Work Appropriate

Culture Study Presents: Why Do Clothes Suck Now? Dec 06, 2023

*Be sure to subscribe to our new feed wherever you get your podcasts!*

For the maiden voyage of the Culture Study podcast, we’re taking a hard look at a problem that plagues us all: terrible clothes. Why are shirts falling apart or pilling after just a few wears? Why does Gucci charge $3200 for a polyester sweater? What happened to ironing and will we ever dry clean en masse again?

Amanda Mull, staff writer at The Atlantic, joins me for a deep dive into the past twenty years of fashion production (and consumption) trends.

If you like the ep, it helps a fledging pod SO MUCH if you can help us get the word out. Share it with your friends, post it to social media, “follow” it in your podcast app, or write us a review on iTunes. You’re the best and we literally could not make this pod without your help.

If you want to support the show financially, and get some cool perks, check out our Substack.

Got a question or idea for a future episode? Let us know here.

Show notes:

The tweet I describe in the beginning of the podcast
Read Amanda Mull’s piece in The Atlantic: “Your Sweaters Are Garbage”
Read Sarah Zhang’s piece in The Atlantic: “How I Got Bamboo-zled by Baby Clothes”
Amanda mentioned: Sofi Thanhauser’s Worn: A People’s History of Clothing
Some other Amanda pieces I love: Millennials Have Lost Their Grip on Fashion, The Free-Returns Party Is Over, How Shoppers Got Tricked By Vegan Leather
You can see Amanda’s Jeffrey Dahmer glasses in the bio of her Instagram (which is private, so don’t friend request unless you actually know her)
Paul Mescal’s rat tail situation (perhaps more appropriately called a mullet)

This week, we’re looking for your questions for future episodes about:

Resurgent interest in early 2000s music (with Switched on Pop’s Nate Sloan)
The Mean Girls Trailer
A deep analysis of Taylor and Travis Kelce discourse
Kevin Bacon’s Hott Instagram and Gen-X/Elder Millennial Instagram in general
“Little treat” culture

You can submit them (and ideas for future eps) here.

Introducing: The Culture Study Podcast Nov 29, 2023

Everything is interesting. That idea has guided the tremendously popular Culture Study newsletter, and it’s at the heart of the Culture Study Podcast, where host Anne Helen Petersen and the smartest people she knows answer listeners’ questions about the nooks and crannies of contemporary culture, from “why are clothes like this now” to “what’s the deal with F1?”

Subscribe to the Culture Study Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Listeners can submit their own questions here, and find weekly discussion threads, extensive show notes, transcripts and a lot more on Substack.

Signing Off with Melody Rowell Oct 25, 2023

It's Work Appropriate's 50th episode, one-year anniversary episode, and last episode, all rolled into one. Producer Melody Rowell joins host Anne Helen Petersen to talk about their favorite moments from the show and share updates from listeners who have written in.

Keep in touch! Subscribe to Anne's newsletter (it's free!) to stay in the know about future podcast plans.

How to Create Remote Culture with Chase Warrington Oct 18, 2023

From terse Slack messages to Zoom happy hours, the culture of remote workplaces can be frustrating to navigate. But it can also be an opportunity to experiment, to build friendships... and to have an annual retreat in an exotic location! Chase Warrington, head of remote for Doist, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about how to create a healthy and enjoyable work culture when there's no water cooler to gather around.

Read Chase's recent blog post, "How to build human connections in an async workplace"
Check out our other episodes on remote work: "Onboard Me" with Adrian Hon and "Remote Work Done Right" with Marissa Goldberg

Am I Too Old For My Job? with Debbie Millman Oct 11, 2023

If all my coworkers are younger than me, am I still relevant? How can I stay motivated and engaged until retirement, when I've been working so long and it still feels so far away? Should I tell my boss I'm struggling at work because of menopause? Debbie Millman, educator, artist, and host of the podcast Design Matters, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer all these questions from listeners in the later phases of their careers.

