company wants me to pay back half my salary since I only worked a few months and “didn’t add enough value” by Alison Green on May 20, 2015 A reader writes: I recently joined a startup, and I didn’t like it all. They lied to me multiple times: 1) The founder told me they were were profitable, but four weeks in the job I found out they do not make money at all. They have some revenue, but it’s pretty minimal compared to […] Read the full article →
what to do when your old employer keeps calling you for help by Alison Green on May 20, 2015 A reader writes: I have submitted my two weeks notice and am wondering what I should do if after I have left, if they contact me for phone support? What if my peers call me? I’m thinking soon after I could be polite and offer some level of help but where do I draw the […] Read the full article →
was I right to call the employer of some obnoxious, trash-talking jerks on my train? by Alison Green on May 20, 2015 A reader writes: You very kindly answered a previous question from me that really helped me – thank you! But today I have a dilemma about something I did, that’s divided my friends. I’m genuinely interested in the different reactions, and I promise I’m not just looking for validation, I promise, so would love a […] Read the full article →
I told my boss to F off, thanking my office for a birthday card I never received, and more by Alison Green on May 20, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I told my boss to F off Last night, some of my coworkers and my boss were at a dinner for a coworker who is getting married. My boss told us earlier that day that she would pay for dinner but not drinks (alcoholic drinks) […] Read the full article →
should you address hiring managers by their first names? by Alison Green on May 19, 2015 I can’t tell you how often I address an email to a job candidate using their first name and they respond by calling me “Ms. Green.” This is weird. I know people feel like hiring-related communications are a formal thing and that they should formalize it all up. But when someone you’re talking to makes it […] Read the full article →
how to regain control of your time and get more done by Alison Green on May 19, 2015 If you feel like you don’t have enough control over your time, the problem isn’t your calendar – it’s the way you’re looking at the situation. Even with an overscheduled calendar, you’re still making decisions about how to spend your time and how not to spend it. Realizing that you control how you spend your […] Read the full article →
how should I have handled an older married colleague’s interest in me? by Alison Green on May 19, 2015 A reader writes: I am a woman in my mid-20s. I started at a company a few months ago and took a very junior position. I had recently moved to the area and did not have much of a support group. A mid-40s married male colleague in a leadership role was very kind to me, […] Read the full article →
our employee runs an adult website on the side, manager is pushing me to use public transportation, and more by Alison Green on May 19, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Our employee runs an adult website on the side It was brought to our attention that we have an employee that runs an adult website that is classified as “adult glamour,” so it is nudity but not porn. (As far as we know; we have […] Read the full article →
when I overhear speaker phone conversations, is what I overhear fair game to share? by Alison Green on May 18, 2015 A reader writes: I serve as an executive assistant in a very large educational organization. My office is located between my boss’ office and an executive director’s office. The executive director often takes calls via speaker phone and leaves her door open all the time, so I can hear her conversations. My boss supervises the […] Read the full article →
what to do when your boss wants you available 24/7 by Alison Green on May 18, 2015 When your job is increasingly encroaching on your evenings and weekends, and you’re regularly finding yourself emailing late at night or working on non-urgent projects over the weekend, is there any way to push back? If your office expects you to be available outside of work hours more often than you would like, here’s what to do. 1. First, […] Read the full article →