my coworkers keep asking about my assault by Alison Green on April 12, 2023 A reader writes: I’m an executive assistant at an accounting firm, which means that this time of year I’m averaging between 60-70 hours a week. By nature of spending that much time with them, I’m much closer with my coworkers than I have been at any other workplace. I was recently assaulted after a horrible […] Read the full article →
can I tell employees not to bring partners on work trips, coworkers ostracizing a former friend, and more by Alison Green on April 12, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I prohibit employees from bringing partners on work trips? My team recently wrapped up a big project that included flying to another city for a week of meetings. One of my newer staff mentioned that they were going to bring their partner on the […] Read the full article →
work is ruining one of my closest friendships by Alison Green on April 11, 2023 A reader writes: I started at my company five years ago, around the same time as another new hire, Jill. We were on different teams and our responsibilities didn’t overlap at all, but as two newbies around the same age and with similar interests, we quickly formed a bond. Over the years our friendship has […] Read the full article →
my employee isn’t doing her job … but I think she’s being abused by Alison Green on April 11, 2023 A reader writes: I manage a very seasonal business, one where I can only retain one person in the off-season, as we can’t afford (nor have the work for) anyone else during that time. In my six years here, we’ve built up a good core staff who return most years, and I’ve promoted one person […] Read the full article →
how much money do you make? by Alison Green on April 11, 2023 It’s hard to get real-world information about what jobs pay. Online salary websites are often inaccurate, and people can get weird when you ask them directly. So to take some of the mystery out of salaries, it’s the annual Ask a Manager salary survey. Fill out the form below to anonymously share your salary and […] Read the full article →
telling a coworker “that’s none of your business,” my team is mocking a coworker’s virginity, and more by Alison Green on April 11, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker asks questions that are none of her business I have a coworker who frequently asks me questions that aren’t a big deal but aren’t any of her business either. We’re on the same team, have equal responsibilities, and report to the same manager, […] Read the full article →
can I refuse a reference check that’s taking too long? by Alison Green on April 10, 2023 A reader writes: I’m in a role where I regularly manage students, so I get asked to give references frequently. A former intern reached out to me this week asking me to be a reference, and I got a call from HR at their prospective employer (for a very entry-level role). The reference questions were […] Read the full article →
should managers ever push back when employees call in sick? by Alison Green on April 10, 2023 A reader writes: Should there ever be limits on someone using their sick leave if they have it available to use? We’ve had employees tell us “my allergies are acting up today” or “I have to stay home to make sure my pipes don’t freeze.” I don’t want to be in the business of questioning […] Read the full article →
someone or something is deleting our work emails by Alison Green on April 10, 2023 A reader writes: My coworker, Jane, and I share a common Outlook mailbox and the emails get sorted out to each team member chronologically. Example: first email gets assigned to me, second email gets assigned to Jane, third email gets assigned to me, fourth email gets assigned to Jane. And so on. We can tell […] Read the full article →
I feel horrible about reporting my boss’s tax fraud, limits on employee computer monitoring, and more by Alison Green on April 10, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I feel horrible about reporting my boss’s tax fraud I recently left a job I loved dearly because my boss stopped paying me. We had a great relationship leading up to that, so when she said she couldn’t pay me and then flipped out because […] Read the full article →