Like this episode? Check out "Big Working Parent Questions" with Lydia Kiesling and "Is It Too Late To Start Over?" with Ailsa Chang from our archives.
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Is A Good Boss Too Much To Ask For? with Melissa & Johnathan Nightingale Oct 04, 2023

We wanted to tackle some of the most complicated management questions that listeners sent in, so host Anne Helen Petersen turned to our favorite management experts, Melissa & Johnathan Nightingale of the Raw Signal Group. Whether you’re suffering from micromanaging, a boss who loves to hear himself talk, or way too much work in too few hours-- we’ve got some suggestions.

Listen to Melissa's fantastic advice on our previous episodes, "May I Speak to the Manager?" and "How to Be A Better Boss"
Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it-- we may use your question in a future episode!
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

The Worst Parts of Job Searching with Phoebe Gavin Sep 27, 2023

We've done episodes on pivoting careers, on starting over, on starting a new job-- and now it's time to talk about the absolute slog that is searching, applying, and interviewing for a new job. Phoebe Gavin, career coach and founder of Better with Phoebe, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to give listeners advice on getting through the slog and landing the job you want.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Fill out our form at www.workappropriate.com, or email us at workappropriate@crooked.com. You can stay as anonymous as you like!
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Will Social Media Cost Me My Job? with Rachel Karten Sep 20, 2023

Are hiring managers checking out your Instagram stories? Is it okay to tweet about the NSFW writing you do on the side? Should you expose the idiots who send vitriol to your company's inboxes? The intersection of work and social media can be a messy place. Rachel Karten, social media strategist and writer of the Link in Bio newsletter, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about when online problems become IRL.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Fill out our form at www.workappropriate.com, and your question may appear in a future episode! You can also send us an email at workappropriate@crooked.com.
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Should I Cover Up My Tattoo? with Greta Johnsen Sep 13, 2023

We usually create Work Appropriate episodes around a theme, grouping similar questions together. But over time, we've amassed a collection of questions that are, shall we say, unique. Greta Johnsen, host of WBEZ's Nerdette, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer this cornucopia of singular submissions.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? We're here for you. Head to www.workappropriate.com and ask away-- or you can email workappropriate@crooked.com
Listen to Anne's guest appearance on Nerdette
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Actually Following Through on DEI with Sameera Kapila Sep 06, 2023

So your company put out a statement about its commitment to DEI (or DEIB, or IDEA, or whatever your workplace calls it)-- now what? Efforts to make workplaces more diverse, equitable, and inclusive can often get bogged down by the processes and culture that made the efforts so necessary in the first place. Sameera Kapila, product designer and author of Inclusive Design Communities, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about how to keep doing the work, and make it effective.

Get 50% off of Inclusive Design Communities with code WORK15, from September 6-20.
Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it, or send us an email at workappropriate@crooked.com.
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Getting Unstuck with Josh Gondelman Aug 30, 2023

Sometimes the job is fine, the pay is fine, the schedule is fine, but you still feel stuck. It's a miserable feeling, like no matter what you do, this is going to be your life until the end of time. Josh Gondelman, pep talker extraordinaire and our first three-peat guest, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to offer some glimmers of hope to listeners who feel woefully, hopelessly stuck.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Send your questions at www.workappropriate.com or send us an email at workappropriate@crooked.com
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Making Internships Worthwhile with Alice Wilder Aug 23, 2023

Of all the roles you can have at a workplace, "intern" is one of the most vulnerable. Alice Wilder, writer of the Starting Out newsletter, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about how to get taken seriously as an intern, how to justify paying interns when you think they don't add much to the company's bottom line, and how to make an internship program worth everyone's time.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it. Some of the episodes we're working on include social media etiquette, pregnancy at work, and creating a good/healthy/fun remote culture.
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

My Industry is Failing: Tech Edition with Ifeoma Ozoma Aug 16, 2023

Ifeoma Ozoma joins host Anne Helen Petersen for a much-requested episode about the trials and tribulations workers face in the tech industry. From overwork to the nebulous "culture fit," we answer listeners' questions about when the start-up hustle is no longer worth it.

