it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on May 26, 2023 It’s your Friday good news! 1. “I’ve been at my current job for two full years and had my annual review recently. I wasn’t nervous for it — I get regular feedback so I went into it already knowing where I stood. But we all fill out our own yearly surveys about our jobs as […] Read the full article →
open thread – May 26-27, 2023 by Alison Green on May 26, 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 →
employee forgets half of what I ask him to do, coworker swore at me in a reply-all, and more by Alison Green on May 26, 2023 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. My employee forgets half of what I ask him to do I have an employee who’s a direct report (my first) with a couple of quirks, but none that causes more issues than this: he just doesn’t listen. I’ll list off five or six things […] Read the full article →
there’s a white noise war in my office by Alison Green on May 25, 2023 A reader writes: When my company mandated a return to in-office work, I did not expect the biggest problem to be the office noise machine. But hear me out. During the pandemic, my company installed a Bose speaker system in the ceilings of our large open office to play white noise (actually brown noise, which […] Read the full article →
updates: the shady investor, the needy boss, and more by Alison Green on May 25, 2023 Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. Should I work with this investor or run for the hills? My letter was actually published the same day I was leaving for a vacation. While I was away, I had some time to really reflect on your response and think through my next steps. What stood […] Read the full article →
how do I come to terms with giving up on my dream job? by Alison Green on May 25, 2023 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I have a very specific training and “dream job,” which for the sake of this question let’s say is archaeology (although it’s not). I’ve been passionate about archaeology since I was a teenager and have both an undergraduate degree and master’s degree in it, as […] Read the full article →
should I leave my job with great benefits, coworker has a quote about weapons in their email signature, and more by Alison Green on May 25, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I leave my job with great benefits but a problem boss? I need some help figuring out if I should stay in my current accounting job, or if I should start job searching. I work for a pretty small business, about 80 people across […] Read the full article →
my job makes me feel like I’m the worst kid in gym class by Alison Green on May 24, 2023 A reader writes: I work a job that is typically considered high-stress in a low-paying industry. My workplace and the satellite offices will get together on days the workplace is closed to clients and take us for a (paid) day of team-building fun. We go bowling, play paintball, go to arcades, that sort of thing, […] Read the full article →
my former employee is badmouthing me to my staff by Alison Green on May 24, 2023 A reader writes: I recently hired an employee in a pinch because we thought he could fill a gap quickly and efficiently, but it turns out he was terrible and either dishonest or in denial about his own skills. He did not listen or follow instructions, and his customer service skills were awful. Many times, […] Read the full article →
my business partners won’t fire their problematic family members by Alison Green on May 24, 2023 A reader writes: Our company has three partners: me, Lou (my husband), and Sarah (our best friend). Lou’s sister, Leah, and Sarah’s younger brother, Bobby, have worked here for over 10 years and basically feel untouchable and do as they please. Leah has made some effort to correct her actions and she primarily works with […] Read the full article →