can I ask for proof that my employee tried to find coverage, boss interrupts me, and more by Alison Green on May 24, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I ask my employees for proof that she asked other employees to take her shift? I am a shift manager at a fast food restaurant. I have a question that my manager seems to be avoiding. Today an employee (Emily) texted me that she […] Read the full article →
can I give 2 weeks notice when my employer says they “expect” 4 weeks? by Alison Green on May 23, 2023 A reader writes: I work at a large healthcare system and I am exploring new opportunities. We have a resignation policy that states that salaried employees (I fall into that category) are expected to give at least four weeks written notice of resignation. Additionally, it includes that personnel records will reflect if someone leaves before […] Read the full article →
want a job? cool, there are 17 interviews… by Alison Green on May 23, 2023 Most people who are looking for a job welcome an invitation to interview and are pleased if they’re invited back for a second round. But what happens when the process extends to third, fourth, fifth, and even more interviews? Increasingly, that’s what job seekers are encountering, and it’s leaving them frustrated and exhausted. In the […] Read the full article →
my coworker got drunk and punched another coworker in the parking lot by Alison Green on May 23, 2023 A reader writes: I’ve been ruminating about a situation that happened at a previous workplace, and I’m wondering if I behaved appropriately or if there’s anything else I should have done. This job started as an internship, but I was eventually offered a permanent role at a higher salary. This company was in the retail […] Read the full article →
I got in trouble for overstepping at work, bringing luggage to an interview, and more by Alison Green on May 23, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I got in trouble for overstepping at work It’s been 18 years since my last job. I was a stay-at-home mother of five, but I was also stuck in a seriously abusive relationship; he prevented me from doing anything. After finally escaping him in 2019, […] Read the full article →
why do people insist on writing an entire message in the email subject line? by Alison Green on May 22, 2023 A reader writes: I have a low stakes question, but it irritates me to no end. I have three colleagues who all insist on writing the body of their email in the subject line (unless it doesn’t fit, in which case it will be half in the subject and half in the body of the […] Read the full article →
is a performance improvement plan always going to end with the person being fired? by Alison Green on May 22, 2023 A reader writes: Can you talk about the right way to use performance improvement plans (PIPs)? I’ve heard other managers talk about them as if they’re just paperwork because by the time you’re using one, firing the person is mostly a foregone conclusion. I’m uncomfortable with that and it seems unfair to the employee. Shouldn’t […] Read the full article →
my employee has to deal with men constantly getting crushes on her by Alison Green on May 22, 2023 A reader writes: I’m a woman who owns a very small company and rent time/space in a shared environment with many other small business owners. We are all there whenever we are — first come, first served. Open space, open territory, sometimes sharing space. The only person I oversee is my employee, I have no […] Read the full article →
employee is missing the mark with our dress code, manager keeps delaying our team off-site, and more by Alison Green on May 22, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employee is missing the mark with our dress code My direct report has been very open about being on the autism spectrum and having some learning disabilities. I’ve been working with him closely to provide regular feedback and coaching on a few performance issues. […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – May 20-21, 2023 by Alison Green on May 19, 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: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers, by Jesse Q. Sutanto. An older woman with busybody tendencies finds a dead body in her small […] Read the full article →