I need to interrupt the office chit-chatter with work questions by Alison Green on September 15, 2016 A reader writes: My job often requires me to get input from someone who is higher up than me in order to complete my work tickets. Usually, I need a quick answer to a question or two. However, he is very social and it seems like he is always chatting with someone, both work-related and […] Read the full article →
being helpful might be more tiring than you realize by Alison Green on September 15, 2016 Over at the Fast Track by QuickBase today, I take a look at several big work-related stories in the news right now: being helpful might be more tiring than you realize, why writing a to-do list helps your brain even if you don’t finish everything on it, and more. You can read it here. Read the full article →
I manage my boss’s husband and it’s terrible, my boss calls and texts me constantly on my days off, and more by Alison Green on September 15, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I manage my boss’s husband and it’s terrible I work at a public institution that is partially funded by state/federal monies. Recently, the head of our institution hired her spouse to fill an entry-level spot in my department, of which I am the supervisor — […] Read the full article →
employee didn’t check email for 60 days by Alison Green on September 14, 2016 A reader writes: I am two years into taking the top job at a somewhat dysfunctional local government agency. I have an employee who has been here for 17 years and is mediocre in his performance. He does his job and does okay, but isn’t always a part of the team or as polite to […] Read the full article →
can you ask about mental health in job interviews? by Alison Green on September 14, 2016 A reader writes: I’ve just been put in charge of hiring a group of staff for a summer camp. I began managing this group of staff last May (and was thus not involved in the hiring process) and discovered that a couple staff members had some mental health issues that interfered with their job responsibilities. […] Read the full article →
my new boss cheated in college — and I was the one to investigate him by Alison Green on September 14, 2016 A reader writes: I’ve found myself in an interesting situation that I’m not sure how to handle. My department recently got a new department manager (two levels above me), and it is someone who I graduated college with. I was not friends or acquaintances with this person in college, but he and I know each […] Read the full article →
new coworker makes a lot of mistakes, excessive hand-shaking, and more by Alison Green on September 14, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My new coworker is making a lot of mistakes Six weeks ago I started a new position with the organization I’ve worked with for five years. When I was hired, our department head was on leave, and so I received little formal training. This has […] Read the full article →
a coworker told me not to leave early, when I know my manager would be okay with it by Alison Green on September 13, 2016 A reader writes: I had a strange interaction with a coworker that I didn’t know how to respond to, and I’m wondering what your take on the situation would be. I’m in an hourly position as an intern. I work in a large office, but the group I’m working with is just three people and […] Read the full article →
my coworker wants our office to do a sweat lodge ceremony by Alison Green on September 13, 2016 A reader writes: I serve in a central administrative role for a regional office of the nonprofit I work for. My supervisor, who I have a good relationship with, works in our main office in a nearby city. I get frequent positive feedback from him and am routinely the highest achiever among my peers. There […] Read the full article →
my employees argued over gay rights and now they want their coworker fired by Alison Green on September 13, 2016 A reader writes: I’m a regional HR manager of a chain of small retail stores. One of our rather new stores has six employees, including the manager. The employees are all in their 20s. In something that is a bit of an anomaly for my country (not the U.S.), all of the staff are very […] Read the full article →