what’s the weirdest thing your company has done in the name of boosting productivity? by Alison Green on October 27, 2022 What’s the weirdest or most misguided thing your company has done in the name of boosting productivity? To start us off, here are some stories that readers shared recently: • “My company is on a big kick right now with a raffle happening this quarter. If you do certain things you get a ticket and […] Read the full article →
everyone at my company golfs, employee is freezing out a manager after he joked about King Charles, and more by Alison Green on October 27, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Everyone at my company golfs I work at a company where everyone golfs. The sales team golfs, the underwriters golf, and most of all the C-Suite golfs. When we have all-company meetings, the president makes jokes about the VP’s golf score. When I’m in line […] Read the full article →
can I tell my boss I’m a bad fit for my job? by Alison Green on October 26, 2022 A reader writes: Since early 2021, I have been working as an administrative assistant in a fairly specific field (think a specialized field within a larger industry). I changed jobs in June of this year, as my previous role was only part-time and that wasn’t working out for me. There were some other culture issues […] Read the full article →
update: my company wants me to work Halloween and I’m a Halloween fanatic by Alison Green on October 26, 2022 Remember the letter-writer last year who was a Halloween fanatic but their company wanted them to work on Halloween? Here’s the update. I’m happy to report that I still love the job AND … I have Halloween off this year! The same project is happening again, and it was agreed that I would do a […] Read the full article →
my mysterious boss disappears for hours and can’t be reached by Alison Green on October 26, 2022 A reader writes: I work on a small team. The nature of my job means that I often need to check in with other team members about my projects before moving forward. I also regularly need to contact my manager, Dave, to get info/data that only he is authorized to pull. Unfortunately, Dave is frequently […] Read the full article →
my workload is higher because my coworker is pregnant, coworker made up an elaborate lie about a cruise ship, and more by Alison Green on October 26, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should my workload be higher because my coworker is pregnant? This is my first corporate job and I am unsure if I am being an asshole. I work in the IT industry at a big company, but our team at this office is only two […] Read the full article →
my coworker is teasing me with a mascot of an animal I’m scared of by Alison Green on October 25, 2022 A reader writes: I work for a school, and our mascot is an animal most people find lovely – think of a lion or a puppy. In past years, we’ve had a very large stuffed toy of our mascot that travels between homerooms a few times a month, usually to celebrate a homeroom that has […] Read the full article →
my employee’s mental health is affecting her work by Alison Green on October 25, 2022 A reader writes: My employee has been working with my team for nearly two years. She’s bright, friendly, willing to learn, and hard-working — when she’s well. We have a friendly relationship, and she has disclosed to me that she suffers from bipolar disorder. She has not asked for official accommodations, but she’s been taking […] Read the full article →
my mom tells me to go to work sick, never take time off, and fear being fired every day by Alison Green on October 25, 2022 A reader writes: My mom once told me that what she does, and what I should do, is “go into work every single day convinced they are going to fire you if you make a mistake.” Also, a few years ago my mom had so much PTO accrued that HR told her that she legally […] Read the full article →
how to ask to sit with my friends, employee misses key details in meetings, and more by Alison Green on October 25, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How to professionally ask, “can I sit with my friends?” I’m in my early career, in my mid 20’s, and I work in one of the several small office areas in a manufacturing facility. I sit in an area with six other desks which used […] Read the full article →