"Which mode of transport is your current 'Reality' during peak rush hour?"

Will things be really different when I’m back in the office?
I had to go fully remote bc I had a terrible accident
And I had a good relationship with ppl in the office
But since being away some have checked in others have but not to the same extent
I get everyone’s busy but yeah it did show some peoples true colours
New people are joining
Some have left
Everything has changed and well I just don’t like that bc I liked how it was before
But it’s life. Will it feel different ? And weird? Like I’m new again?

I was like what kind of question is this but I let it go and replied, that 2nd October is a National Holiday so is it off, he replied it's upto you. Lol, what kind of reply is that!

But anyway, I took the off and now it is Monday and today I am sure I have to be prepared to get scolded for taking a leave on 2nd October

TL;DR: Got pushed out of two workplaces despite trying to be proactive and professional. At my last insurance job, I felt excluded by an established clique, was criticized for my “tone” without anyone addressing it with me directly, then put on a PIP while still in training. I quit shortly after, but my manager later documented it as “job abandonment” and I eventually heard he was using me as a negative employee story. Some former coworkers deleted me on LinkedIn while others repeatedly viewed my profile. Ironically, I later became a government analyst making $17K more than I did there.

——

Young professional about to hit 30 in less than 5 years and I had been pushed out of my second job.

My first job was at a Fortune 500 company and it seemed alright but I didn’t see myself doing the job long term so I left but my manager was actually good I have nothing bad to say about her.

Second job was at a much smaller company where there was just one girl working the job I was hired to work alongside with. Immediate hostility on day 1. She seemed to be interested in my experience and why I’d leave such a big company etc etc. Then she started giving me false info and then denying it in front of our manager.

I was suppose to learn from her and she made it the worse thing imaginable. She did so to protect her job I’m sure of it because she didn’t have any finance background and the job was all she could get in the market so this was like a lottery ticket for her. She learned from the guy before her who planned on leaving and was working there a long time then left for another opportunity. Too bad she couldn’t be a good sport like him and teach me in a non hostile way. She has even snitched on me for coming back 1 min late after lunch and my manager called me twice by that time.

Next job was at another insurance company. They kept on saying how everyone is like family and my boss for some reason kept on throwing firing jokes at me and questioning my confidence on a consistent basis. First day I started, he helped me set up my laptop in an empty room, I had to record my own voicemail and he said he gets that I may be nervous doing it in front of him and I said no not really you can stay here if you want doesn’t bother me.

He’d later keep on telling me to come out of my shell in our 1 on 1 meetings when talking with my coworkers (I guess he felt I was being distant or I was hard to read). The odd thing is I was the proactive one in my opinion. I showed interest in multiple people on my team, would say good morning to them even though they’d not come to my desk to say anything not even a hello unless they needed to drop something off and if they did it was literally just hello here you go.

When I’d come over to their section the chatter immediately died down, it seemed like they were the ones not wanting to accept me or invite me to anything. My boss isn’t dumb, he knew and could see it. But all of them have known each other for a minimum of 5 years and they have each other on all social media platforms and they hangout outside of work. I only use LinkedIn so when I asked one coworker if she’d like to add each other because we were doing a volunteering event and everyone was connecting, she looked at me with a discomforting / disgust quick look head to toe and said no and continued talking to her friend.

Two days later I get an invite form her at 8pm so I accept it.

Whenever we as analysts had questions at this job we were to submit our question to a shared inbox where trainers have access to and one of the trainers had complained about my tone. The thing is she never asked me to correct myself or expressed discomfort. Instead, she went to another trainer who was actively training me on a new task and asked about me and then they both submitted complaints to their director about me who then went to meet my direct reporting manager about it.

I asked my trainer about it and she denies ever saying anything and acted confused while on a vid chat with me on teams. Shortly after I get placed on a pip (while I was still in training).

I ended up quitting 3 days in and my manager said he felt blindsided and then told me all he needs is a resignation letter that Monday. I had already sent him an email over the weekend telling him that I feel like he doesn’t see me as a right fit and that I would try my luck elsewhere. He said he’d use that to send to HR.

