Ask a Manager

Here are four more updates from readers who had their questions answered here this year.

1. My boss has a bunch of swimsuit photos on the company laptop

I appreciate the comments and advice from everyone. I grew up in a culture where people would much rather sweep embarrassing things under the rug, which is why my first instinct was to delete the photos. In that culture the polite thing to do is to look the other way and act like it never happened.

When I gave the laptop back after typing up the report, I said, “Hey, there are some cruise photos of you in a folder, did you mean to save them somewhere?” He was a little red-faced, but thanked me and said he’d delete them.

2. I carpool with a coworker who’s often late and talks on his phone while driving

I originally missed your call for updates, because I am at a new job I love and don’t get to browse blogs at the workplace anymore! :) And the new job is thanks in large part to your how-to guide and the advice I’ve read on your blog. So thanks!

But the problem ended up resolving itself when I got the new job offer, and now I have a nice 15-minute walk to work! I never ended up saying anything to my colleague, and we still keep in touch as friends, and I’m glad in the end that I didn’t push it. I would like to think I can change everyone’s mind and control my safety at all times, but that’s not realistic, and it’s an impulse I needed to let go of. Some of the readers’ comments were pretty harsh, but helped me gain some perspective on the issue. In the end there’s no perfect solution, and I don’t hesitate to call out a cab driver for using their cell phone while driving me around, because I’m the customer. I hope that the culture will change, and one day it’ll be so shameful to use your cellphone while driving that nobody would think to endanger their passengers or fellow drivers with distracted driving.

3. Coworkers are joking that I’m pregnant after a couple of absences

I have an update for my question regarding my coworkers assuming I was pregnant. As I had hoped might happen, I did actually get pregnant a few months later (after some challenges that I alluded to in the comments on the original post). During my pregnancy, I didn’t get too many inane comments. I had my son in August and now I am going back to work this week and so far, everything is working out well!

4. Required to use vacation days for hurricane (#1 at the link)

Being docked for not coming in the day Hurricane Sandy struck is indicative of this company’s regard for its employees, and one of the many reasons my husband recently left this job for a new one. And when he left, there was not a single name he could give that company as a replacement because he didn’t want to subject any of his contacts to working there.

The new job may have crazy hours, including some overnight shifts, but the company (a premium cable network) pays the employees well, provides lunch and dinner if needed as well as cab rides home after 9pm, and generally treats them like valued members of a team. So, a happy ending!