it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on May 5, 2023 It’s your Friday good news! 1. “I work in a niche position for a large government agency that has a central headquarters and various offices around the world. When I moved to my current office location 4 years ago, my section had a unique mission to the organization and a large staff who supported that […] Read the full article →
open thread – May 5-6, 2023 by Alison Green on May 5, 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 →
can I comment on personal appointments on people’s calendars, bringing a kid with mono to work, and more by Alison Green on May 5, 2023 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Can I comment on personal appointments on people’s work calendars? Something I’ve wondered about for a while: sometimes I see calendar events on my supervisor’s calendar that are non-work-related, but also not marked as private (so name and location are visible). Is it acceptable to […] Read the full article →
should we put off firing an employee for several months so he doesn’t violate probation? by Alison Green on May 4, 2023 A reader writes: I work at a small, fully remote start up, and I am HR — but wasn’t hired for that, and am learning HR as I go. I generally take care of day-to-day HR responsibilities but am not responsible for higher level personnel decisions. A manager high in the company, Tiffany, has been […] Read the full article →
updates: coworker keeps saying I’m too muscular, work is ruining one of my closest friendships, and more by Alison Green on May 4, 2023 Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. Coworker keeps saying I’m too muscular In the time since you published my letter I went to the director of our clinic, Robert, to ask him if he had any concerns about my appearance, performance, or demeanour. Robert is in fact Jane’s brother-in-law, and he had been […] Read the full article →
how should we handle remote work and extreme weather? by Alison Green on May 4, 2023 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I work for a small nonprofit, and most of our employees telework full-time. They live all over the state, some in urban and some in rural areas. We have been experiencing regular major extreme events (fires, floods, storms, etc.) that have substantial impacts on the […] Read the full article →
inviting only women and LGBTQ+ coworkers to a movie screening, manager wants a video testimonial, and more by Alison Green on May 4, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I invite only women and LGBTQ+ coworkers to a private movie screening? I’m very, very excited about the upcoming release of a particular movie. I’ve been in touch with a theater about a private event on opening night and am in the process of […] Read the full article →
is it unprofessional to take a Zoom call from a treadmill? by Alison Green on May 3, 2023 A reader writes: I’ve noticed an increasing number of employees (from individual contributors to managers or even directors) getting their steps in on a treadmill during Zoom calls. Video is on and they’re bouncing around, even wiping their brows. What is your take? It feels so unprofessional to me. It is quite distracting, and almost […] Read the full article →
my employee cries when she’s frustrated by Alison Green on May 3, 2023 A reader writes: I have an employee whose response when frustrated by a problem is to cry. It started to happen last summer when we were working through her visa renewal process. It was extremely stressful for her so I tried to support her as much as I could. It was uncomfortable for me, because […] Read the full article →
I was rejected after a seven-minute interview by Alison Green on May 3, 2023 A reader writes: I recently applied to a job for which I was well-qualified. The role was with a start-up that’s hoping to shift into doing the type of work I do. My current employer is very well respected in the field, so this start-up likely has a lot to learn from someone in a […] Read the full article →