my terrible intern is a VIP’s son and can’t be fired by Alison Green on May 24, 2021 A reader writes: One of our company directors has brought his son on as an intern. His son has been assigned to the same department I work in, but he appears to have the reading, writing, and communication skills of a child. He has misspelled his own name and his father’s name on memos. He […] Read the full article →
should I blow the whistle on the harm my organization is causing? by Alison Green on May 24, 2021 A reader writes: I have a kind of murky moral problem I’m hoping you can help me with. I work for a nonprofit that, among other things, develops and administers a test that’s required as part of practicing a certain profession. I’ve worked for this organization for about five years now, and really like my […] Read the full article →
coworkers who complain about returning to the office, job candidate disclosed autism, and more by Alison Green on May 24, 2021 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Coworkers who complain about returning to the office when I’ve been here all along In light of your recent article about workers who have been in the office throughout the pandemic, could you provide some advice for how to handle comments from coworkers who were […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – May 22-23, 2021 by Alison Green on May 21, 2021 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: The Plot, by Jean Hanff Korelitz. A writer whose career is in decline steals an irresistible plot from a student who died shortly after taking his […] Read the full article →
it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on May 21, 2021 It’s your Friday good news, with more accounts of success even in this weird time. 1. I just started at an organization this past week that essentially does work similar to my area of consulting on a broader scale for multiple clients. I was able to get a higher offer than what the range listed […] Read the full article →
open thread – May 21-22, 2021 by Alison Green on May 21, 2021 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 (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. * […] Read the full article →
the commute to my new job makes me too anxious, brushing your teeth at work, and more by Alison Green on May 21, 2021 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. The commute to my new job makes me too anxious I am moving to my boyfriend’s state soon and secured a job that is about 30 minutes from his house. They asked me to come in for a week to begin training. I thought the […] Read the full article →
what’s the etiquette for people in the background on Zoom calls? by Alison Green on May 20, 2021 A reader writes: Can we have a ruling on whether or not to acknowledge people who pop up in the background of Zoom calls when we’re working at home? My partner and I live in an apartment with two small rooms (living room and bedroom) and two tiny rooms (bathroom and kitchen). I work in […] Read the full article →
update: I work at a boarding school and my partner can’t visit during the week because we’re unmarried by Alison Green on May 20, 2021 Remember the letter-writer who worked at a boarding school and her partner couldn’t visit because they weren’t married? Here’s the update. I was the letter writer who worked at a boarding school as residential faculty, and whose partner couldn’t visit her during weeknights. I had been wondering whether to bring this up as part of […] Read the full article →
how can I come out as queer mid-career? by Alison Green on May 20, 2021 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’ve been with my employer for over 10 years and in that time my personal identity has shifted significantly from the professional identity I projected at my hiring. I allowed my colleagues to assume I was a straight, cisgender woman in a monogamous relationship. That […] Read the full article →