know it is best to be upfront with my mistakes and I always own them (even one's that ain't mine I still feel responsible), I just catastrophize and panic and didn't know what to do. I signed a new contract recently, so I'm back on probation so I can't make big errors like this. I guess I'll see what happens when I get a performance review...


r/work • • 6h ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts Hired a few months ago for one role, now doing something completely different. Has anyone been through this?

1 Upvotes

I was hired five months ago for a newly created role focused on AI adoption and digital transformation for our clients. Since I arrived, I have been waiting more than building. Early initiatives did not get off the ground, and when I asked to join ongoing projects where I thought I could add value, I was not included. Looking back, part of the problem was the lack of a clear vision from the start. The rest comes down to timing and external factors that nobody controls. I am worried that the mandate I was hired for will not move forward before 2027.

The role has since been redefined. I was asked for my input on a technical support mandate, but I felt I had little choice. The updated mandate document now states that, in the longer term, about 60% of my time will go to support for our CRM platform, which has little to do with what I was hired for. Meanwhile, the work I was actually hired to do takes almost none of my time right now, which is a ridiculously low level.

The support work is also high-level, not entry-level. I am expected to become an expert on the platform within a few months, while most of my time goes to preparing to cover a colleague’s upcoming maternity leave, which, as far as I know, will last about a year. Several other team members are already on maternity leave, so the team is stretched thin. That is the heart of my concern: I increasingly suspect the support work is going to stay my real mandate, whatever the original job description said. Without it, I would have very little to do.

The handover itself is not easy either. I am paired with a colleague who takes his work extremely seriously. He can be blunt when he wants to, tends to be alarmist, and sees most situations in the worst possible light. He tries to make everything work under every conceivable scenario, and he expects the people around him to operate the same way. That makes the knowledge transfer harder than it should be.

I’m not against the company, but I’m questioning whether this role will ever look like what I was hired for. I’m tracking my actual time for a few weeks so I have facts for a conversation with my manager. If you have been in a similar situation, I would like to hear how it played out.


r/work • • 1d ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts Guy who had a crush on me in high school just moved to town, applied to a job I work for & my boss emailed me asking me my experience of knowing him

204 Upvotes

edited: Back in high school there was a guy two grades below me who had an unhealthy obsession with me, he was fifteen & I was seventeen. He’d leave notes on my locker, he’d try to sit next to me at lunch, when it came time in gym to partner up if we were doing sit-ups he’d always tell people "don’t pick her she’s my gym partner!" luckily gym teacher saw I was paired with someone else. I was so relieved that once I graduated I left him in my past. Recently after my shift ended a guy asked me where applications are & I directed him to the front desk then he immediately recognized me saying hi in his old sing-songy tone he used to say it in whenever he saw me, he said who he was and I thought, ā€œoh dear Asgard no!ā€

My boss emailed me saying he applied and is asking my opinion on him as he put on his resume I’m an old friend and my boss can ask me about him citing I can vouch for him. Granted I haven’t seen him in twenty-two years I don’t want him working with me so I’m not sure how to word to my boss his true history with me and he’ll probably say he’s over me but I’ve seen his kind before they NEVER get over someone they’re obsessed with. What do I do?

Update: Because this happened on Friday last week my boss had finally come to his resume/application today. So many said to be honest with my boss I was completely honest I told her I haven't seen him since he was sixteen and I was eighteen, I am not his friend which tells you big red flag not to mention he simply put under references, "ask your employee 'insert my name' about me she can vouch for me'. My boss cannot overlook red flags he gave and so she either will call him or email him to say the position has been filled. She will also have people at the front desk be vigil for him so he doesn't come to harass me.


r/work • • 1d ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts Quitting my Job without a new one lined up

18 Upvotes

Tomorrow I will not show up to work and will be quitting my job. I have been here for well over a year and it has been riddled with anxiety panic attacks, depression and suicidal thoughts. I have never done this before but I hit my limit. I guess this is more of a venting session. They lied on what this job would require when I first joined and I have so much anxiety about quitting tomorrow. I don't think they will expect it but my boss has been so toxic my whole tenure there that I just snapped this morning. I could not take it anymore. I feel anxious and weird to quite tomorrow. I never quit a job without having another lined up. I now it's risky with the job market but I need to prioritize my mental health.


r/work • • 10h ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts How to be able to work in a team?

0 Upvotes

I'm 33 years old so I'm not young. I work remotely & my job makes me work in different projects with new teams not from our company.

My problem is I can't do it, I prefer to work solo but that's impossible.

What makes me hate team work is I end up doing almost everything ALONE but the credit goes to the whole team.

Recently I have been working on a project I have done like 60% of this damn project on my own & I helped in the other 40%. When were finalizing the project, I put my name 1st and then the other 4 I'm working with according to their participation. But b4 we present the project I noticed that someone moved my name to the end šŸ˜‚. I moved it back to the beginning. But again someone moved it to the end not 2nd not 3rd, the last name. & I have saved this stupid team Infront of the committee twice not once but twice, there was emergency meetings to check the flow of the work & I was the one who saved them Infront of the committee coz there wasn't a presentation as they didn't do their work and in the final they put my name last name.