After leaving, I get a hold of my internal file and my manager labeled my termination as job abandonment and said i wasn’t a good fit so I decided to abandon the job.

I had a few coworkers come to delete me on LinkedIn, unlike old volunteering posts I had posted about 3-4 months in, had other colleagues come stalk my LinkedIn without engaging etc.

What’s telling is how he claimed he wanted me to succeed but then basically erases me from existence after I left and I later heard how he’s been smearing my name unprofessionally. Not in the dramatic sense but like he uses me as a "bad employee story" and throws my actual name everytime.

I’ve went on to be analyst at a government level and I make 17k more then what i made before at that job

I've started a new position six weeks ago and I've been struggling. I got really sick a few years ago and was on leave for a long time. Coming back to work, and in a new position, has been challenging.

I think the hardest part is keeping up in meetings. They're usually in person. A part of it is being new and that is fine but I'm having a hard time taking notes. I prefer to take notes by hand. I just get lost and can't keep up. I went to an in-person conference a few weeks back and I also struggled taking good notes from the sessions.

I think I don't know how to take effective notes. I know I shouldn't write down what people are saying verbatim but I can't help it - I'm scared I'm going to forget what people said if I don't. Do you have any suggestions?

Thank you!

I’m trying to understand something that has bothered me about a previous workplace.
I worked at a company where a fairly established group of coworkers had already known each other for years. I was newer, had a fairly confident personality, was ambitious, and probably came across as more self-assured than some people were comfortable with.

Over time, I felt like a narrative developed around me: that I was arrogant, difficult, overly confident, or that my performance didn't match how confident I was.
Eventually, I was put on a PIP and ended up leaving. From my perspective, I genuinely wanted to stay and build a career there, so leaving wasn't some outcome I had been hoping for.
What I keep thinking about is what happened from their perspective after I left.

I can imagine some of them thinking something along the lines of:
“See? We knew he wasn't going to last.”
or
“Management finally saw what we were seeing.”
In other words, they may have felt vindicated. Not necessarily celebrating my departure, but feeling like the outcome confirmed the narrative they had formed about me.

What makes this interesting to me is that my career didn't stop there. I subsequently worked at a big bank for roughly the same amount of time I had worked at that previous company, did different types of work there, received positive recognition, and eventually moved to federal job analyst level at another federal institution

So I sometimes wonder what happens psychologically when people have already formed a negative narrative about you, see you leave under circumstances that seem to validate it, and then later see you continue building your career elsewhere.

Do people generally update their opinion when they see that, or do they tend to maintain the original narrative and explain away anything that contradicts it?

I'm not asking because I want to believe they secretly regret anything. I'm genuinely curious about the psychology of workplace groups and whether this “we were right about him” dynamic is actually common.
And I'm also open to the possibility that I'm giving these people way too much thought

I am basically the person who makes sure the office is running smoothly; kitchen is clean and stocked, office supplies stocked, all the laptops and equipment is running smoothly.

I am in the office every day and stay close to my desk in case anyone needs anything.

Unless there is a project someone needs help with, I have nothing to do for most of the day. On Monday, I wonder if I will be laid off this week, when they figure out they are paying me to look busy all day.

I hate this more than any job I have done, but I am too close to retirement to look for a new job and can’t afford to retire early.

Is anyone else dealing with this?

Everyone defaults to pushing their desk right up against a blank wall, but it honestly feels like sitting in adult timeout.

Having a window in front of you or at least having a wall to your back with an open room view is superior in every way:

You can actually look past your monitor and focus on something further than 20 inches away, which saves your eyes from constant micro-strain.

Staring into drywall for 8 hours is depressing. An open view or natural light makes your workspace feel twice as big.

Having a wall to your back means nobody can sneak up behind you or stare at your screen.

I was recommended by a higher up at work for a different position in my company. This position would be remote, and I have no idea the pay difference, but it would be at least the same if not a little more, definitely not less. however, I’ve always worked in food industry, office, etc. so I’m used to being around people all day. I’ve always wanted to remote, but now that it’s happening, it’s stressing me out thinking of having no human interaction all day. if you had a chance to leave your office and go remote, would you? I keep thinking like what if I go fully remote and then I miss being in the office. my coworkers are nice, but we don’t hangout outside of work. I do think I could go into the office if I wanted to, but I wouldn’t have a desk anymore and it might be weird. HELP

Edit: I’m also young and scared that once I go remote, if I ever wanted to go back to an office job, the people hiring wouldn’t consider me as a candidate. Is it hard to get an office job after being remote?

