coworker sent me his racy photography page, do I need to give my coworkers gifts, and more by Alison Green on January 6, 2023 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Coworker sent me his photography page — and it’s mostly racy portraits of women I’m a woman in my late twenties and I work at an entirely remote company of about 250 people, although we get together for events once or twice a year and […] Read the full article →
can I get my coworker to stop using awful corporate jargon? by Alison Green on January 5, 2023 A reader writes: I was reading NPR and caught this amusing article on banned words, as in the annoying slang/jargon/buzzwords (ugh, “buzzwords”) that people are painfully sick of hearing. It made me think of a coworker who has a deep addiction to the word “touch-base,” substituting it for “meeting” at every conceivable opportunity. I have […] Read the full article →
my employee doesn’t want to come to work when it snows by Alison Green on January 5, 2023 A reader writes: Last year one of my employees had attendance problems related to various stressors involving family members, illness, car trouble, winter weather, etc. Some of these stressors were quite significant; others were the sort of thing most of us would power through and handle after our workday was over. His frequent, last-minute absences […] Read the full article →
are more companies bringing people back to the office? by Alison Green on January 5, 2023 In the last couple of months, dozens of tech companies have announced they’re requiring employees to spend more days in the office — including companies that previously had gone “default remote” but now expect people to be on-site at least part of the week. Some observers have speculated that companies are doing this to encourage […] Read the full article →
my boss hates my “question authority” sticker, my temp’s eyes glaze over whenever I talk, and more by Alison Green on January 5, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss hated my “question authority” bumper sticker You recently posted an old letter from a guy who had a “fat girls can’t jump” bumper sticker on his truck and he was facing HR complaints about it. This made me think about something that happened […] Read the full article →
my boss said my posture is too casual for the office by Alison Green on January 4, 2023 A reader writes: In June, I was really lucky to do a work experience with my state electorate’s representative (I’m not American but I live in a western country). While I certainly got some invaluable experience and built up my skills, I felt like I was treated slightly harshly by my boss, the aforementioned politician. […] Read the full article →
I don’t have enough work for my employees by Alison Green on January 4, 2023 A reader writes: I am the owner of a small business with a small team of three under me. Our work is seasonal, with a very busy period for seven months of the year and little to do for the other five. During the quiet period, I feel a huge amount of stress to create […] Read the full article →
can I hold a job applicant’s proselytizing email signature against them? by Alison Green on January 4, 2023 A reader writes: I’m curious about your thoughts on a situation that I encountered recently. I conducted an initial interview with a candidate for a part-time position whose email address and signature caught my attention. The email came from an explicitly religious domain — think Name@JesusSaves.com or Name@ChristDiedForYou.com. A little research revealed that this address […] Read the full article →
I caught my boss listening at my door, using a fake name for job hunting, and more by Alison Green on January 4, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I caught my boss listening at my door I have been a manager for more than 20 years. I started at a new company about three months ago. About a week and a half ago, I was having a meeting with my team of two […] Read the full article →
my coworker and I attend the same sex club by Alison Green on January 3, 2023 A reader writes: In the context of talking about sex positivity in some of the advising we do, it came out that my coworker and I go to the same sex club. She has not been since pre-Covid but is planning to return soon with her partner. I meanwhile go almost every weekend. We are […] Read the full article →