Work problems, sorted into the next sensible step

Work problems rarely arrive labeled. It looks like a scheduling question and turns out to be about a manager who says one thing in meetings and another in email. It looks like a personality clash and it's really an unclear job description. This section starts by naming the real problem, because the fix for “my boss is unfair” is very different from the fix for “nobody wrote down who owns this project.”

Expect practical material: how to document a pattern without sounding like you're building a lawsuit, how to ask for clarity in writing, how to raise a concern with HR, and what to do when a write-up lands on your desk. We'll also be clear about the edges. Unpaid wages, discrimination, retaliation and workplace injuries need more than general advice. In the US that usually means an employment lawyer or your state labor department. In the UK, Acas. In Australia, the Fair Work Ombudsman. In Canada, your provincial employment standards office.

Coming up: how to get started when a work problem feels too big to name, and the beginner mistakes that make it harder.