April 2020

my boss’s son constantly yells at him in the office

A reader writes; I work for a family-owned company. My boss (let’s call him Rob) employs both of his sons and his daughter-in-law, and they all get special treatment within the company. For instance, his daughter-in-law comes in about five hours a week and is paid for 40 and his son was gone for more […]

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weekend free-for-all – April 18-19, 2020

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: Redhead by the Side of the Road, by Anne Tyler. A socially oblivious IT guy who holds himself at a bit of a remove finds […]

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success story from a student

Some happy news to end the week on. A reader writes: I discovered your blog from a Buzzfeed article almost 2 years ago and I’ve been reading daily ever since – it’s my favourite thing to do when I take lunch breaks, and I’d be lying if I said there haven’t been times I desperately […]

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you should contact your laid-off coworkers

A reader writes: I wanted to reach out in regards to your advice to the letter-writer asking about collecting cash for a laid-off coworker with an additional tip. I was laid off last week from my job due to the economic impact of coronovirus on our company. I worked at a nonprofit that relies on […]

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open thread – April 17-18, 2020

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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my daily work calls with my boss feel too social

A reader writes: With the current worldwide situation, my team has been granted the ability to work from home. This is a HUGE deal, as my workplace is very anti-telecommute and has been vocally against it for years. One of the caveats of this arrangement is a daily one-on-one phone call from my supervisor, Jane. […]

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update: my employer stole my final paycheck, denied my unemployment, and won’t leave me alone

Remember the letter-writer whose former employer insisted she owed them money, withheld her paycheck, and wouldn’t stop contacting her (#3 at the link)? Here’s the update. First, I want to thank you and your readers for confirmation that my former employer’s attempt to withhold my final paycheck and demand for more money was indeed egregious. […]

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work and COVID-19: an open thread

This is an open thread for all things related to the intersection of work and COVID-19. It’s been nearly a month since the first stay-at-home order was issued in the U.S. How are you doing in this weird new reality? What questions do you have? How can other people help?

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