I’m not doing any of the work I was hired to do — and my boss doesn’t care by Alison Green on October 31, 2014 A reader writes: I was hired four months ago at a large nonprofit to be a trainer and writer. I got to ask a lot of questions about the role, which fit what I wanted to do perfectly. My would-be boss pushed hard to bring me on and insisted to the team that this role […] Read the full article →
Halloween open thread – October 31, 2014 by Alison Green on October 31, 2014 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything work-related that you want to talk about. If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. * If you submitted […] Read the full article →
wearing a Halloween costume to an interview, talking to an employee with fuzzy thinking, and more by Alison Green on October 31, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Wearing a Halloween costume to an interview I have an interview on Halloween. Would it be ok to wear a costume to show my fun spirit? Nooooo. Unless you’re interviewing someone where “fun spirit” is a major and key job requirement, this would be a very bad […] Read the full article →
I’m working a flexible schedule for a 10% cut in pay but producing 100% of what I used to by Alison Green on October 30, 2014 A reader writes: I have a question regarding flexible schedules and salaries. To give some background, I’ve been with my employer for a little over two years as a mid-level manager. I love my job and have been told that I do a great job and am valued. The company is a bit old fashioned, […] Read the full article →
what to do when 2 people on your team don’t get along by Alison Green on October 30, 2014 You thought you had a smoothly-functioning team – but now a personal dispute between two staff members is threatening your team’s stability and creating unpleasantness for people around them. What can you do when two people on your team don’t get along? Before you intervene in any personal dispute between staff members, it’s key to […] Read the full article →
my coworker went through my trash can to get me in trouble by Alison Green on October 30, 2014 A reader writes: I recently started on with a new company where the office/corporate culture is really negative but my director is amazing – he was the reason I accepted the position. I have been been there only three weeks, but it has quickly become apparent that several people in my department (small office, seven total […] Read the full article →
my interviewer asked me about personal items from Facebook, coworker insists on special email subject lines, and more by Alison Green on October 30, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Interviewer asked me about personal items from my Facebook page I’ve recently started a job search. I had a scheduled phone interview with an attorney for an executive assistant position. When she called, she put me on speakerphone with herself and a colleague. The first […] Read the full article →
I’m in trouble for pushing back on a Boss’s Day gift collection by Alison Green on October 29, 2014 A reader writes: A few weeks ago, on Boss’s Day, one coworker had initiated a boss day gift for our director, and made an executive decision to get a $50 cake and flowers without soliciting any of our input. I really have never heard of Boss’s Day before and feel like it’s a totally manufactured […] Read the full article →
our manager periodically flips out and jams her authority down our throats by Alison Green on October 29, 2014 A reader write: I work on a team of four – our manager and the three producers. Our manager is not very experienced with managing, and we tend to pick up a lot of the slack for clarifying directives, managing vendors, setting plans, etc. Personality-wise, our manager is typically very playful and her goal is […] Read the full article →
I was called “mean” for reporting a coworker for stealing, not asking questions at an interview, and more by Alison Green on October 29, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I was called “mean” for reporting a coworker for stealing I’m a civilian office worker at a military-run veterinary clinic where I work with other civilians and military personnel. One night I noticed our civilian veterinarian gathering supplies in a bag, with a total supply […] Read the full article →