Mortification Week: the haunting, the scone, and other stories to cringe over by Alison Green on August 10, 2023 It’s Mortification Week at Ask a Manager and all week long we’ve been revisiting ways we’ve mortified ourselves at work. Here’s the final installment — 14 more mortifying stories people have shared here over the years. 1. The haunting Many years ago, I was 18, working for Disney on a college program as a Custodial […] Read the full article →
updates: the exploding volunteer organization, the tax fraud boss, and more by Alison Green on August 10, 2023 Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. The organization I volunteer with is exploding in drama and rage-quitting Thank you for publishing your thoughtful answer to my question – I have an update to share. After a week of hemorrhaging volunteers from the program and generally being taken to task by those who were […] Read the full article →
discuss: times when you recovered from mistakes at work by Alison Green on August 10, 2023 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question — and it’s an appropriate one for Mortification Week. A reader writes: I’m one of those people who tends to catastrophize internally when I realize I’ve made a mistake at work. I’d love an ask-the-readers post where people are invited to share times that they’ve made mistakes at […] Read the full article →
new job’s insurance doesn’t cover my medication, a 6 a.m. training, and more by Alison Green on August 10, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My new job’s insurance doesn’t cover my medication My husband and I take Wegovy, which is a weight loss drug that has stirred up a lot of controversy. My healthy diet is finally working now that I don’t have to deal with insulin resistance and […] Read the full article →
Mortification Week: the fake accent, storm warning, and more by Alison Green on August 9, 2023 It’s Mortification Week at Ask a Manager and all week long we’ll be revisiting ways we’ve mortified ourselves at work. Here are 15 more mortifying stories. 1. The mistake I once told a colleague in my field (“John”) that “it was great to hear” of another colleague (“Dan”)’s recent death … which was NOT AT […] Read the full article →
update: how transparent should we be with an employee about why we’re not promoting him? by Alison Green on August 9, 2023 Remember the letter-writer asking how transparent to be with an employee about why they’re not promoting him? Here’s the update. Thanks for responding to my letter and thanks to readers for commenting. Yes, I am aware that it is ridiculous the nepotism policy isn’t better worded. Unfortunately changing that policy is not within my power […] Read the full article →
Mortification Week: the creepy playhouse, the inexplicable insult, and other stories to cringe over by Alison Green on August 9, 2023 It’s Mortification Week at Ask a Manager and all week long we’ll be revisiting ways we’ve mortified ourselves at work. Here are 14 mortifying stories to kick off today. 1. The kitty playhouse This situation still makes me cringe. My first professional experience after college was a national service position, which meant we were poorly […] Read the full article →
boss says I can’t be good at my job because I have a kid, asking to switch desks, and more by Alison Green on August 9, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss says people can’t be good at their jobs if they have kids or sick relatives I just started working for a busy nonprofit. My manager, Aria, is overworked and stressed out, frequently working 10-12 hour days, and often working weekends. She seems to […] Read the full article →
Mortification Week: the cat race car driver, the terrible headline, and more by Alison Green on August 8, 2023 It’s Mortification Week at Ask a Manager and all week long we’ll be revisiting ways we’ve mortified ourselves at work. Here are 13 more mortifying stories. 1. The typo, part 1 I used to hire for call center-type work and got an applicant once who, when talking about their previous experience, said that at an […] Read the full article →
you need to do these 10 things before you resign by Alison Green on August 8, 2023 If you’re preparing to quit your job, you’re probably most focused on the resignation conversation itself — telling your boss and your team that you’re leaving. But before you take that step, here are ten things you should do first to ensure an easy transition. 1. Make sure you know how your company typically handles […] Read the full article →