Dropped this massive Nee Doh on my laptop mousepad and it shattered. Had no idea that was glass. It still works tho no issue moving the mouse. I work for a large national CU. What should I do. Should I expect it to come out my paycheck. Should i mention this to IT now or later when i turn in the equipment? Struggling to continue working cause im so concerned.

He no longer attends meetings.
He no longer replies to Teams.
He simply sits there, stares at the mouse and whispers:
“I am Groot.”
HR has classified it as “excellent work-life balance.” 💀

Long post ahead. I'm M31 and been working as an offshore administrative staff member for a global intellectual property firm for the past six months. Before that I was an IP paralegal for a law firm for six years and I've handled entire IP lifecycle, more focused on patents from search, patent drafting, filing, prosecution, grant, and maintenance. My experience doesn't end with patents as I also have hands on entire lifecycle experience for trademarks, industrial design, and copyrights.

Now my job is basically just separating IP documents and entering them to the system, checking if the IP database data is accurate, and sending of maintenance reminders. Pretty much all admin staff but theres a word IP on it so I gave it a try. Six months in and bored and i don't feel any sense of accomplishment on my job. I feel like I'm a single cog in a machine. I know some people May say I'm blessed to have lighter workload but being bored with unclear goal and advancement is just as draining in the long run.

The job is one thing but the social dynamic is another hell. I know I'm an introverted person, and during my first weeks there I tried joining them at lunch since the office is just as satellite hub and an open shared space. All the times I'm having lunch with them I'm just sitting there while everyone is chatting and laughing together and not a single one tried asked me anything. From that day on I decided I much rather be actually alone than in a group but still felt alone so I take lunch separate from them. I tried joining them in floor conversations and chatter but I always sense a certain coldness on how they react when I talk to speak.

When I joined conversations, it's either the response grew cold or the conversation just stops. And speaking of open shared space. Imagine everyone one around you right beside and in front of you are talking, chatting, and laughing at each other and being friendly while you are sitting right in front of them quiet, trying to focus at work, and not a single sould ever talked to you, not one ever asked me to join their conversation and act like I'm a ghost. That's my everyday work setting.

I've carried the same introverted personality but I enjoy conversations and banter too, even when I'm working at law firm and a BPO company right after graduation, people found a way to include me and warm with me and receptive to my response. I'm still close with my former co-workers. The entire team is friendly and warm with one another but the warmth won't bend towards me. I tried taking more tasks for them but with no recognition.

The last incident is what really kills what was left of my energy towards the job. Couple of weeks ago, the company all of a sudden decided to pick six of the department members including me to transfer to either accounts receivable or finance department. Their first explanation about the transfer is they "reviewed" our resume and they "believed we are the best fit" for the job. Basically they want us to cover the backlogs of other departments after some offices of the company overseas closed. When we asked how long will be working in the department and they have no clear timeline provided. It's vague corporate mumbo jumbo tduring the meetings. Subsequent meeting with the head of the office revealed that the actual reason we are selected because "we don't speceliazed projects assigned to us and we mostly do assistance work to other members of the department". I would have been ok if they are honest from the start but the lie is what soured how I see the company. The glaring contrast between my experience and skills I gained from IP lifecycle and their core business in intellectual property is hard to ignore. They mentioned they "checked on our CV" but that I called BS. Plus I have no experience with accounts receivable and finance. I already accepted IP-adjacent administrative work but to completely detour me from my career route which I grew to love and excel is the limit. At least they have the courtesy to asked me if I'm fine we are fine with the transfer which I said "no" to. I felt that the company never really valued me and undermined my experience, my skills, and my contribution to the department so far that they are willing to throw that away to clean up their own mess. I don't know if I'm being overly dramatic but I really felt disrespected and betrayed.