Read CNN's profile of Ifeoma Ozoma and her work from December 2022
Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it, or send an email to workappropriate@crooked.com
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Whiteness at Work with Garrett Bucks Aug 09, 2023

Is considering diversity in hiring actually reverse racism? What if advocating for my colleagues of color means I lose my job? What do I do if I think my colleague doesn't like me because I'm a white guy? Garrett Bucks, writer of The White Pages and founder of The Barnraisers Project, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer questions from white listeners struggling with issues of allyship and social justice at work.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it, or send us an email at workappropriate@crooked.com
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Grief at Work with Dina Gachman Aug 02, 2023

As the saying goes, death is a part of life. So why are workplaces so ill-equipped to provide employees with compassionate and expansive bereavement leave? Dina Gachman, author of So Sorry For Your Loss: How I Learned to Live with Grief, and Other Grave Concerns, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about dealing with grief at work.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it.
Order So Sorry For Your Loss from Bookshop.org. Code WORK10 gets you 10% off!
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Making Caring Professions Sustainable with Dena Simmons Jul 26, 2023

What do you do when your job is burning you out, but you can't really *care less* about it? When children need teachers and vulnerable populations need social workers and hospitals need nurses-- how can you walk away? Dena Simmons, founder of LiberatED, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about how to make caring professions more sustainable.

Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Sneak Peek: Mobility, a novel by Lydia Kiesling Jul 20, 2023

A sneak peek of the first book from Crooked Media Reads, Mobility, by Lydia Kiesling. Mobility is a gripping coming-of-age story about navigating a world of corporate greed that's both laugh-out-loud funny and politically incisive. The novel tracks themes of class, power, politics, and desire throughout the life of its compelling main character, Bunny Glenn.

Vulture called Bunny Glenn “a complicated heroine for the ages, a striver who values the comforts of her oil-industry job even as she must reckon with the fact that the world is quite literally on fire.”

Mobility is out on August 1. Pre-order your copy today at www.crooked.com/mobility

Big Working Parent Questions with Lydia Kiesling Jul 19, 2023

Lydia Kiesling, author of Mobility, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about the amorphous intersection of parenting and work. We’re talking about big, philosophical questions about fulfillment, passion, and even division of ambition with your co-parent.

Pre-order Mobility at crooked.com/mobility, and be among the first to read it when it comes out August 1.
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Disability at Work with Rebecca Cokley Jul 12, 2023

Rebecca Cokley, program officer for the Ford Foundation's first-ever U.S. Disability Rights program, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about navigating the workplace while disabled. From advocating for accommodations, to giving yourself a pep talk during a relapse, to saying "no" to work travel while immunocompromised-- Rebecca shares the wisdom that comes from lifelong personal experience.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? We're here for you! Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it.
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Is It Too Late To Start Over? with Ailsa Chang Jun 28, 2023

There's a persistent idea that when you finish high school or college, you pick a career and then do that one thing for the rest of your life. But what if you get a few years, or even decades, in... and you hate it? Can you pivot? Ailsa Chang, host of NPR's All Things Considered joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about making a change.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it. Some episodes we’re working on include problems around taking a much-needed vacation, juggling parenthood with work, and making caring professions (e.g. teaching, nursing) more sustainable.

Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Do I Need Work Friends? with Tre'vell Anderson Jun 21, 2023

Are work friends overrated? How can you manage the awkwardness of your friend becoming your boss? And is it possible to have a work fling without it ending in disaster? Tre'vell Anderson, co-host of What A Day and author of We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer all things friendship.

Order We See Each Other: A Black, Trans Journey Through TV and Film. Code WORK gets you 10% off!
Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and ask away!
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

My Industry is Failing: Veterinary Medicine Edition with Karen Fine Jun 14, 2023

For those of us who are pet lovers, a good vet clinic makes all the difference. But for those working in vet clinics, things can be really hard. In fact, veterinarians have a risk of death by suicide at a rate 2-4 times that of the general public. How did things get to be this way, and what hope is there for improvement? Dr. Karen Fine, DVM and author of The Other Family Doctor, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about working in the vet industry-- and how pet owners can offer support.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
Read Anne's newsletter about grief and her beloved Peggy
Order The Other Family Doctor from Bookshop.org-- promo code WORK gets you 10% off
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

