August 2020

mental health days during Covid, talking about pumping in male-dominated office, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Believable excuses for mental health days during Covid This is an iteration on the ever-popular topic of what is/isn’t acceptable for “mental health days” (the colloquial usage, meaning “to prevent burn-out,” not for actual mental illness). I know from previous questions that you support the […]

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can I flat-out refuse to do a project?

A reader writes: I’ve been away from office life for a while, so I’m not sure if this is a problem of me not understanding the hierarchy or what. Here’s the issue: I work in a field that is heavily deadline-based — think government contracting and you’ll be in the right ballpark. Once in a […]

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how can I make sure my staff meets deadlines?

A reader writes: I manage a team of folks who often say they’ll get something done but then the deadline’s in less than 48 hours and they have nothing sent to me yet (after an earlier reminder). How do I remind them and get things done without panicking or nagging them? I find myself sending […]

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my boss hired his girlfriend and we are imploding

A reader writes: I work at a dysfunctional workplace. I will call us a media development company. It’s a high-stakes time in our work and tempers are very short. My boss, Ron, hired his girlfriend, Zelda. By “hired,” I mean that she works for free in exchange for him supporting her with food, rent, and […]

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weekend open thread – August 1-2, 2020

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: America for Beginners, by Leah Franqui. A widow leaves India to tour America and find out what happened to her estranged son. I loved it. * I make a […]

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