February 2019

I got scolded for coming to an interview with a cold

A reader writes: I have a question about an interview experience that I was hoping you could share your thoughts on. I recently was given the chance to interview at an organization. The interview was scheduled about two weeks in advance. A few days beforehand, I started feeling a bit under the weather and ended […]

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I’m afraid a coworker will find my emails trash-talking her

A reader writes: A coworker was let go as part of a large layoff at the Fortune 500 company where I work. I recently found out that when people are let go, the employee’s manager receives access to the terminated employee’s email account. I went back and read some of my email exchanges with this […]

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we have twice-daily mandatory group therapy at work

A reader writes: I am really uncomfortable with a new development at my office and I feel like quitting is the only option now. I’m an administrator for a private recovery and mental health center, not a clinical or medical staff member, so I’m not at risk for emotional burn-out. We were notified last year […]

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weekend free-for-all – February 9-10, 2019

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. (This one is truly no work and no school.) Book recommendation of the week: Late in the Day, by Tessa Hadley. Two close-knit married couples unravel when one of the husbands dies unexpectedly. That sounds horribly depressing but somehow […]

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open thread – February 8-9, 2019

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 […]

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how to deal with a boss who flips out and yells

A reader writes: 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 […]

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how can I make my first business trip go smoothly?

It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: What should I expect from my first ever business trip? In terms of lodging, meals, travel, the really basic scheduling stuff that may seem obvious after one or two of them but would surprise a first-timer — I just want to get a mental lay […]

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