What If I Get Laid Off? with Phoebe Gavin Jun 07, 2023

Few things are more nerve-wracking than getting laid off. But odds are, most of us will be laid off at some point in our lives. So how can we prepare? And when it happens, how do we cope? Career coach Phoebe Gavin joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about what happens after the pink slip.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know.
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Neurodivergence at Work with Faith Saenz May 31, 2023

If you have ADHD, autism, Tourette's, a traumatic brain injury, or another neurological difference, navigating workplace culture can be a huge challenge. Faith Saenz, founder of NeuroTalent Consulting, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about being neurodivergent at work.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know.

Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

This is Awkward with Virginia Sole-Smith May 24, 2023

We've received so many questions about awkward/mean/offensive/weird things your coworkers have said and done... that we had to make a whole episode about just that. Virginia Sole-Smith, author of Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to help listeners figure out what to say, how to say it, and when to just go straight to HR.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Let us know at www.workappropriate.com.
Order Fat Talk: Parenting in the Age of Diet Culture at Bookshop.org. Use promo code WORK to get 10% off!
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

How To Care Less About Your Job with Simone Stolzoff May 17, 2023

If you spend a lot of your life doing something, it's natural to care about it! But sometimes the amount we care about our jobs does not match the way our jobs care about us. So when you come to the realization you need to care a little less about your job... how do you actually do that? Simone Stolzoff, author of The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life From Work, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer questions from listeners who want to dial down the caring.

Order The Good Enough Job at Bookshop.org. Use the code WORK to get 10% off!

Got a sticky situation at work that you need help figuring out? Tell us about it at www.workappropriate.com.

Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

My Industry is Failing: Non-Profits Edition with Nicole Washington May 10, 2023

We're diving into the wide, wondrous, and often deeply messed up world of non-profits. Nicole Washington returns to join host Anne Helen Petersen and answer listeners' questions like, "Were my expectations too high?" "How much of my industry can I personally fix?" And "How do I quit without the whole organization collapsing?"

If you work in an industry that seems like it's failing, we want to hear about it! Send us your quandary at www.workappropriate.com
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events

Managing Up with Alaina Fuld May 03, 2023

If your boss is making your life hard, you've probably heard the advice to "manage up." Should everyone be spending more time cultivating their managing up skills? Or should managers just be spending more time figuring out what’s actually going on in their department? Alaina Fuld, Sr. Manager for Communications & Community Impact at Brooks Running (and one of AHP's BFFs), joins host Anne Helen Petersen for tips on work with your boss to get what you need.

Need advice about a sticky situation at work? Head to www.workappropriate.com and ask away!
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Remote Work Done Right with Marissa Goldberg Apr 26, 2023

Learning how to work or manage or collaborate remotely is a very real skill-- but for many workers and organizations, it had to happen overnight, with no training or preparation. Three years after the start of the pandemic, companies want to go back to "normal," and workers aren't so into the idea. Marissa Goldberg, founder of Remote Work Prep, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about why hybrid meetings are so awful, how to manage a remote team who seems to be slacking, and how to find a mentor when you've never met your colleagues in person.

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it.

Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Making Parental Leave Better for Everyone with Raena Boston Apr 19, 2023

The state of paid parental leave in the U.S. is abysmal. And advocating for it, coordinating it, and scraping it together more often than not falls to mothers. Raena Boston, co-founder of Chamber of Mothers, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer questions from listeners about advocating for paid leave, how to plan for your leave, and whether you can start-- or quit-- a job while you're pregnant.

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it!

Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

My Industry is Failing: Writing Edition with Jennifer Romolini Apr 12, 2023

Every decade or so, the entire writing-for-money paradigm shifts yet again. To write for money is to get very comfortable with constantly changing your expectations, your strategy, your skillset. It's a lot, particularly when all you really probably want to do is... write. So to talk about how to navigate this ever-changing and increasingly unsustainable business, host Anne Helen Petersen is joined by Jennifer Romolini. Jennifer's been in the writing biz for a long time, and she's now the host of Crooked Media's new podcast, Stiffed, about the rise and fall of Viva Magazine in the 1970s.

