Sometimes it’s not one big thing that makes someone uncomfortable at work. It’s a bunch of little things that slowly start adding up.

That’s how one new employee felt after noticing a series of strange interactions with a temporary manager.

At first, each comment or decision seemed easy enough to brush off on its own.

However, the awkward remarks, constant interruptions, and even a sudden desk move started painting a much different picture.

Eventually, the employee began wondering if the manager was simply being awkward or deliberately trying to isolate and control her.

Read on to see what you think about this whole thing.

Is my new line managers behaviour off or am I overthinking it?

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying to make sense of my temporary line manager’s behavior, and I genuinely can’t tell if I’m overanalyzing or if this is as strange as it feels.

I’m a new starter in a professional role. I have a Master’s degree in counselling and a pretty calm, quiet confidence.

My line manager is on a temporary contract ending soon and has been in an entry‑level grade for several years.

The manager has done so much to her already.

And there’s a pattern I’ve noticed. On my first week, when I went out for lunch, she said “I thought you’d run away,” and then asked if I’d ever run away from a job before.

When she found out I had a Master’s, she immediately claimed she also had one — which turned out not to be true. Then, when I brought in a planner; she had the same one. When I mentioned it, she went cold and dismissive.

She randomly announced her weight and BMI to the entire open‑plan office. And one day, I wore a blazer, and she loudly joked to a colleague, “Look, she looks smart! She should be the manager!”

Then, she moved my desk out of the main office and into a small back room “so I wouldn’t get distracted.” This room is directly next to her office door. Once I was in there, she came in multiple times a day, interrupted me, and watched what I was doing. When I temporarily sat back out with the team and had a good interaction, she left the office looking visibly upset.

And here’s the weirdest part.

And the important part is that on my first day, the permanent staff member who onboarded me, showed me to my actual desk in the main area and said it was mine. That’s where every other new starter sits. Today, I moved myself back to that original desk. She wasn’t in work today, but she’ll see it tomorrow.

I’m trying to understand whether this behavior is normal “new starter adjustment,” someone being a bit odd, or a genuinely insecure person trying to isolate and control me

I don’t want to jump to conclusions, but the pattern feels off. I’d really appreciate an outside perspective on whether this is something I should be concerned about or whether I’m reading too much into it.

Yikes! That behavior is sort of hard to read.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a person whose colleague expected them to help pay for 11 elaborate birthday cakes they never agreed to buy.

Let’s see what the fine folks over at Reddit think it means.

This person thinks she nailed the persona.

According to this comment, she should make comments back.

It is pretty passive aggressive.

This is exactly what it sounds like.

This doesn’t sound like someone trying to help a new employee succeed.

It sounds more like a manager who feels intimidated and keeps trying to remind everyone who’s in charge. Now, whether that’s because of the employee’s education or something else, it’s hard to say.

Hopefully moving back to the original desk puts an end to some of this.

If the behavior continues, though, it may be time to start documenting everything instead of brushing it off as coincidence.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a woman who volunteered to help promote a church event for free, then was surprised to find she had to still pay admission to get in.