Ask a Manager

Remember the reader who was promised a stipend when she was interviewing for her internship, but never got the money she was promised? She wrote in asking how to ask her boss for the money she was owed.

Here’s her update:

I took your advice and went to my manager and asked directly for the money. He (the EVP of the dept / Interim President) suggested we go back to the contract I had signed at the start of the internship, and when it turned out the transportation money wasn’t included in the contract, he said that he couldn’t pay the money. Needless to say, I was pretty frustrated – partly with myself for not insisting that the money be included in that contract, and partly with him for not relenting, when it seemed like such a small thing.

The good news is that the next week – the second week of August – I interviewed for two full time positions at two other environmental nonprofits, and happily received two offers! I started my new job the last week of August, and am thrilled with both the work and the organization.

I also recently found out that the organization where I interned has been going through some severe financial stress – they laid off another 10 or 15% of the staff of 20 people, including one of the SVPs, and are now renting out half of the office that serves as headquarters. Having heard that I have a hard time holding that $250 against my former manager.

Thanks again for your help – even though it didn’t turn out how I wanted, it felt good to stand up for myself a little!