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know.

Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Boundaries are Bullsh*t with Stephanie Nadi Olson Apr 05, 2023

"Boundaries" has become a buzzword, especially in the conversation about work-life balance. But work is a part of life-- and why should you be the only one responsible for making sure work doesn't creep into every other part of your life? Shouldn't your workplace prevent the creep in the first place? To re-examine this idea of boundaries, and come up with alternatives, host Anne Helen Petersen teams up with Stephanie Nadi Olson, founder of We Are Rosie. How do you keep from taking on multiple jobs as people leave your company? Can you tell your boss "no" when they ask for your phone number? How much work is too much? And is it okay to trust management to look out for you?

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it!
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Meeting Culture Run Amok with Christina Janzer Mar 29, 2023

The idea that every problem, every issue, every roadblock in your organization can and should be solved by a meeting — that’s meeting culture. But often, meetings feel like a huge waste of time, and they can take up so much of your day that you can't actually get your work done. There has to be another way! Christina Janzer, SVP of Research & Analytics at Slack, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about how to make meetings better.

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it!

Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

My Job Traumatized Me — Now What? with Hammad N'cho Mar 22, 2023

Sometimes the stuff that happens to us at work is weird, or frustrating, or funny-- but sometimes it's straight-up traumatizing. How do you move forward when you still feel like you're carrying trauma from a previous job? Should I go back to my old job, because at least I had friends there? Should I tell my manager about my PTSD diagnosis? Licensed psychologist Dr. Hammad N'cho joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer some of these tough questions, and more.

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it.

Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers, and other community events.

Your Workplace Is Not Your Family with Gloria Chan Packer Mar 15, 2023

Live from SXSW EDU, it's Work Appropriate! Your coworkers are not your family, your bosses are not your parents—but workplaces are filled with the sort of big emotions we usually associate with family dynamics. In front of an excellent crowd, Anne Helen Petersen and guest host Gloria Chan Packer answer all manner of questions from listeners who are grappling with tough relationships at work.

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know!

Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Making Money Moves with Maya Lau Mar 08, 2023

In a lot of workplaces, compensation isn’t transparent— and sometimes it’s actively obscured. Leaders and managers work to implicitly and explicitly communicate that you shouldn’t talk with your coworkers about money — arguing that it’s demoralizing, or “private,” or unfair to share what you make with your coworkers. But that mindset only keeps compensation deeply inequitable. On today's episode, Maya Lau, host and creator of Other People's Pockets, joins Anne Helen Petersen to advise listeners on all things salary-related. When should you ask for a raise, and how? And to whom? And what do you do when you find out your coworkers make a whole lot more— or less— than you?

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and tell us about it!
Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers, and other community events.

How To Be A Better Boss with Melissa Nightingale Mar 01, 2023

In our episode "May I Speak to the Manager?" host Anne Helen Petersen talked with Melissa Nightingale about why and how formal management training has really gone by the wayside, resulting in a plethora of managers without the skills they need to thrive. In today's episode, Melissa returns to answer questions from listeners about really specific problems they're having as managers. Whether it's figuring out your management style, keeping your cool when your trainee just isn't getting it, or designing an effective performance review system-- Melissa and Anne have advice for bosses in any industry.

Follow @CrookedMedia on Instagram and Twitter for more original content, host takeovers and other community events.

Building Confidence with Josh Gondelman Feb 22, 2023

Workplaces are often very, very skilled at making us feel very, very bad about ourselves. Sometimes you need structural reform of the whole workplace, and sometimes you just need a good, old-fashioned pep talk. Whether the crisis in confidence comes from imposter syndrome, or from feeling like you're the only one who thinks it's weird to give a CEO a holiday gift-- we've got some advice. Comedian and writer Josh Gondelman joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer questions from listeners who are struggling to feel confident at work.

If you've got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out, get in touch! Check out submission guidelines at www.workappropriate.com, or send a voice memo with your question to workappropriate@crooked.com.

