how long will it take to change the culture at my new job? by Alison Green on April 13, 2022 A reader writes: I’ve just started a new job which is much more in line with my interests. It was a step down pay-wise but I believed it would be better for my mental health because it is something I actually enjoy doing. The interviewer was my boss’s boss and has only been with the […] Read the full article →
company singled out a wheelchair user to get us back to the office, work friend shared a private conversation with our boss, and more by Alison Green on April 13, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Our company singled out our coworker in a wheelchair to argue we should return to the office We recently went through a merger and now the new management are trying to get us to come back into the office after working from home successfully over […] Read the full article →
my coworker keeps asking what my clothes cost in front of other colleagues by Alison Green on April 12, 2022 A reader writes: I am relatively new at my job and have a great team who I like very much. I have a teammate we will call Ava. Ava is very young (I am late 30s, she is probably 22-25) and is brand new to the industry I work in and to office culture, I […] Read the full article →
how do I tell an employee that I’m not promoting him? by Alison Green on April 12, 2022 A reader writes: I am in a tough position. I have decided to not fill a position for a team leader rather than hire the sole internal candidate for the role. My reason for not hiring this person is because I need someone who will mentor the new members of the team, and my concern […] Read the full article →
my employee wastes a huge amount of everyone’s time with “helpful” suggestions and questioning by Alison Green on April 12, 2022 A reader writes: I manage four direct reports in addition to my own portfolio. For the most part this is manageable, but one of my employees, Adam, spends a lot of time pointing out inefficiencies and inconsistencies in processes or places where processes don’t exist. Some of it is genuinely helpful feedback, but it generally […] Read the full article →
embarrassing bathroom incident, coworker won’t go to trainings, and more by Alison Green on April 12, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My husband had an embarrassing bathroom incident at work My husband has a digestive disorder where he sometimes has to urgently — like urgently — poop. He works in a big box store and the staff bathroom is inconveniently located up a set of stairs […] Read the full article →
are personal calls OK at work? what if it’s an argument? by Alison Green on April 11, 2022 A reader writes: I have an office with a door that closes, but fairly thin walls. What are the rules on personal calls? Obviously not overly numerous, but the occasional one? I ask because: I made a personal call today that (very unexpectedly) turned into an argument. I kept my voice down and civil in […] Read the full article →
my employee’s work is bad … but he gets a ton of public praise by Alison Green on April 11, 2022 A reader writes: I have an employee who is not performing as well as expected after a year in his role. He is on a development plan and has clear objectives to work towards. He receives monthly feedback (positive and developmental) and we discuss ways I can help him to achieve his objectives. My problem […] Read the full article →
employee doesn’t want to use a name for themselves by Alison Green on April 11, 2022 A reader writes: I manage a team of twelve people within an exponentially larger organization. One of my employees has chosen to longer use a name. Due to past family trauma, they find their old (dead) name painful but have yet to settle on a replacement, preferring to be called nothing at all. While I […] Read the full article →
my company has a “Men’s Forum,” employee responds to feedback by saying her former boss loved her, and more by Alison Green on April 11, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My organization has a “Men’s Forum” My organization recently sent out an email announcing its annual “Men’s Forum” and I immediately felt icky about it. To me, it feels different than a women’s forum or an ERG for minorities because it focuses on a group […] Read the full article →