should I tell my boss my coworker is working a second job? by Alison Green on July 13, 2022 A reader writes: I am in a very weird spot with a coworker, I’ll call her Bella. We both work the same job, the only two who do it at a very large corporation. I like adding coworkers to LinkedIn as I work in HR and have kept in touch with many people over the […] Read the full article →
a client pooped in my car, HR person is married to an employee, and more by Alison Green on July 13, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. A client pooped in my company car I (he/they) do intensive case management for folks with severe mental illness and substance abuse at a large agency. Part of my job involves helping these folks do things they’d struggle to do on their own, which sometimes […] Read the full article →
how much training and support should I expect in a job I wasn’t totally qualified for? by Alison Green on July 12, 2022 A reader writes: What expectations for training should I have if I am hired for a job that I’m not totally qualified/trained for? I am working for a nonprofit organization where I have been for the past five years. When I saw the job posting, it sounded like something I would really enjoy doing. I […] Read the full article →
I’m good at my job but I’m worried I’m lazy by Alison Green on July 12, 2022 A reader writes: I have worked in a demanding and creative career for almost 20 years. I have no college degree and no formal training, and I lucked into my first gig due to timing and strategic volunteerism. When I started this work, my only previous experience was in retail and I was desperate to […] Read the full article →
my small open plan office is trying to enforce a semi-quiet work environment and I hate it by Alison Green on July 12, 2022 A reader writes: I started a new job about a month ago. I was referred to the role by a coworker from my previous job, who began working here last year and had nothing but praise for the company. Overall I like the job — I got a small pay bump, the benefits are fantastic, […] Read the full article →
enneagrams in hiring, sheer blouses at work, and more by Alison Green on July 12, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Using enneagrams in hiring Recently a coworker told us that his spouse’s workplace uses enneagrams for hiring decisions. They like to have a certain amount of “numbers” making up their teams (e.g, if a “2” quits, they try to hire another qualified “2” for that […] Read the full article →
updates: my coworker cried and called me militant, and more by Alison Green on July 11, 2022 Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. My coworker cried and called me militant Turns out Jane was only the tip of a very dysfunctional, toxic iceberg filled with bullies and handled really badly by upper management. (Thank you to everyone who gave me advice on first post, I really appreciated the different perspectives.) […] Read the full article →
dealing with domestic abuse in the workplace by Alison Green on July 11, 2022 This is a reprint of a post from 2012. Someone recently suggested reprinting it annually and I think it’s a good idea. In a post about what to do if an employee is being abused at home, commenter Marie left the following comment, which I thought was so powerful that I wanted to post it here […] Read the full article →
my employee didn’t want the post-baby flexibility I arranged for her by Alison Green on July 11, 2022 A reader writes: One of the people on my team announced she was pregnant. I was thrilled for her and wanted to be a supportive manager. Our company is too small to qualify for FMLA but we do have our own program that allows for 12 weeks of paid medical leave. I went beyond that […] Read the full article →
my bosses want our remote team to work out together 3 times a week by Alison Green on July 11, 2022 A reader writes: I work for a very large multi-national publicly traded company. The job itself is great — clear expectations, strong management, excellent IT services, market appropriate pay, and a very generous benefits package. I am on a team of about 20, although I really only interact with three people on a regular basis. […] Read the full article →