my coworkers are annoyed when I’m 2-3 minutes late to meetings by Alison Green on September 20, 2023 A reader writes: I am generally reliable and conscientious in my job, but sometimes I am slightly late to meetings. (Shock! Horror!) By slightly late, I mean two or three minutes. I work remotely, so these are all virtual calls, usually with video. Frequently, at about two minutes after the start time, a coworker will […] Read the full article →
coworker ruined my white sweater, the person who confirms my employment dates gets it wrong, and more by Alison Green on September 20, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Senior coworker ruined my white sweater I am writing you at 2:30 am about an incident that happened a few years ago and occasionally gets replayed in my head on sleepless nights like this one. I was a new addition to a tight-knit team of […] Read the full article →
can you ask to see your future workspace before accepting a job offer? by Alison Green on September 19, 2023 A reader writes: Is there a way to ask to see your future workspace before you accept a job offer or at some point in the interview process, without it being strange? Several years ago I accepted a job that I would never have taken if I had known I would be spending all day, […] Read the full article →
how do I find a job in another city without moving there first? by Alison Green on September 19, 2023 A reader writes: I’m actively trying to move out of my current city – it’s overpriced here, most of my friends have moved away, I hate the weather, and I’m just ready for a change. I don’t have one particular place I’m hoping to move to; I’m open to a lot of destinations, depending on […] Read the full article →
all the men I work with go on an annual camping trip together, and women aren’t allowed by Alison Green on September 19, 2023 A reader writes: I work at a religiously-affiliated single-sex secondary school in the U.S. (all male). About 65% of our faculty is male, compared with the 35% of us who are female (myself included). For 40 years, each year after school lets out for the summer, the men who teach and work here organize an […] Read the full article →
my boss saw me sneaking out early, coworker insists he’s “crystal clear” when he’s not, and more by Alison Green on September 19, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss saw me sneaking out early After a week of absolute hell (I seriously damaged my brand new car, my home was burgled and my babysitter quit all in the same week) and work has been the busiest it has ever been with little […] Read the full article →
can I turn down business lunches as an intern? by Alison Green on September 18, 2023 A reader writes: I’m in the last semester of my junior year at college and just started an internship this month that I’m really enjoying. For context, I applied for a different internship that was not customer-facing, and after my Zoom call with HR was asked to interview for an internship on the team who […] Read the full article →
my coworker thinks I should be available 24/7 since I work from home by Alison Green on September 18, 2023 A reader writes: I work at a small company, almost completely from home. I go into the office about twice a month, and for the most part, it’s been a dream. I am vastly more productive and have found that my mental health has improved drastically. Since the transition, I have done everything I can […] Read the full article →
I want my coworker to stop giving me “psychic messages” from my dead family members by Alison Green on September 18, 2023 A reader writes: I’ve worked at my current company for six years. In that time, I befriended a coworker (Rebecca) who, to be honest, seemed very lonely but was sweet. We had some things in common and she sat with me at lunch sometimes. We’re completely remote now, but the two of us would still […] Read the full article →
training an insecure coworker, our pumping room is being taken over for chair massages, and more by Alison Green on September 18, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Training a fragile, insecure coworker has become Too Much I have been trying to train a new(ish) coworker, Perdita, for just over a year, but she seems to be languishing and getting unhappier all the time. I have no authority over Perdita, don’t work directly […] Read the full article →