an acquaintance blabbed when I sent him a confidential email … and now I might become his boss by Alison Green on May 5, 2022 A reader writes: I have been approached by a mid-size private company, Company X, for what would be my first IT executive role. As part of my due diligence on the company, I have been quietly reaching out to my network where I know people who work there or used to work there or have […] Read the full article →
updates: the filmed pregnancy announcement, the dress code, and more by Alison Green on May 5, 2022 Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. My coworker tried to film her pregnancy announcement and now there is chaos I have a kind of wonderful update. Abby knew I wrote in, so she feels very supported and extends thanks to you all for having her back. For some clarity: all our management team/onsite […] Read the full article →
what kind of leave policy should a small business offer? by Alison Green on May 5, 2022 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’ve only ever worked at small businesses with less than 25 people. During my time as a manager, and now as a small company owner (consulting/professional services type firms), I have struggled to come up with fair policies on things like PTO and family leave that […] Read the full article →
team sleepover, firing abusive clients, and more by Alison Green on May 5, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My team is having a weekend sleepover at a coworker’s house I just started a new job last month and joined a small team at a big international company. Our team is just 10 people and very tight-knit. Everyone on the team aside from me […] Read the full article →
can I push back on my company’s Mother’s Day activities? by Alison Green on May 4, 2022 A reader writes: I’m a woman who, like many, has experienced infertility and pregnancy loss. It’s made me sensitive to things like work baby showers, certain family-centric holidays, and pregnancy announcements in general. While I realize I have to deal with, well, life and the world around me, I was pleased this year to receive […] Read the full article →
should I hire family members for my new business? by Alison Green on May 4, 2022 A reader writes: I run a popular website and have decided to expand my business by getting office space and taking on two employees. I have never managed anyone in my career, so I know this is going to be a challenge. I am looking to hire someone in a digital marketing role, full-time, and […] Read the full article →
my rock star employee needs time off for health … and her coworkers are complaining by Alison Green on May 4, 2022 A reader writes: I directly manage a team of eight entry-level job employees, who are part of a 175-employee company. My eight employees are the only ones who truly work with every single other employee we have — the rest are separated by departments and don’t mix with other departments very often. I am the […] Read the full article →
I’m on a “positivity” committee, job applicants whose voicemail doesn’t work, and more by Alison Green on May 4, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I want to be a force for good on our “positive culture” committee My large department inside a very large corporation recently went through a fairly chaotic reorganization. The new great-grandboss is organizing a number of committees around building team culture, with areas of focus […] Read the full article →
jobs that require a time-consuming exercise before you can even apply by Alison Green on May 3, 2022 A reader writes: What are your thoughts on tests that are required as part of a job application? I work in marketing/content creation and even though I have a portfolio of samples of my writing work, I have no qualms about generating new material if an employer is truly considering me for a job. Occasionally […] Read the full article →
my coworker is a Zoom pest by Alison Green on May 3, 2022 A reader writes: I am struggling with a colleague and hope you can help me. “Gina” and I work closely together as part of a small sub-team within a larger team, and I have no problems with the professional side of our relationship. My problem is that she is becoming really overly familiar and takes […] Read the full article →