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Work therapy

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Working in the office

I just got my dream job. Should I worry about this one unusual thing?

Any resignation, unless there’s a very particular reason for it, raises questions about an organisation – ones you deserve to have answered.

  • Jonathan Rivett

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Criticising colleagues work

I told my colleagues their project was terrible. Should I have kept quiet?

There’s something laughable about excitedly asking for someone’s true opinion and then instantly rejecting it.

  • Jonathan Rivett
Not all HR teams are the same. And not every HR manager reflexively sides with management.

I don’t trust my company’s HR department. Is my scepticism warranted?

Not all human resources teams are the same, and not every human resources manager automatically sides with management.

  • Jonathan Rivett
Goldman Sachs co-COO of investment banking Zac Fletcher was approached over the weekend.

A colleague suddenly stopped coming to work. Do we deserve to know why?

To me, this sounds like a personal matter being sensitively handled by your organisation’s decision makers.

  • Jonathan Rivett

My colleagues turned against me in a meeting. Why did this happen?

If an influential colleague is turning your workmates against you, there’s a chance you could be a victim of groupthink.

  • Jonathan Rivett
If it seems like a bad idea at the time, it might be worth speaking up.

Why did my workplace agree to an idea we knew would fail?

Rather than dwelling too much on the bad idea itself, it might be better to look at why it was suggested in the first place.

  • Jonathan Rivett
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Betrayal is always painful on a personal level.

My colleagues secretly mock my clothing choices. What can I do?

At the centre of this behaviour is an effort to maintain a hierarchy, and it’s one you should think carefully about being a part of.

  • Jonathan Rivett
Is there an optimal number of days employees should be in the office?

My colleague has been sick for a year. Is it fair to fire them?

Sacking them could bring a specific organisational problem to a close, but it could also be devastating for the person with the illness.

  • Jonathan Rivett
Sometimes it’s OK – and even rational – to trust your gut.

My job doesn’t take mental health seriously. How can I change this?

Unfortunately, there’s no blanket solution for managing mental health in the workplace. But there are a few things you can do.

  • Jonathan Rivett
While I knew it was right, resisting the temptation to do an easy, vindictive thing was hard, because it would have felt so good.

Why is my work repeatedly asking me for a background check?

Job applications are difficult enough currently without the re-submission and double up you’ve described – but there’s good reason for it.

  • Jonathan Rivett