Be informal about it the first time you address the person. You could say, “Hey, Jack, I’ve been noticing that you’ve been returning the truck almost on empty lately. Could you remember to bring it back with a full tank next time?” If the behavior continues after you have informally addressed your concern, you may need to ask your supervisor to intervene. Follow your company’s rules on handling employee conflict resolution.
Instead of saying, “We are always waiting on you to get your portion of the work done,” you could say, “When the work isn’t in on time, I get worried that we’re going to miss our deadline. It would be helpful if everyone could meet their deadlines on the agreed-upon day. ”
Spend your lunch break with your coworkers and get to know them better away from work. Spend a few minutes chatting with your coworkers each day. Invite them to get together after work for dinner or drinks.
Be sure to find out what your employer’s protocol is in dealing with coworker conflict, bullying, and/or harassment. Your employee handbook or human resources representative would be a good source of information. Research laws protecting your rights when you are being bullied or harassed by a coworker.
If you are having a difficult time communicating and getting along with your boss, you may wish to bring your concerns to your HR department. You could say, “Ms. Jones, I’m coming to you because I’ve been having some problems working with Mr. Roberts lately. I’m hoping you can help me figure out what to do. ”
You could say, “Here is a copy of my job description, and here is all the work I am currently doing. I think we need to talk about the expectations for my position. ” You could use your additional responsibilities as leverage for a pay raise. You could say, “I think if you expect me to continue to do these additional responsibilities, it may be wise to talk about an increased salary. ”[7] X Research source
You could say, “I found this coding workshop that’s going on at the local college next month. I think this is exactly the kind of course I need to help take my performance to the next level and help me gain a greater understanding of my position. Would the company be able to sponsor me to attend this workshop? Here is the information on it. ” You could consider seeking out a mentor within your company to help you better understand your role.
For example, you could say, “I was curious to know how you felt about my performance over the last few months. I think I’ve been taking on more responsibilities, and I wanted to get some feedback on what I’ve done well and what needs improvement. ” Don’t beat yourself up over a bad performance review. Look at it as a learning opportunity, asking lots of questions so you can best understand how you can make changes. You could say, “I appreciate you bringing these concerns to my attention. Do you have any suggestions as to what I can do to improve my next review?”
You could say, “John, I’ve taken all of the steps in the employee handbook to follow the chain of command at work, but my concerns are still not being addressed. I want to find out how to file a formal complaint within the company. ” If you feel you are being harassed or discriminated against, for example, it may be beneficial to you to file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (if you live in the United States). Find out more at https://www. eeoc. gov/index. cfm.
You could say, “Mike, I appreciate being a valued team member, but I am drowning in all this work right now. I’m working late and not seeing my kids. What can we do to make this workload easier to manage?”
Wait for an opportunity to talk to your supervisor alone and let them know what’s up. You could say, “I just wanted to let you know that I’ve got some issues I’m dealing with at home. I’m handling it, but there may be a few days when I need to come in late next week. ” Keep in mind that you’re not obligated to disclose health information, but you may need to be a bit more forthcoming if you are dealing with an ongoing health problem. For example, you might say, “I’ve been told by my doctor that I am going to need surgery. I’ll need to take a few days off next month to recover. I’ll let you know the exact days as soon as everything is scheduled. ”
Pack a salad in a jar filled with vegetables and protein to get a big serving of veggies and help you avoid the late-afternoon sugar cravings. Make healthy snack choices if you need a bite to eat. Consider almonds, cheese sticks, or vegetables with hummus. Avoid foods that send your blood sugar soaring and then crashing, like sugary treats and refined carbohydrates. You will feel even worse. Coffee and caffeinated beverages are a mainstay of the office, but too much can leave you feeling anxious and stressed. Limit your intake. Drink plenty of water during your workday so you don’t get dehydrated.
If you work a sedentary/desk job, get up from your desk at regular intervals to walk around for a few minutes. It will help you refocus and feel more energized and productive.
Do something relaxing before bed. Avoid catching up on work email or anything stressful. Try reading for pleasure, taking a bath, or drinking chamomile tea. Avoid screens an hour before bedtime. The glow from the screen can stimulate wakefulness, making it harder to fall asleep.
Try putting your router and modem as close to your computer as possible for the fastest Wi-Fi speeds. If you think your internet is slow, try running a speed test on a website like M-Lab or Ookla. They’ll be able to tell you how fast your internet is running and what you might need to fix if it’s slow.
Keep your work area away from the TV so you aren’t tempted to watch anything while you work. Ideally, you would set up your workspace in a home office or spare bedroom so you can shut the door while you’re working.
You could all meet up 10 minutes before a scheduled meeting to chat about random stuff that doesn’t have to do with work. Ask questions like, “So what did you all do this weekend?” or, “How are your kids doing?”
It might be helpful to have a weekly or monthly check-in with your team or boss to make sure you’re on the right track. You can also ask questions during team meetings over video chat.
You could say something like, “I know I’m home, but from 8 to 4 everyday I’m actually working. If you need something, please knock first in case I’m in a meeting. ” If working from home is too challenging or distracting, try going to a coffee shop or a library that has free Wi-Fi.
It’s much easier to extend your workday when you’re just sitting at home. If you’re having trouble shutting down for the day, try setting an alarm on your phone.
