can I Zoom from my patio, coworker is violating shelter-in-place, and more by Alison Green on May 7, 2020 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I Zoom from my patio? What are the stipulations around Zoom calls and location? Weather in my area has been very nice recently and I enjoy working outside when I don’t need my full monitor. My apartment has a private patio space — not […] Read the full article →
updates: the Blue Lives Matter flag, the handshake avoider, and more by Alison Green on May 6, 2020 It’s a special “where are you now?” season at Ask a Manager, when I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. Should I ask my employer to take down a Blue Lives Matter flag? As many of your commenters realized, the […] Read the full article →
I’m a new CEO — how can I avoid criticizing my predecessor? by Alison Green on May 6, 2020 A reader writes: I joined an established nonprofit as CEO about 18 months ago. The former director was accomplished in many areas, giving the agency the appearance of success and stability (programs successful, but not so fiscally). After starting, I learned that the agency was not engaged in fundraising, and its methods for raising income […] Read the full article →
update: my needy boss wants me to “adopt” her by Alison Green on May 6, 2020 It’s a special “where are you now?” season at Ask a Manager, when I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer whose needy boss tried to invite herself on the letter-writer’s vacations and nights out with her husband? Here’s the update. Alison, thanks so very much […] Read the full article →
here’s an example of a great interview thank-you note by Alison Green on May 6, 2020 Post-interview thank-you notes: You should be sending them! Not because you need to thank anyone, really, but because they’re a chance to build on the conversation you had in the interview and solidify the (hopefully positive) impression you made. Too often, though, people treat thank-you notes as a perfunctory duty. They’ve heard they’re supposed to […] Read the full article →
employee takes credit for the whole team’s work, what to wear for a video interview, and more by Alison Green on May 6, 2020 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employee takes credit for the whole team’s work I’m a fairly experienced manager, but I’ve only been managing my current team and with my current employer for a few months. We’ve been working from home full-time almost half my time with the organization. I […] Read the full article →
even if they return to work, will furloughed workers ever feel secure again? by Alison Green on May 5, 2020 A reader writes: My company was fortunate enough to get a payroll protection loan last week, so all of our furloughed people were able to come back yesterday and, I believe, most salary reductions were reduced though not quite back to normal. The entire team I had working on the project I was leading was […] Read the full article →
my boss is smothering the hell out of me by Alison Green on May 5, 2020 A reader writes: I’ve been with my company 10 years. I was promoted to a new position in February, shortly before the pandemic erupted. Since mid-March, we’ve all been working from home. I already worked from home several days a week by choice, so I have a good set-up for it, am accustomed to its […] Read the full article →
update: my coworker is in quarantine with pay — and doing deliveries on the side by Alison Green on May 5, 2020 It’s a special “where are you now?” season at Ask a Manager, when I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer whose coworker had been exposed to COVID-19, was in quarantine with pay, and made a pharmacy delivery to the letter-writer’s door? Here’s the update. My […] Read the full article →
can I ever repair my bad reputation with my manager? by Alison Green on May 5, 2020 A reader writes: I’ve been working IT support for a company for nearly four years, and I wish I could say I’ve been a better employee but I can’t. Around the beginning of 2018, my mental health began to take a severe nosedive after the end of a very long personal relationship, and in late […] Read the full article →