weekend open thread – March 11-12, 2023 by Alison Green on March 10, 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: All Together Now, by Matthew Norman. A terminally ill man brings his oldest friends together for a final vacation and tries to use […] Read the full article →
it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on March 10, 2023 It’s your Friday good news! 1. “I am so excited to share my own good news update with you. After twelve years in the same role, including six as PhD student, I reached burnout by the end of 2021. My job, though personally rewarding, had no opportunity for professional or financial growth and I didn’t […] Read the full article →
open thread – March 10-11, 2023 by Alison Green on March 10, 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 →
my company pays my rent and they keep forgetting, talking to your boss about the Adderall shortage, and more by Alison Green on March 10, 2023 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Is this a red flag from a new hire? I’ve been the manager of an IT Help Desk for about nine months in my first managerial role. Recently, I hired on a new senior technician (let’s call him Joel) to assist and mentor my three […] Read the full article →
my boss expects me to respond immediately no matter what I’m doing by Alison Green on March 9, 2023 A reader writes: I’m having a hard time with my direct supervisor’s expectations around response time, and I’m not sure how I should adjust or if she needs to adjust. In regards to email, she gets frustrated with our coworkers who don’t respond to her in two hours, and will call if they don’t respond […] Read the full article →
updates: falling asleep on the job, the boss at the barbecue, and more by Alison Green on March 9, 2023 Here are four updates from past letter-writers — including one from a letter from 10 years ago! 1. I fell asleep on the job — on my first day Can’t believe it’s been 10 years already?! Time flies! As far as an update goes, professionally things have been going pretty well, albeit on a different […] Read the full article →
I’m moving from retail to an office job — how can I make it go smoothly? by Alison Green on March 9, 2023 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: This week, I was offered a new job. I’ve accepted, and all being well I start in three weeks’ time. I’m fairly certain it’s an average entry-level office job, but I’m ecstatic because for the past six years, I’ve worked retail and my only other […] Read the full article →
our meetings have a “condolence corner,” my office has a portrait of a child abuser, and more by Alison Green on March 9, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Our all-hands meetings have a “condolence corner” We have a new director who has started doing monthly all-hands meetings. The meetings are fine (general updates) but for the past three months our director has started a “Condolence Corner” where he takes a few minutes to […] Read the full article →
should I have told my coworker his outfit made it look like he was going to a job interview? by Alison Green on March 8, 2023 A reader writes: I ultimately decided to do nothing in this situation, but I’m curious to hear what you think. I have a coworker, let’s call him Keith, who is in his early to mid 20s and joined my company about six months ago. Keith is fresh out of college and very bright and eager. […] Read the full article →
managing a seriously ill employee who’s making mistakes by Alison Green on March 8, 2023 A reader writes: My team’s strongest performer is in the midst of a serious, life-changing health crisis, and this is causing issues with her usually stellar performance. Typically, she requires little to no oversight and exercises astute judgment. However, due to her stress during this time, she is failing to follow standard operating procedures, sending […] Read the full article →