My Industry Is Failing: Academia Edition Feb 15, 2023

We're kicking off a new series on Work Appropriate called "My Industry Is Failing." First up? Academia. Professor Dominique Baker of SMU joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about surviving within academia when the whole institution seems irrevocably broken. Regardless of your own industry, you're sure to hear some familiar themes in these stories.

If you've got a workplace problem that feels emblematic of your own broken industry, we want to hear about it! Some of the realms we want to explore include health care, retail, veterinary medicine, teaching, non-profits... the list goes on and on. Head to www.workappropriate.com to view submission guidelines and send us your question.

What Makes A Union Worth It? with Maximillian Alvarez Feb 08, 2023

Just 10% of American workers are in a union. But according to a 2022 Gallup poll, support for unions is at 71%-- the highest since 1965. Unions can be a source of protection and security, but just like any organization they can be run poorly or run well. Maximillian Alvarez, editor in chief of The Real News, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answers questions from listeners about forming solidarity, reforming a corrupt union, and weighing their union options.

If you need advice about a workplace woe, let us know! Head to www.workappropriate.com and fill out the form. We use your questions to plan future episodes, so no problem is too petty, too weird, or too complicated.

What Happened To My Ambition? with Rainesford Stauffer Feb 01, 2023

Our society's understanding of ambition is that it never stops burning, that it rules your life and every decision you make, and that it somehow lands people in some mystical land of perfect contentment. But how much ambition is too much? Or what if, after decades of striving, your ambition is just... gone? Rainesford Stauffer, author of the forthcoming All the Gold Stars: Reimagining Ambition and the Ways We Strive, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to hear from listeners about the vagaries of ambition when it comes to work — and how to conceive of ambition as a potentially positive force outside of work.

Questions from listeners are how we plan future episodes-- so if you've got a workplace quandary you want help figuring out, let us know! Head to www.workappropriate.com and fill out the form, or send a voice memo to workappropriate@crooked.com.

My Coworkers Are On My Last Nerve with Lyz Lenz Jan 25, 2023

On this show, we talk a lot about systemic workplace problems, with roots in rapid-growth capitalism, the gender and racial wage gap, etc. Today, we're doing something a little different-- we're talking about the little things coworkers do that are just plain annoying. Writer Lyz Lenz joins host Anne Helen Petersen about how to cope when your colleagues are on your last nerve.

Got a workplace quandary you need help solving? Head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know!

Doing What I Love Is Grinding Me Into A Fine Pulp with Lisa Sánchez Jan 18, 2023

"Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life" sounds like sage advice, but it doesn't account for the burn-out, demoralization, constant churn, and low pay of so many passion jobs. Lisa Sánchez, city council member for Boise, Idaho, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions on how to manage when a passion job is wearing you out.

Got a workplace quandary you need help addressing? Head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know.

Your Identity Is Not A Problem with Morgan Givens Jan 11, 2023

For people who aren't white, straight, cis men, being your authentic self at work can be risky. Even though your identity isn't and shouldn't be a problem, many workplaces treat it like one. We received a slew of listeners' questions along these lines-- from choosing to come out at work, to celebrating LGBTQ+ employees in a hostile work environment, to caring for oneself in the process of asking for accommodations-- so host Anne Helen Petersen invited writer and creator Morgan Givens to help answer them.

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know!

New Year, New Job, New Me Jan 04, 2023

It's the start of a new year-- and with that inevitably comes resolutions to get out of a soul-sucking job and into a life-giving one. But job hunting can be really frustrating, and the process can be opaque. Laura Mariani, a neuroscientist-turned-recruiter, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about deciphering job postings, inquiring about remote work policies, and pivoting industries altogether.

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know.

When Diet Culture Comes to Work with Virginia Sole-Smith Dec 21, 2022

This is Work Appropriate's version of a holiday episode! As work parties ramp up, so do small talk conversations about diets and eating habits. So what can you say at the holiday potluck when your boss comments on people's weights, or says she's being "so bad" for eating a brownie? What can you do when your workplace cafeteria has calorie counts plastered everywhere? How can you have a frank conversation about accommodations you need for work travel when you have a larger body? Virginia Sole-Smith joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer all these listener questions and more.

