should I tell my employee she needs to give a clearer “no” to a client who’s interested in her? by Alison Green on September 27, 2023 A reader writes: I own a fitness studio, and one of my instructors is a senior in college, Emma. For several weeks, she only had one client for an early morning class that she teaches, a guy I’ll call Ryan. I know this client; he’s a nice guy in his early 20’s and a bit […] Read the full article →
CEO said she “can’t stand” me in a public Slack message, can smoking keep you from getting hired, and more by Alison Green on September 27, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. CEO said she “can’t stand” me in a public Slack message Two years ago, I was recruited to a team I had long admired and knew well through a shared network. I was excited to join, and my initial six months were extremely positive and […] Read the full article →
I’m 25 and don’t want a full-time job by Alison Green on September 26, 2023 A reader writes: I’m 25 and have never worked a full-time job before, and very much do not want to change that. I’m not disabled, but with the amount of time I’d spend working and then coming home exhausted and unmotivated, I worry that I won’t be able to keep up with basic chores around […] Read the full article →
why don’t we do a better job of training managers? by Alison Green on September 26, 2023 Why don’t we do a better job of training managers? How effectively a team is managed has a huge impact on what results it achieves … so it’s bizarre that we routinely throw people into management roles without any training whatsoever or with training that’s woefully insufficient. At Slate today, I wrote about why it’s […] Read the full article →
my boss is abusive and blames it on PMDD by Alison Green on September 26, 2023 A reader writes: There’s no easy way to say this so I’ll be blunt: My department director, Katherine, has created a horrible work environment because of her unmanageable PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder). As a woman, I do not want to reduce Katherine’s education, expertise in this field, and actually great work she’s done down to […] Read the full article →
I was told I’m socializing too much with another team, two employees arrested for embezzling, and more by Alison Green on September 26, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I’ve been told I’m socializing too much with other teams I have been at my current job for a year and have been struggling with fitting in. I think there’s a big culture difference than what I’m used to, and I’ve also dealt with a lot […] Read the full article →
can I tell the office jerk not to talk to me outside of work? by Alison Green on September 25, 2023 A reader writes: The organization I work for is based in a small rural community, so it’s not uncommon to turn up to something like an exercise class, community event, or supermarket and find yourself face to face with someone from work. Quite often, that also ends up being the person at work who makes […] Read the full article →
my client is always late paying me by Alison Green on September 25, 2023 A reader writes: One of my clients, a creative agency, has always had issues paying my invoices on time, but it’s getting worse. Every single time I send an invoice, I have to go back and remind them to pay me. It’s a great company, but I’m starting to get frustrated that I can’t send […] Read the full article →
my employee says he’s “already thought of” every suggestion I make by Alison Green on September 25, 2023 A reader writes: I’ve got an odd situation happening with a male staff member on my team. I’m his boss and a woman. We are similar in age (I’m a couple of years older), and he has more experience in specific areas of his work than I do, and I have more expertise in other […] Read the full article →
I’m worried a colleague will burn herself out, coworkers are hassling me about using disposable containers, and more by Alison Green on September 25, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I’m worried my care manager will burn herself out I am very lucky to live in a place where I get a lot of help from various places and people for my significant disabilities. For years, I managed it all myself, but about 18 months […] Read the full article →