my store is doing great because I’m breaking all our policies by Alison Green on February 15, 2024 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I have been the manager of a clothing retailer (think along the lines of Forever 21, H&M, etc.) for two-ish years. Unfortunately, the brand at large is not doing very well. My store, however, has outdone our performance metrics by over 400% and for the […] Read the full article →
we have to walk almost a block to get water for our coffee, my coworker is never here, and more by Alison Green on February 15, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. We have to walk almost a block to get water for our coffee machine I work for a large company, and my office has seven people in it. The company has placed a Keurig machine in each office and provides pods for employees to use […] Read the full article →
the drunken voicemail, the press release revenge, and other stories of workplace romance gone wrong … and right by Alison Green on February 14, 2024 Last week you shared stories about office romance gone wrong — and gone right. For Valentine’s Day, here are 10 of my favorites. ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 1. The voicemail I used to work for a pretty toxic consulting organization that had a culture that was […] Read the full article →
my former employee lied to get a new job — should I do anything? by Alison Green on February 14, 2024 A reader writes: Recently I became aware that a former employee of mine had landed a new job with a new employer. Kudos to him! But the job he got is well beyond his abilities and experience, by about 10 years. He jumped about three levels, to an equivalent level to mine. Curious, I checked […] Read the full article →
my new employer made me take a personality test and my results were horrible by Alison Green on February 14, 2024 A reader writes: Before I signed on for my new job, I agreed to do a couple of personality tests. My new employer said it was to get a sense of how to work with me and my strengths and weaknesses. They stressed that my hiring wouldn’t depend on the result and did not send […] Read the full article →
fired coworker left us all a church flyer and a link to her music, is Mardi Gras OK for work, and more by Alison Green on February 14, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My fired coworker left us all a bible quote, a church flyer, and a link to her music About a week ago, a colleague, “Bridget,” was let go. She was brand new to the workforce and the job was not a good fit. After six […] Read the full article →
I was rejected because I told my interviewer I never make mistakes by Alison Green on February 13, 2024 A reader writes: I was rejected from a role for not answering an interview question. I had all the skills they asked for, and the recruiter and hiring manager loved me. I had a final round of interviews — a peer on the hiring team, a peer from another team that I would work closely […] Read the full article →
employee wants a higher raise than she earned by Alison Green on February 13, 2024 A reader writes: I have an employee whose yearly review I am working to wrap up. After the initial review, we usually discuss a raise, based on what was discussed in the review. We typically would expect a 2-5% raise for this person. I got an email from her requesting a 13.15% raise. I don’t […] Read the full article →
is it normal to cancel days off for a resigning employee? by Alison Green on February 13, 2024 A reader writes: I am a new manager, though I’ve led individual contributors on project-based work for a large part of my career. My direct manager, “Sam,” said something puzzling to me last week and I’ve been chewing on it all weekend. One of my direct reports, “Drew,” put in their two-week notice on Monday. […] Read the full article →
I’m stuck in a job I can’t quit, an X-rated view from my office window, and more by Alison Green on February 13, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I’m stuck in a job I can’t quit A few months ago, my wife and I moved long distances so I could take a management job with a pay bump and better annual raises. The company also paid for the relocation. It seemed like a […] Read the full article →