June 2023

my coworker keeps asking me for personal favors

A reader writes: I need some advice regarding a colleague who is becoming very needy and dependent on me, and is making me uncomfortable. She constantly asks me for personal favors, while I have never asked her for anything. Let me list out the things she’s asked of me, and the stuff I have done […]

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update: how do I avoid “mom energy” with my younger employees?

It’s a special “where are you now?” season at Ask a Manager and I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer asking how to avoid “mom energy” with her younger employees after one called her “mom”? Here’s the update. I have an update. Buckle up. After […]

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updates: telling recruiters I wouldn’t move to a state that discriminates, new boss says everything is “fun,” and more

It’s a special “where are you now?” season at Ask a Manager and I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. Telling recruiters I wouldn’t move to a state that discriminates I was able to use language very similar to what […]

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update: how do we fire someone who refuses to talk to us?

It’s a special “where are you now?” season at Ask a Manager and I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the church that needed to fire someone who refused to talk to any members of their personnel committee and kept calling their attempts to meet “non-consensual” (#2 at […]

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can I say I can’t come to the office because of my dog, our “unlimited” vacation is really just three weeks, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I say I can’t come into the office because I have to look after my dog? I’ve been in a new job about three months now. It’s a huge improvement on where I was before (a very toxic workplace with ridiculous expectations and no work/life balance). […]

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