weekend open thread – April 1-2, 2023 by Alison Green on March 31, 2023 This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: Sam, by Allegra Goodman. This follows Sam from age seven though young adulthood as she navigates a father who comes and goes, a mother […] Read the full article →
it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on March 31, 2023 It’s your Friday good news! 1. “I’m a long-time reader of your site and wanted to thank you for your work. It has been a huge influence in my success as a manager. I am a woman without a degree, working in a departmental leadership role in higher ed. My department has been good to […] Read the full article →
open thread – March 31-April 1, 2023 by Alison Green on March 31, 2023 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 →
quitting right after a party, mentioning nude modeling at work, and more by Alison Green on March 31, 2023 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Can I quit right after a fancy work party? Is it a good idea to wait to submit my notice until the Monday after a big work party on Saturday? I desperately want to quit my job. My coworkers are friendly and the workplace is […] Read the full article →
should our raises be late just because our performance reviews are late? by Alison Green on March 30, 2023 A reader writes: I work for a small company. The leadership and many members of the team, myself included, left another, much larger company three years ago to start this firm. I’ve gotten great annual pay increases at the new small company! But my gripe is that they don’t seem to be pegged to any […] Read the full article →
update: should I report my fatphobic boss or am I being too sensitive? by Alison Green on March 30, 2023 Remember the letter-writer wondering whether to report her fatphobic boss? Here’s the update. As a recap, I was really struggling with my grandboss, Miranda, and her lack of boundaries, particularly about my changing body after I had a medical issue and procedure that resulted in me losing about 100 pounds. I’m doing well now health-wise […] Read the full article →
what are the best and worst pranks you’ve seen at work? by Alison Green on March 30, 2023 In preparation for April Fools’ Day on Saturday, let’s discuss pranks at work. One thing I’ve learned writing this column is that pranks are a lot more controversial than I’d previously realized. Some people see all pranks as inherently mean-spirited and thus never okay at work. I’d argue, though, that plenty of pranks aren’t mean-spirited, land […] Read the full article →
interviewer asked about my religion, I get hassled for work favors when I’m off-duty, and more by Alison Green on March 30, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Interviewer asked about my religion, then sent me a defensive email when I complained I have been a nonprofit executive for many years. After the pandemic, I stepped back for a little while to focus on my family while we grieved some significant losses that […] Read the full article →
employee says his religion prevents him from using the correct pronouns for trans or non-binary coworkers by Alison Green on March 29, 2023 A reader writes: I’ve got an older employee who has been very forthright with me about his opinion of LGTBQAI2+ people based on his conservative religious beliefs. He says he doesn’t have a problem working with them, but problems started when I explained that if we ever hired someone in our department who identified as […] Read the full article →
updates: my entry-level employee gave me a bunch of off-base “constructive criticism,” and more by Alison Green on March 29, 2023 Here are four updates from past letter-writers. 1. Is it weird to have my video on if everyone else’s is off? (#3 at the link) This is just a quick update on the Zoom etiquette question I had last year. I found both your input and readers’ feedback helpful! I hadn’t considered the privacy issues, […] Read the full article →