can I be fired for this? by Alison Green on July 13, 2009 A question I get a lot is “My boss is firing me for ___. Can he do this?” Yes, probably. Most employees in the U.S. are at-will, meaning that you can be fired for any reason at all, as long as it’s not based on illegal discrimination (i.e., firing you because of your race, gender, […] Read the full article →
manager struggles with overly social staff by Alison Green on July 12, 2009 A reader writes: A first-time female manager takes a post over 9 other women. Manager and workers are all fully qualified, trained, and competent. However, the group has a track record of lots of social chit chat, much time on telephone with friends and family, and enjoy a social atmosphere at work that is considerably […] Read the full article →
when do I tell my interviewer that I’m dating one of their employees? by Alison Green on July 10, 2009 A reader writes: My girlfriend recently accepted a job at a new company. A day later, completely coincidentally, I applied for a job at the same company. I didn’t know it was the same company until the recruiter got back to me and told me, but now I do. I haven’t told the recruiter that […] Read the full article →
and the winner of the contest is… by Alison Green on July 10, 2009 And the winner of the stupid interview questions contest is… Rebecca, who managed to work e.coli into her answer, always a winning strategy! Rebecca, please email me and let me know what product you’d like from CSN Office Furniture (up to a $125 value), along with your shipping address and phone number, and they’ll send […] Read the full article →
stupid interview questions (and win a free office chair!) by Alison Green on July 9, 2009 If you could be a tree, what tree would you be? What type of animal are you most like? What would I find in your refrigerator right now? Who the hell is asking these sorts of interview questions? Apparently someone is, because complaints about them abound. But they’re lame, and more than being lame, they’re […] Read the full article →
should I warn my friend he’s about to be laid off? by Alison Green on July 9, 2009 A reader writes: About 8 months ago, we hired a new manager who moved very close to me and my family. I am his direct supervisor. Shortly after they moved here, we invited them over for dinner and we have since become good friends … dear friends, in fact. Our kids play together, we’ve been […] Read the full article →
are employers finding out I was a stripper? by Alison Green on July 7, 2009 A reader writes: I moved away from home, and got into a bad crowd a couple of years ago. I made some crappy decisions, the biggest one being that I was working in a strip club/business for about three years. Now, obviously, I cannot be absolutely honest in that particular job aspect, and having no […] Read the full article →
when a coworker gets special treatment by Alison Green on July 6, 2009 A reader writes: How do I deal with a manager who clearly gives special treatment to a coworker? She is very irresponsible, and yet my manager takes her lateness to work as almost cute behavior on her part. A couple of times, my coworker did not even show up to work but my manager never […] Read the full article →
an alternative for bored students/grads who can’t find jobs by Alison Green on July 6, 2009 The New York Times had an article on Thursday about college students and recent grads who are finding that the work world is looking a bit different than they’d planned: The well-paying summer jobs that in previous years seemed like a birthright have grown scarce, and pre-professional internships are disappearing as companies cut back across […] Read the full article →
did I offend the company that just offered me a job? by Alison Green on July 3, 2009 A reader writes: I’m a fresh grad and I just received a job offer from a company I really want to work for (let’s say Company A), but I have a pending interview at another company I am also considering (Company B). Company A gave me 24 hours to make a decision, and just before […] Read the full article →