Twice a week we publish problems that will feature in a forthcoming Dear Jeremy advice column in the Saturday Guardian so that readers can offer their own advice and suggestions. We then print the best of your comments alongside Jeremy’s own insights. Here is the latest dilemma – what are your thoughts?
I love my job. It’s the next step in my career path, it’s challenging and interesting, I’m learning something new every day and I’m recognised and esteemed for my smart decisions. At the same time, it’s absolute hell – because of my manager.
She is so aggressive that it’s difficult for all 22 people in the office. She’s so moody and unpredictable, and it’s frustrating. One day she’s great and everything is going well, but then she has a bad week and when she enters the office, the temperature drops. When someone walks out of the room, she criticises and mocks their work; she often makes me feel guilty for decisions that were in her hands; her directions are often unclear, leaving us to wonder and afraid to ask; at team-buildings, she talks behind people’s back; all the time she’s saying how stressed she is and making the team feel bad if they had a work-free weekend.
It’s stressful for me too but I can keep my cool, because I believe that’s the professional thing to do.
The problem is, I believe my CEO loves her for some reason – we’re never asked to give feedback on her work. I have absolutely no idea what to do. Today I couldn’t stop crying after a particularly difficult week. It’s a very demanding job, very high-stress. I love it and yet I feel I can’t continue like for this very long.
Do you need advice on a work issue? For Jeremy’s and readers’ help, send a brief email to dear.jeremy@theguardian.com. Please note that he is unable to answer questions of a legal nature or to reply personally.
