While travlng for work, I got sick & had to miss a planned excursion. Later, at dinner, I was eating bread because my stomach was still upset. A coworker joked in front of the group that maybe I had drank too much. The comment bothered me because it wasn’t true, & it felt dismissive. This isn’t the first time this person has made teasing comments, but this one felt different because I was clearly not feeling well. How have you handled coworkers whose humor comes at someone else’s expense?

Leadership question: When a supervisor asks for your honest opinion about a coworker, how candid should you be? Do you give your unfiltered assessment if you believe the person is underperforming or relying too heavily on others, or do you focus only on objective facts and let management draw its own conclusions? Curious how others have handled this situation.

I’m curious whether anyone genuinely likes networking. I know it’s useful, but it often feels forced unless there’s a real connection. What’s your honest take on networking in finance?

I’m curious if anyone has ever turned down a job because the interview process felt chaotic or disrespectful. It seems like a preview of what the culture might be like. Have you ever walked away because of the process?

I’m working from home today because I have a plumber coming, and I’ve already received three “Are you online?” messages from my VP. The lack of trust is staggering. The second I’m not physically visible in my cubicle, they assume I’m at the beach. It makes me want to quit and find a remote-first shop just to escape the attendance-based management style. Is face time still the most important metric in 2026??