office holiday gift-giving stories: worst gifts and weirdest gifts by Alison Green on December 16, 2021 In the spirit of the season, let’s hear about workplace gift debacles. Did a game of Secret Santa end in tears? Did a coworker throw a tantrum when she didn’t win a raffle? Did your boss try to give you Hanukkah balls? Was your gift a sheet of tips on how to treat varicose veins? These […] Read the full article →
my boss made me leave a note at a grave, work experience vs. good college, and more by Alison Green on December 16, 2021 I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My boss made me leave a work-related note at the grave of my bereaved coworker’s relative Three weeks ago one of my coworkers lost a relative. She has been off work on […] Read the full article →
updates: the toxic positivity, the boss neighbor, and more by Alison Green on December 15, 2021 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are four updates from past letter-writers. 1. Manager’s toxic positivity is getting us down I wish I could say that we had an open discussion with the […] Read the full article →
update: should I take my Etsy business off my resume? by Alison Green on December 15, 2021 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer wondering if she should take her Etsy business off her resume? Here’s the update. First of all, I want to thank you for answering my […] Read the full article →
update: can I ask my boss to check on me more regularly so I’ll get more done? by Alison Green on December 15, 2021 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer wondering if she could ask her boss to check on her more regularly so she would get more done? Here’s the update. I wrote to […] Read the full article →
update: the food-criticizing nanny, the week-long retreat, and more by Alison Green on December 15, 2021 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are four updates from past letter-writers. 1. My employee keeps criticizing my food So, I really appreciated the commenter’s perspectives about the opportunity costs involved – in […] Read the full article →
my employee’s work isn’t good — but he’s having a family crisis by Alison Green on December 15, 2021 A reader writes: I manage a junior level employee who started as an intern. “Bran” was fabulous, turning in high-level work quickly and consistently, which was why we asked him to stay on when his internship ended. However, over the past three months, the quality of his work has dipped significantly. We’ve had conversations about […] Read the full article →
update: my manager set up a secret email address using my name by Alison Green on December 15, 2021 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. We have so many updates this year that I’m going to be posting six to seven times a day for the next several weeks — so keep checking […] Read the full article →
my boss shows up at parties she’s not invited to, I have to pick my own punishment, and more by Alison Green on December 15, 2021 I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. I don’t invite my boss to our work parties but she keeps showing up My team likes to throw parties: once a month we have a sit-down lunch, once a quarter we […] Read the full article →
updates: the “words of essence,” the secretly relocating employee, and more by Alison Green on December 14, 2021 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are four updates from past letter-writers. 1. We start every meeting with “words of essence” and personality types It’s been almost a year since I first wrote […] Read the full article →