it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on June 3, 2022 It’s your Friday good news! 1. “I have a success story that happened on Friday the 13th, of all things. I work in the office three days a week and usually have two appointments Friday afternoon that I can do from home. On Thursday, I prepared all the necessary documents and took them home so […] Read the full article →
open thread – June 3-4, 2022 by Alison Green on June 3, 2022 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to take your questions to […] Read the full article →
suspended for Covid-related absences, cost of gas is making my commute impossible, and more by Alison Green on June 3, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Suspended for Covid-related absences I have a friend who works at a large, reputable nonprofit organization that provides education and support services to vulnerable folks in our community. She is in college while working full time with an hourly wage because her employer offers tuition […] Read the full article →
how do you tell a company that this is truly your dream company/job? by Alison Green on June 2, 2022 A reader writes: I have a second interview with a company I have been working towards my entire career. They only hire experienced candidates, and I’m finally at that level. I’ve also freelanced for this company, which was a wonderful experience. How should I — or should I do this at all? — tell them […] Read the full article →
updates: teaching with cancer, moving in with a coworker, and more by Alison Green on June 2, 2022 Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. Teaching with a cancer diagnosis (#5 at the link) I wrote to you at the end of last year, wondering if I should share my breast cancer diagnosis with my college students. I was concerned about burdening them. You and the commenters were beyond helpful. I read […] Read the full article →
how do office relaxation/recharge rooms work? by Alison Green on June 2, 2022 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’ve convinced my boss to dedicate a spare office to a recharge/relaxation room, to give employees a place to unwind, get away from their cube mates, meditate, make a private phone call, stretch, etc. It would also serve as a private location for nursing moms […] Read the full article →
did my mom ruin my chances for a job, my ex’s now-wife applied for a job on my small team, and more by Alison Green on June 2, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Did my mom ruin my chances for a job? I applied for an IT position at a hospital that my mother has worked at for nearly 30 years as a nurse. When I told her I was applying in casual conversation, my mom was adamant […] Read the full article →
what’s up with unannounced video calls? by Alison Green on June 1, 2022 A reader writes: I have started a new position in my company that includes being onboarded onto a new team with a (to me) utterly nonsensical practice. It appears to be the culture to randomly, spontaneously pull other team members into video calls without any forewarning or context. I hate it! I’ve had it happen […] Read the full article →
my employee insists at leaving at 5 on the dot — and is missing deadlines by Alison Green on June 1, 2022 A reader writes: I manage a large team. Most of the team members are hard working, dedicated, and open to putting in extra hours when it’s occasionally needed to compete tasks. However, I have one employee, Lisa, who leaves at 5 p.m. on the dot regardless of whether or not the job is competed. The […] Read the full article →
our uniform policy is ludicrous and pisses me off constantly by Alison Green on June 1, 2022 A reader writes: I am an engineering manager in a manufacturing plant, which is a customer- and executive-facing role. Our plant has a uniform policy that requires all employees to wear a shirt with a company logo and jeans. In a sister plant (same company), office workers and managers are not required to wear the […] Read the full article →