it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on September 16, 2022 It’s your Friday good news! 1. “I spent the past 8.5 years in an interesting but emotionally draining management role, with 6 of those years based overseas. In January 2020, we moved to my husband’s home state for him to take a fantastic new job; I was offered a short-term remote contract by my overseas […] Read the full article →
open thread – September 16-17, 2022 by Alison Green on September 16, 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 →
manager only invites senior employees to drinks, smoking on camera, and more by Alison Green on September 16, 2022 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Manager only invites senior employees to drinks I am one of the most junior employees at a pretty small firm. (I am not junior for my field, I’m quite seasoned, just one of the more junior on this particular team.) We are almost entirely remote, […] Read the full article →
an employer “challenged” me and other applicants to work for free for 2 weeks by Alison Green on September 15, 2022 A reader writes: I applied for a position with a company that specializes in the sustainability and environmental sector and received the below email as a response. Am I totally off-base to think that (A) this is FAR too much to do for free in lieu of a traditional interview process, and (B) they are […] Read the full article →
dealing with a problematic member of a board games group by Alison Green on September 15, 2022 Here’s an example of how clear, direct communication can solve problems in all areas of life, not just work. A reader writes: I wanted to write and say thank you. I am part of a local board games group, and started to run the group a while ago. It’s a great group of people who […] Read the full article →
what gifts should we give employees when nothing has universal appeal? by Alison Green on September 15, 2022 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: One of my responsibilities is overseeing the year-end employee gifts — planning, choosing, ordering, delivering, etc. It’s a lot and I’ve struggled to find the best way to go about it. We have about 200 employees scattered over a large regional area, and many are […] Read the full article →
my boss changes her mind after I’ve already started a project, how common is swearing at work, and more by Alison Green on September 15, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss changes her instructions after I’ve already starting working on a project After having a few different managers in my current role, I now have a manager I love. I’ve been reporting to her for just over a year and it’s been great — […] Read the full article →
I stood up to a sexist coworker who wanted me to take all the notes for a team I’m not even on by Alison Green on September 14, 2022 A reader writes: Your recent letter about office housekeeping and calendar invites reminded me of an incident that happened at work about a year ago. I am the director of architecture for a company and work closely with a man who is my peer, the director of construction — we both directly report to the […] Read the full article →
update: my coworker refuses to wear a mask by Alison Green on September 14, 2022 Remember the letter-writer whose coworker refused to wear a mask, despite the company mask policy? The first update was here, and here’s the latest. I wrote to you last year about a non-masking coworker, and wanted to provide a second happy update, if I may. First, I wanted to say thank you for publishing my question, […] Read the full article →
I can’t escape Halloween Town by Alison Green on September 14, 2022 A reader writes: I live in a small city which doesn’t have many employment opportunities. The city has a high unemployment rate, and it’s rare to find work that isn’t in shops, farming, etc. Six years ago, the city council launched a project to fund start-up business ideas for marginalized individuals, including those with disabilities. […] Read the full article →