Career Blog

The negative coworker comes in a variety of forms. There is the gossip-monger, the perpetual victim, and the melodramatic whiner, to name a few. How do you deal with this bad-tempered coworker and inoculate yourself to her poor attitude? The answer depends on whether you’re dealing with an occasi...

A degree of competition in the workplace keeps employees at the top of their game. But when the battle for a promotion, and the extra green that comes with it, leads to eyes green with envy, the result can be disruptive.

We have all worked with people who see the worst in everything. They always have something to complain about. So how do you combat negativity?

To perform at your highest level, you’ll need the support of others, just like they’ll need yours. What should you do when your coworkers won’t help you? That depends on whether the behavior is situational or chronic in your office.

Work can be hectic. That’s usually when a coworker walks to your desk with a sheepish smile and asks, “Do you have a minute?” You want to say, “I don’t have time for this right now,” but that word choice can feel rude. Still, you’re overloaded and must navigate the request. Here are three ways to...

Reporting the misconduct or poor work-related performance of a coworker to your superior has probably crossed your mind at some point during your career. Unless the circumstances make the choice obvious, knowing when to rat on your coworker can feel exceedingly difficult to discern. Here are some...

Distracting coworkers are an office monster. They make life miserable and lower office productivity. However, you can take steps to reduce their impact on your work life. Here’s our seamless guide to dealing with distracting coworkers.

Many people view the relationship between work and mental health as distinct. They show up, mentally check out, and hang around until it’s time to actually check out. Have you ever wondered how much your job affects your mental health? Chances are, it’s more than you think.

Investing in office gossip provides the diminishing returns of workplace dissension and a climate of distrust. It degrades the gossiper, who is taken less seriously or viewed as divisive, and the object of the gossip, whose professional or personal reputation is being assaulted.

You probably spend more time with your coworkers than you think. While you can’t control how your coworkers work or behave, you can work to become a better coworker and build a collaborative work environment. Here's how.

Much to HR's chagrin, your office is primed for romance. You and your coworkers spend at least 40 hours a week together; you share common interests; and you may sometimes enjoy adult beverages together to blow off steam. Sparks will fly, and if they do, you need to know the dos and don'ts of dati...

The good news is that there’s a secret to getting past your first mistake at a new job. If you do it right, you’ll come out looking like a professional despite the original embarrassment.

Does your company have a policy in place that prevents you from discussing salary with your coworkers? You’re not alone. But others argue that discussing salary is the only way for employees to determine if they are being mistreated by their employers, either from neglect or discrimination. Is it...

Of course welcomed compliments are nice to receive, yet the difficulty office workers face is determining the line between appropriate and inappropriate. While a welcomed compliment may be a tool for social bonding, a poorly paid, even if well-intentioned, compliment about one’s appearance has th...

In every workplace, there's an annoying individual that drives their coworkers crazy. You might think that person is someone else. But have you ever stopped to consider it might actually be you? A lack of self-awareness is often the culprit behind irritating behaviors. So if you want to find out ...

Running into conflict at work is not unusual. Considering the fact about 56 percent of full-time workers say they spend more time with their "work family" than they do with their own families, it stands to reason colleagues are bound to get on each other's nerves at some point or another. How sho...

There is some speculation that leaving a company can be contagious. People often exit organizations in waves, so it’s not surprising that when your colleagues start walking out the door, you’re tempted to follow. But before you make a life-altering decision based on what other people are doing, t...

It's no secret that your coworker doesn't like you. Here's how to navigate that tricky situation.

Lying is wrong. It hurts others, it damages your reputation, it can be difficult to stop once you start, and it’s not great for your health. But white lies are different, right? Well, certain kinds actually can be. Like any community, an office can survive—and occasionally even profit from—a litt...

You’ve been onboarded to a S.W.A.T. team that drills down into the company’s pain points to discover scalable solutions that impact best practices and make hay. Did any of that sound like English to you?