I complained many times to the coordinator, he tried to work it out but he couldn't. Then all what he said I know you have done a lot and you are the one who worked really hard but we don't have any choice but to finish it, we have a deadline and I will write a report about what happened & you too make one.

But that doesn't solve the problem cos this happens almost 80% of the times I have to work in team.

Now I'm not gonna act like I don't have have problems. I admit I have. & My problem is I don't like to be stressed till the deadline, if I'm given a job on Monday, I will start next day but I don't know why most people like to stay cool till the last minute. I don't like to work without planning, I will make my own schedule and divide the task into several smaller steps every day so I finish early & leave plenty of time for review. I like communicating with others 1st and then everyone does his part.

But most of the time this doesn't happen. Every time I ask for meeting so we can make our framework & decide who will do what. No one responds like literally no one & the excuse is it's still early, Let's just discuss on chat, no need for meeting, ooh I'm sick, I'm busy and so on. I try to discuss on chat and the replies are really stupid like okay, we shall discuss it. Okay tell me WHEN? Silence. So I end up doing this alone and telling everyone I will be doing this & you guys continue but also they don't like it coz we didn't discuss.

& this doesn't happen to me alone, anyone tried to ask something, they get same reactions & responses. but they don't seem bothered like okay l won't be doing anything. it's only me who keeps feeling frustrated & angry trying more & more but this makes me get more frustrated & much more angry.

I try to communicate a lot form day 1, but I don't know if this gives the impression of me being bossy or the impression that I can do everything alone so they can just chill.

So PLEASE, if anyone can tell me what should I do next time?

What should I do when I find others very comfortable and cool doing nothing? should I be like them?

what do I do wrong so every time, I go through same thing?

do i get super excited? yes sometimes, but what should I do about that?

& is starting the conversation & trying to communicate with others bad thing so I have to stop doing it?

Am I bossy or do I give that impression? What should I do to stop it?

If there's any exercises or advices, I really appreciate it & I'm willing to try anything if it will help me?


r/work • • 1d ago

Professional Development and Skill Building How do I tactfully identify who is gunning for me at work?

35 Upvotes

I've gotten feedback second-hand from my boss about things people don't like about me.
I hate this.
I've been in IT for 35 years and I'm tired of these insecure idiots bitching about me without telling it to my face.

I just want to quit this business anymore.


r/work • • 1d ago

Work-Life Balance and Stress Management What helps you stop replaying work once you’re home?

43 Upvotes

I used to get home physically tired but still mentally stuck at work—replaying conversations, remembering unfinished tasks and planning tomorrow.
One small thing I’m trying is writing tomorrow’s first task in a note, then closing it instead of planning the whole evening.
What has actually helped you switch off? I’m especially interested in things that take very little energy.


r/work • • 17h ago

Workplace Challenges and Conflicts adhd small mistakes

2 Upvotes

hi all

recently it keeps being pointed out to me at my job that i ā€œstruggle with admin workā€ and ā€œmake small mistakesā€

for example: not adding the location to a calendar invite,forgetting to update spreadsheets, accidentally overbooking myself and scheduling two things at once making my boss to have to do events when she’s busy.

i have worked hard in this and yet i’m still making the small mistakes and it’s bothering me, and i KNOW it’s bothering my boss. i need any and i mean ANYTHING that’s worked for you to do a good job at your work and making less small mistakes. i don’t care how silly it seems, i need the ideas. it’s making my anxiety crazy!


r/work • • 21h ago

Questions Unsure about deciding to quit

4 Upvotes

So i started working in a confectionery/pastry workshop, your job is literally EVERYTHING under the sun. Make pastries, wash the dishes, clean up, peel apples, basically everything lol. All while standing on your feet for 8 hours, with one 20 minute break. I already have hip issues, and it took a toll on my body a lot. When i first arrived, no one told me where anything was. They just straight up put me to work and excpected me to know wtf i was doing. Then i got shit on because i didn't do it correctly of course. Mind you, i thought the boss was going to discuss pay with me or anything, but nope. Straight physical labour on the first day. Then on the second day someone new came, and she asked about the hourly pay. Mind you it was a "paying under the table" kinda job, with all the employees working there for 10+ years and being absolutely miserable lol. The boss told us "youre gonna have to work til the end of the week for me to decide your payment, til then we are not discussing this" i was like what? No fix hourly pay, no fix payment schedule, nothing. (Which is common in these jobs ik)Then it clicked , why am i working my ass off when i dont even know what i am earning? The new hire quit on her first day, and i quit on my second day. The boss paid us for the work we did. (Under minimum wage btw) And after getting a taste of this kind of work, and seeing how the pastries are made, when everyone is sick and coughing their asses off, and with handwashing being optional...no thank you. So i am torn on quitting..I feel bad, the boss is an old ass guy in his 80's still working himself to death. But at the same time this is not how you manage a business. I got a lot of shit from the woman "training" me as well. I don't know if i am a pussy for quitting, or if it was justified..I really want some feedback on this. This was my first "real job" so to speak. I'm 20.