My best friend leaned across the small table between us, careful not to spill her drink. “I saw a police officer at the scene, and he was getting sick.” Her eyebrows lifted and her eyes widened. “When I drove past, I saw that the car was totally smashed. Like, it was in pieces.” She leaned […]
coworkers
Why Do People Steal? The Real Reason Your Co-Worker is Stealing Stationery
“My baby!” the woman screamed, as my boss Ivan and the thief smacked against the floor not far from her baby’s stroller. Ivan hefted the thief to his feet, while Amy, my other co-worker, and I picked up the stolen blue jeans. Aside from the woman’s exclamation and a few stares from nearby shoppers, we […]
The Real Reason Why Your Co-Worker is Making Mistakes at Work
Kelly, a co-worker and an accounting wizard for my company, approached my desk. I held my breath. When Kelly approached, it often meant she’d found an error in one of my spreadsheets and intended to bring it to my attention. “Hi.” Kelly hovered at the edge of my desk, and crossed her arms. “So…” She […]
5 Modern Lessons from an Old-School Secretary
“Where is he? Is he here?” The Senior VP of Sales and Marketing stood with his hands on his hips and directed his question to the empty reception area. I looked from the receptionist to the Senior VP, and back again. The receptionist ducked her head. Apparently she thought I, the summer-temp, should be the […]
What if You’re Not Sure It’s Sexual Harassment?
“That’s what you think, kitten.” Allen snickered and sat back in his chair. I blinked and looked at my other co-worker, Lauren, seated next to him. She frowned. Around us, our co-workers laughed and enjoyed their catered lunch. Moments before, Lauren and I were discussing what we thought it would have been like to work […]
Do You Need to Separate Your Personal Self From Your Professional Self?
I looked over my shoulder. My co-worker, Carol, looked down and to the side as she approached, her eyebrows knit together. I put the plate in my hands back in the cupboard. Carol opened the fridge, put her lunch bag on a shelf, and shut the door. She proceeded to fix herself a healthy breakfast drink at the sink […]
This Made Me Better at Dealing with Grieving Co-Workers
Toni Morrison, author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Beloved, lost her adult son in 2010. In an interview 18-months later with Emma Brockes for the Guardian, Ms Morrison spoke about words and grief: What do you say? There really are no words for that. There really aren’t. Somebody tries to say, ‘I’m sorry, I’m so […]