April 2020

I’ve put a bunch of info on work and COVID-19 in one place

There’s now a “Work and COVID-19” link right at the top of the righthand sidebar, and in the top menu too. It’ll take you to a compilation of useful info you might be looking for, including info on the new unemployment law, the new paid sick leave law, where to report employers violating essential-business-only orders, […]

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can you even job search right now?

Job hunting can be difficult at the best of times. It’s absolutely dismal right now. With layoffs climbing into the millions, workers are being abandoned into an economy where, in many fields, it feels impossible to find a job anytime soon. There’s never been a more depressing time to be a work advice columnist. Today […]

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weekend free-for-all – April 4-5, 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: The Glass Hotel, by Emily St. John Mandel. This story of two siblings weaves all around, from dance clubs to a remote hotel in Canada […]

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open thread – April 3-4, 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 company’s bad decision got me yelled at online (and socially)

A reader writes: I’m a mid-senior level employee at an imprint of one of the big 5 publishing houses. Publishing, as you may have noticed if you follow the news, is an increasingly controversy-prone industry; over the past couple of years, especially, it seems like there’s a new kerfuffle or scandal happening every week. Sometimes […]

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my employee gave notice and now is slacking off

A reader writes: An employee of mine put in his two weeks’ notice a week ago. During that conversation, I outlined the tasks for his remaining time, and checked in with him again on the Monday after that conversation. However, for the past week, he has been coming in late, leaving early, and from what […]

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