if I don’t accept calendar invitations, will people assume I won’t be at meetings? by Alison Green on September 9, 2021 A reader writes: Something happened this morning and I’m wondering if you can settle it: Am I a mega jerk for the way I manage meeting requests? If someone does not actively decline a meeting request, is that meeting request assumed to be accepted? Here’s what happened: – I had a one-on-one meeting scheduled at […] Read the full article →
disgusting shared fridges, loud talkers, and other things we haven’t missed about the office by Alison Green on September 9, 2021 I’ve mentioned here before that my mail changed drastically when the pandemic started, and stayed changed until very recently. I normally receive loads of letters about all the ways that working with other people can be annoying — whether it’s the coworker who takes all his phone calls on speaker phone to the reliably disgusting […] Read the full article →
how can I ease the transition back to working from the office? by Alison Green on September 9, 2021 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: As many offices start to bring employees back, what do you recommend employees do to ease the transition back into the office? Both for themselves and their colleagues? I miss the office, but I’ve gotten really settled into my 100% telework life and I know […] Read the full article →
compliments I don’t deserve, people keep giving me plants, and more by Alison Green on September 9, 2021 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My colleagues keep complimenting me on a job poorly done I recently had to present some of my work to a client, and they absolutely hated it. They were extremely passive aggressive and rolled their eyes when I tried to suggest solutions. I eventually just […] Read the full article →
the intern who set up a cot and other stories of internships gone wrong by Alison Green on September 8, 2021 With summer internships ending, here are 10 of the most intriguing intern stories that readers have shared in the past. But first, for the record, most interns are great! But when things go wrong, they tend to really go wrong. Read these with nostalgia for what it’s like to be new to the work world. […] Read the full article →
my employees have been mocking a coworker behind his back by Alison Green on September 8, 2021 A reader writes: I’m a young business owner and new manager, and I could use your advice. We recently had an employee (we’ll call him Alex) resign to take on a new position. He left on a good note. While I was creating a backup of his company computer, I came across Skype conversations where […] Read the full article →
should I explain I quit on my second day because my coworker was overwhelmingly difficult? by Alison Green on September 8, 2021 A reader writes: I quit a job three months ago and I keep running into the board members who hired me. I lied about why I quit because it was such an insane reason I didn’t know what to do. My boyfriend says I should have been honest, but I wouldn’t know where to start. […] Read the full article →
my boss asked us to share deeply painful experiences, smelly candles, and more by Alison Green on September 8, 2021 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss asked us to share deeply painful experiences I work as a teacher at a nonprofit charter school that is strongly oriented around a mission of racial equity and empowerment. Today, our new principal opened a professional development session about mindfulness with an activity […] Read the full article →
update: I accidentally threw condoms all over my interviewer’s desk by Alison Green on September 7, 2021 Remember the letter-writer who accidentally tossed condoms all over his interviewer’s desk? He had mentioned in the comments that he had been contacted for a second interview, and here’s the update. I’m so thrilled to already have an update for you about the infamous Condom Throwing Incident. First things first: I GOT THE JOB! The […] Read the full article →
how soon is too soon to leave a panic job? by Alison Green on September 7, 2021 A reader writes: I took an “any port in a storm” type job due to the pandemic and am wondering what comes next. The background: After suddenly losing my job last year, I was thrown into an urgent job hunt. Four months ago, I landed a job with a decent salary, doing much the same […] Read the full article →