Each week, Dr Kirstin Ferguson tackles questions on workplace, career and leadership in her advice column Got a Minute? This week: losing money over the shutdown period, an oversharing colleague and the pitfalls of hot-desking.

Our company shuts down for two weeks over Christmas and as I am a casual, I am not paid. I can’t afford to be off work and unpaid for these two weeks. When I asked if I could work remotely, my manager said: “It’s important to rest.” That’s easy to say on a six-figure salary. How do I raise this without sounding desperate?

That is a tough situation and one it may be difficult to change. You are best to have an honest conversation with your boss about the financial impact the shutdown has on you. I don’t think this makes you sound desperate, but it will give your boss an insight into the real-world effects of their decision. Presumably your boss and others are not casuals, and so continue to be paid over the two-week period, and may not have realised the impact on you.

Have you considered whether to have a discussion with your boss about being made a permanent employee? That will assist with this issue in the future. If all else fails, can you ask your boss for any extra work or shifts before or after Christmas to make up for the hours you will otherwise miss? Whatever the practical solution, the best plan for you is to have an honest conversation with your manager about the financial challenges you are dealing with and see if you can find a workaround. If they want to keep you and value all you bring to your role, your manager will hopefully find a solution that works for everyone.

My colleague is going through a messy divorce and fills me in on every step in the process. I’ve heard every detail – custody, lawyers, financial details, the new girlfriend, how the kids are faring – all during work hours. I’ve started taking fake calls just to escape listening to the drama all the time. I feel sorry for what she is going through, but I just want space at work to do what I have to do and not get involved in someone else’s problems. I am worried I will seem heartless if I push back. What should I say?

It can be exhausting for even the most attentive, well-meaning friend to support someone going through a hard time. Add to that the fact this is a colleague loading you up with all this during work hours (when you have other demands on your time), and it becomes impossible. You need to establish some clear boundaries with this colleague.

Next time she mentions it, explain very calmly how sorry you are for what she is going through, but ask that you discuss it another time. Let her know you really need to focus on your work when you are in the office and that you can’t focus on a conversation like this during work hours. If she tries to talk about it with you again, you need to be clear and repeat the message. It may feel heartless, but you are not only protecting your job and focusing on what is important, but you may also be protecting hers. If she is spending large amounts of her time on personal matters at work, eventually this could become a performance issue for her, which is the last thing she needs on top of everything else she is dealing with.

Our office has moved to hot-desking and some desks are in better spots than others. It is always a bit of a race each morning for people to nab the best desks, which are as far away as possible from the noisy printer. I can’t get into the office early because of the school run and so my colleagues always have the best desks before I arrive. Is there any way to raise this without sounding petty?

Sorry to say I can’t see how you can raise this without sounding petty while the first-in-best-dressed rule applies. The better plan would be to see if there is a different way to allocate the desks so that it is a bit fairer than who happens to arrive first. However, if the desks near the printer are that noisy, can you ask that they are moved? Or can you use noise-cancelling headphones? Hopefully, you can find a simple solution to this problem without needing everyone to change they way they do things to accommodate your morning commitments.

To submit a question about work, careers or leadership, visit kirstinferguson.com/ask. You will not be asked to provide your name or any identifying information. Letters may be edited.

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