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Illustration by Gracia Lam.

From August 2013 to December 2018, I wrote a workplace advice column called The Workologist, for The New York Times. Per the original announcement:

The C.E.O., the cubicle dweller, the summer intern, the Starbucks-telecommuter — everyone in the modern workplace has something in common: We all need advice sometimes.

Beginning in August, a new Sunday Business column by Rob Walker will offer help. Whether you’re wrestling with a career issue, trying to finesse delicate office politics, or are just flummoxed by one of the countless workaday irritations of life on the job, send your questions to [REDACTED]. 

The column also appeared regularly in the Seattle Times. And here are some Workologist radio/podcast appearances: Workologist on WNYC Brian Lehrer Show; Workologist on KERA Think; Workologist on Savage Lovecast, and again; Workologist on When To Jump; and Workologist on MPR News with Kerri Miller (earlier, and earlier still).

In February 2018, the column moved to a weekly (as opposed to every other week) schedule. In November 2018, the column moved to the Monday business section before concluding at the end of 2018.

[From February to October 2019, a similar, sequel column ran in Lifehacker; see below. In that mode, I’ve weighed in on what makes a good boss on the podcast The Upgrade, and been the featured guest on a July 2019 subscription edition of The Savage Lovecast.]

There’s now an official archive on The Times’ site, but I’ve built my own (partly because I wish I had done that for Consumed), in reverse chronological order.

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

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Illustration by Jim Cooke

From February to October 2019, I wrote a similar column, Human Resource, for Lifehacker. The first column, How To Get Fired, introduced some core elements of the Wokologist / Human Resource philosophy — and addressed how it felt to get the boot from a job as a work-advice columnist.