'Our boss has told me to stay out of her way': Clueless graduate reports coworker to HR for refusing to answer her endless questions

Brad Dickson • Managing Editor

Aug 15, 2023 9:00 AM EDT

Cooperation, teamwork, and the ability to collaborate are important skills in any instance where you're seeking to achieve a common goal. So, when it comes to the workplace, there's a reason why so much emphasis is placed on this when it comes to the selection of candidates and the interview process. Successful organizations will foster a culture that encourages this collaboration and encourages individuals to communicate openly and respectfully.

After all, all it takes is one bad egg—one sticky cog—to bring the entire process to a grinding halt… as other members of the team struggle to grapple with the errant personality.

Sure, providing help and providing support to new workers is important, but—at a certain point—it's expected that you pick things up on your own and don't rely on your coworkers to answer every question…

This less proficient coworker persistently sought advice and assistance from their more capable colleague, who—quite obviously—grew tired of answering the constant questions and finally declined to help. In response, the advice-seeking coworker became upset and reported the situation to HR. She then shared her experience with an online community.

Readers themselves were perplexed and even annoyed by the advice-seekers own account of events when she shared her experience with Reddit's AITA subreddit, seeking the community's advice. The readers almost unanimously sided against her in the comments declaring her to be in the wrong for her actions.

See screenshots of the original thread and a selection of the reactions from readers.

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