we have a mandatory all-staff jamboree on Election Day by Alison Green on June 15, 2016 A reader writes: I work for a small company (under 20 employees, plus approximately 50 independent contractors over 30 states). The big boss has decreed that this year we shall have a mandatory all-staff (and all-contractor) jamboree, hosted here in my city where the head office is located, on November 7, 8, and 9. November […] Read the full article →
am I missing too much work when my kids are sick? by Alison Green on June 15, 2016 A reader writes: I am a single mother to an 8-year-old and a 19-month-old. My youngest gets sick quite often, and when she needs medical attention or simply a day home from day care, I don’t really have anyone to rely on to help me out. This usually means I have to miss work when she […] Read the full article →
how to discreetly job search when you have a nosy boss by Alison Green on June 15, 2016 A reader writes: How do I manage a job search with a nosy boss? My boss sits 15 feet away from me in a semi-open floor plan. I have no privacy. So, if I get a call on my cell phone during business hours it will likely be noticed whether I answer and leave to […] Read the full article →
sweat stains and business clothing, employee might be abusing her medical leave, and more by Alison Green on June 15, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I’m worried my employee is abusing her medical leave I’m a director at a billing company and have been with them for six years. One of my staff, who has been with us for three years, takes intermittent FMLA on a regular basis. Her FMLA […] Read the full article →
we’re not supposed to tell our manager about coworkers’ mistakes by Alison Green on June 14, 2016 A reader writes: I have a coworker who makes a lot of mistakes that have the potential to affect our final product. It’s not just one mistake here or there; she routinely makes careless mistakes. I had initially been bringing the mistakes to a manager’s attention, but at a recent meeting we were told to […] Read the full article →
why you should stop doing low-value work, your phone is killing your productivity, and more by Alison Green on June 14, 2016 Over at QuickBase’s Fast Track blog today, I take a look at several big work-related stories in the news right now: why you should stop doing low-value work, how your phone is killing your productivity , and more. You can read it here. Read the full article →
I think our employee lied about having cancer by Alison Green on June 14, 2016 A reader writes: I have a very bizarre situation. I read your article about a forged doctor’s note and this is similar, but different. An employee came to me with a note stating that she was at the doctor on a particular date and cleared to return to work four days later. She then told […] Read the full article →
coworkers are having an affair and one might get promoted to manage the other, boss wants me to help his friends, and more by Alison Green on June 14, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworkers are having an affair and one is up for a promotion to manage the other Two colleagues (“Chris” and “Jamie”) are having an affair, and have been for several years. They’re both married. Only a few people know (I think), and I haven’t […] Read the full article →
should I go to law school if I don’t want to practice law? by Alison Green on June 13, 2016 A reader writes: As a college senior, I applied to law school and deferred admission to a top-3 law school. (I mention this to help mitigate concerns over the crumbling state of the legal profession.) I was never very interested in law, but I majored in sociology and didn’t know what other grad school I’d […] Read the full article →
how to talk to your boss about mental health issues by Alison Green on June 13, 2016 If you’re struggling with mental health issues, you have to deal not just with the issue itself, but also with the anxiety of trying to figure out how much, if anything, you can tell your boss about what you’re dealing with. That’s frustrating because in some cases, you might want to give your manager context for why you’re not […] Read the full article →