interesting jobs: interview with an ombuds by Alison Green on April 27, 2022 I was recently contacted by someone from the International Ombuds Association, suggesting that Ask a Manager readers might be interested in learning about the work that ombuds (previously called ombudsmen) do. I learned a little more, and it is fascinating! Ombuds help employees navigate workplace conflicts and organizational processes, including helping them identify their concerns […] Read the full article →
I don’t want my new boss to come to my extracurricular event, coworker uses the n-word, and more by Alison Green on April 27, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I don’t want my new boss to come to my extracurricular activity I recently started at a new job after leaving a truly toxic work environment that shredded my mental health. I mostly took it for the opportunity to work with my new boss, who […] Read the full article →
a coworker who I referred to a job is demanding I share my referral bonus with him by Alison Green on April 26, 2022 A reader writes: A couple of months ago, I bumped into a former coworker, Fergus, from my previous company. We chatted for a few minutes and he mentioned he’d recently started a job search because he felt he was underpaid in his current role. He volunteered his salary, which was shockingly low. I did not […] Read the full article →
I found out my employee is job-hunting by Alison Green on April 26, 2022 A reader writes: I ran into a former employee, Cindy, at an association event for my field. Cindy casually mentioned that she is in a job hunting group with Jane, a woman I manage. Apparently it is a very active group — they meet weekly, set goals for numbers of jobs researched and applied to, […] Read the full article →
the CEO is obsessed with me and wants me to be his emotional support by Alison Green on April 26, 2022 A reader writes: Please help me understand what is going on with my role as an executive assistant to the CEO of my company. I’m struggling to understand if this sort of thing is normal and I wasn’t prepared for it or if something is actually wrong here. Some days are okay but I’m feeling […] Read the full article →
new boss monitors our LinkedIn profiles, I prepared for a video interview and didn’t need to, and more by Alison Green on April 26, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My new boss said he monitors our LinkedIn profiles I’m a department head who finds himself getting the short straw in a department consolidation. Not a huge problem, as we’re merging three teams into one and not everybody can be in charge. What is a […] Read the full article →
I’m not productive every single minute of every day by Alison Green on April 25, 2022 A reader writes: Recently, our vice president decided she wanted to start time tracking for our department. She has positioned this as wanting to gain a better understanding of which of our internal clients are taking up the most of our time, and what type of work we are doing, which I can definitely see […] Read the full article →
Administrative Professionals Day is weird by Alison Green on April 25, 2022 Administrative Professionals Day is Wednesday, and it’s time for it to go. If it were used to draw attention to the need for administrative support staff to be paid fairly, that would be great. But too often it’s a day where admins receive flowers and lunch, then return to jobs where their contributions are undervalued […] Read the full article →
how should we respond to complaints about a non-binary guest in the bathrooms? by Alison Green on April 25, 2022 A reader writes: I manage a high end resort-like property that has a mix of short term guests (vacationers) and long-term guests (residents). We aren’t big enough for a separate HR department, so that usually falls to me and/or our CFO. Our amenities such as the fitness center, clubhouse, and the pool/spa are open to […] Read the full article →
making a friend at work, people ask why I’m still wearing a mask, and more by Alison Green on April 25, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I want to turn a professional contact into a friend Part of my job includes going to different branches of the company I work for and present trainings relating to the roll out of a new program. At the most recent training, the point person […] Read the full article →