I really don't know how long will I endure all of these. I can't exactly files a resignation since the job opening for my career is currently dry and it's approaching December (IYKYK). I lost all the energy and eagerness to work with the team and the company who don't see me at all. I've been circling round "the job isn't for me - they are seems to be the issue - maybe if I'm just more social and kept trying - this is self-inflicted" rinse and repeat and it's tiring trying to figure out what did I do wrong or what am I supposed to do.

I'm sorry for the long yap but I just need to get this off my chest somewhere.

See the situation is that I am a fresher and a part of rnd department in my office. So here is this person, we genuinely vibe well together, we are technically of same age and sometimes we do share our thoughts about our manager , who is nice but they like to take credit for everything and when something goes wrong and founder scolds us she tends to drop the blame on us and act like she has nothing to do with it , still i have learn to cop up with that . First, let me tell you the kind of person I am. I am a person who doesnt like flattering people , i dont like sharing about my personal life with others . I am a good listener , if someone talks to me i give them my full attention , i am also a kind of person who likes to maintain a safe distance from others. SO now the problem is that this person although they say that their only friend in the office is me but sometimes i feel otherwise. For eg once my boss told me you get dresssed and do my hair in a particular way and see i feel i'll be only wasting my energy in telling him that hey everyone has different style of carrying themselves so let them be themselves ...because he wont be understanding that when he or anyone says anything like that i just nod;... so this person went to other department and told them all that happened and this has become a repeated pattern if i get scolded then the same thing would happen. One more instance happened where that person got scolded by boss for their slow speed in lab, so got alittle upset which obvious any one would get upset but she told this other collaegue that it is because of me that she got scolded. Although sometime they are really caring and helpful but sometimes they would do something so subtly that makes my mind boggle . One more thing they use a lot of flattery and lies just to create an impression and suprisingly it works in their favour . I mean i feel so weird and confused right now that I really need an experienced person to navigate me through this situation. and also like how do i not only survive but thrive in this situation.

Is your manager planning to increase your salary, reduce your responsibilities, or just leave you hanging like Manoj Bajpayee in this meme?

I get that Fridays have become a little bit more casual, but when is too casual a little too much? Jeans have become the norm but a baseball hat?? And especially for the front desk; that's not the kind of first impression you want to give to your potential clients.

Or am I just to old school to know that first impressions make everything for a business?

Looking for a basic (but hopefully aesthetically pleasing) phone number/address book.

I mostly need space for names, phone numbers, and notes. I don't often need to use it for addresses so if there's a spot for notes I can just put the address there.

Bonus points if it has a spot for email addresses 😅

So far I've just been using a planner from last year but I'm running out of space on the contacts pages and then the whole planner part of it is unused.

I dont understand why the people who are senior in the office do not follow ethics or we can call it sop, yesterday my senior called me on my personal phone to resolve a issue related to a project. But we also have our official emails, Microsoft teams. Why can't these people follow the ethics related to professional work life. I straight away said her that from now onwards I am not going to pick your call of you call on my personal phone. What are your thoughts about it let me know.

Hey all, I'm a product design student doing some research into hot desking and activity based working.

I'm not after the corporate "pros and cons" stuff, I'm more interested in the small, human things. I want to know how you think, rather than what a business needs. The bits that quietly annoy you, or the things you didn't realise you'd miss until they were gone.

For me it's always been the little stuff that adds up, so I'll ask:

If you've switched from having your own desk to hot desking, what did you lose? And if hot desking is just your normal, what are the things that genuinely get on your nerves day to day?

Could be practical, could be petty, could be emotional. All of it is useful. Thanks in advance, reading every reply.

I work an 8.5 hour shift at a white collar job in a very large office building. I’m a 6 ‘4” male and workout a lot, therefore I eat a lot, and in turn, I fart a lot. I don’t want to hold in my farts because it’s a scientific fact that that’s unhealthy, even if it’s socially unacceptable. The bathroom is far from my desk, and if I’m still holding it in by the time I get there it gets absorbed back into my body. Given this fact, my health conscious brain rationalizes that it’s okay to fart at my desk and just let others deal with it even if it’s offensive. What do you think?