open thread – September 21-22, 2018 by Alison Green on September 21, 2018 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 →
employee calls out sick because she “ate too much,” texting cute photos to people on vacation, and more by Alison Green on September 21, 2018 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I step down from a stressful union negotiating committee? I am on the CBA (collective bargaining agreement) negotiating committee at my work, and we are in the midst of an ugly, protracted, battle with management. Every time we meet for negotiations, the management rep […] Read the full article →
a salary negotiation success story by Alison Green on September 20, 2018 A reader writes: I wanted to send you a note to thank you for all of your excellent advice, some of which I’ve recently been able to put into practice. I’m a 27-year-old woman, and I recently negotiated my salary successfully for the first time. In my first job out of university, I accepted the […] Read the full article →
my coworker treats me like his assistant by Alison Green on September 20, 2018 A reader writes: I work in a small office, seven people total. I love my job and I’ve always received glowing reviews from my boss. However, I have an irritating, ever-present problem. My coworker, Jim, refuses to learn our operating system, which includes all client data. He will walk up to my desk and interrupt […] Read the full article →
my roommate doesn’t understand what it means to have a job by Alison Green on September 20, 2018 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” post. A reader writes: I am sure that you aren’t the right person to ask about this, but my new roommate recently graduated from college and began her first full-time job. Every night, she comes home and complains about her work and her bosses and their unreasonable expectations. The […] Read the full article →
using unlimited time off to work a second job, a sexist conference organizer, and more by Alison Green on September 20, 2018 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Can I used my unlimited time off to do part-time nanny work? I recently started working at a company with “unlimited discretionary time off.” The policy was explained to me like this: just tell your manager when you want to be out, and as long […] Read the full article →
if I didn’t have enough experience, why did they bother to interview me? by Alison Green on September 19, 2018 A reader writes: I found out a couple days ago that I didn’t even pass the 20-minute phone screening to the next round of interviews for a job I applied for, and it’s really a huge blow of confidence. I applied to a position a couple weeks ago at a dream company and I got […] Read the full article →
my boss yells, and it’s scaring my coworker by Alison Green on September 19, 2018 This week on the Ask a Manager podcast, I talked to a guest whose boss yells — and is making things quite unpleasant. Here’s the letter: My boss can get worked up when things are not going according to plan and will often end up yelling for minutes on end. This usually happens in group […] Read the full article →
my former employee is badmouthing me to my staff by Alison Green on September 19, 2018 A reader writes: To summarize the below story, I had an employee leave the company due to a bad interaction with me, and I’m not sure how to move forward with him or the rest of the remaining staff. I’m a midlevel manager and I work for a small entertainment company. I recently had an […] Read the full article →
coworker is blasting us with vanilla pumpkin fragrance, Xanax at work, and more by Alison Green on September 19, 2018 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker’s medication is affecting their work and our manager doesn’t know On four separate occasions in the last month, a coworker has come into work completely spaced out. Slightly slurring, eyes not focusing, forgetting things we had just talked about, unable to stay on […] Read the full article →