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know!

Am I My Own Worst Boss? with Wudan Yan Dec 14, 2022

There are plenty of reasons people choose to freelance-- better hours, more money, freedom from all-staff emails. But then... there's often a moment when you look around and realize that you've created a toxic work environment for yourself. In this episode, freelancer extraordinaire Wudan Yan joins host Anne Helen Petersen to help freelancers everywhere become better bosses to themselves.

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know!

Is This Relationship Over? with Jane Coaston Dec 07, 2022

Sometimes there's no amount of therapy that's going to fix your relationship with your job. Sometimes your company's culture might be irreparably toxic. And also, sometimes you're just... bored. But when should you cut bait and move on? Jane Coaston, host of the New York Times podcast The Argument, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer listeners' questions about whether it's time to quit.

Got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out? Head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know.

Onboard Me with Adrian Hon Nov 30, 2022

Starting a new job is almost always stressful-- there's, of course, the tasks and workflow to figure out, but there's also a whole new culture and set of norms to find your place in. Throw in a pandemic and remote work, and it's gotten even more complicated. Work has changed. It’s not going back to how it was. And it’s time for us to figure out new ways to onboard and mentor within this new way of working.

Joining host Anne Helen Petersen is Adrian Hon, founder and CEO of Six to Start, a game design company with an entirely remote workforce. Together, they answer listener questions about how to onboard new employees efficiently, what kinds of team-building activities won't make everyone roll their eyes, and whether you should listen to the "new job remorse" you're feeling.

If you've got a workplace quandary you want help figuring out, head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know.

May I Speak to the Manager? with Melissa Nightingale Nov 16, 2022

Often, people get promoted into management because they're good at their jobs-- not because they know anything about managing people. In this episode, Melissa Nightingale from Raw Signal Group joins host Anne Helen Petersen to posit that management is a skill that can be learned. From learning to manage a remote workforce, to dealing with generational differences in the workplace, to setting a good work-life-balance example to young reports-- we answer listeners' questions about all things managerial.

If you've got a workplace quandary you need help figuring out, head to www.workappropriate.com and let us know.

Surviving Sh*tty Work Culture with Nicole Washington Nov 09, 2022

Hundreds of companies are trying to make their company culture more diverse by instituting surface-level DEI initiatives that stall-out and do very little. Monocultures (usually very white, very male) reproduce themselves. How do you actually change the culture at an organization? Nicole Washington from the Neighborhood Funders Group joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answers questions on how to survive-- and maybe even improve-- a sh*tty work environment.

Got a workplace quandary you want help figuring out? Head to workappropriate.com and let us know.

How to Make Work Less Hostile to Parents with Jessica Grose Nov 02, 2022

American society is still organized around a presumption that every family unit has a full-time caregiver in the home. Jessica Grose, mom of 2 and opinion writer for The New York Times, joins host Anne Helen Petersen to answer questions about the struggle, sadness, and burnout that comes from trying to still get by in that space, even when it isn't reality for millions of families.

If you've got a workplace quandary you want help figuring out, head to workappropriate.com to tell us about it.

Big Office Feelings with Josh Gondelman Oct 26, 2022

At work, we deal with people, and people inevitably bring up feelings. Host Anne Helen Petersen teams up with comedian and TV writer Josh Gondelman to answer questions that range from petty (what if I hate the company holiday gift?) to systemic (is it okay to give up on advocating for my voice to be heard?).

Thanks for listening to the first episode of Work Appropriate! Please rate and review us so other people can find the show. And if you've got a workplace quandary you want help figuring out, head to workappropriate.com to tell us about it.

Introducing Work Appropriate (coming October 26th) Oct 11, 2022

Inspired by her immensely popular newsletter, author Anne Helen Petersen turns her attention to the wild world of work in Work Appropriate. Featuring guest appearances by the smartest people Anne knows, the show delivers humorous but practical workplace advice for a range of listener questions. The problems may be limitless but so are the solutions!

If you've got a workplace quandary you want help figuring out, head to workappropriate.com and let us know.

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