can I negotiate a later schedule before accepting a job? by Alison Green on March 19, 2024 A reader writes: Are hours ever negotiable? I’m in the late stages of interviewing for what I honestly think is my dream job: I love the team, the manager, the work, everything about it, and the salary is a huge step up from what I’m making now. But I am leaning towards turning it down […] Read the full article →
how to ask for more vacation time by Alison Green on March 19, 2024 It will come as a surprise to exactly no one that Americans don’t get enough vacation time from their employers. The average American worker in private industry gets only 11 paid vacation days after a year of employment (plus, generally, federal holidays and paid sick leave). That’s awfully stingy compared to how much leave workers […] Read the full article →
my satellite team resents that we don’t get the perks offered at our headquarters by Alison Green on March 19, 2024 A reader writes: I manage a small team (less than 10) in a small city that is a three-hour drive from the company’s main site and headquarters, which is in a large urban area. Due to nature of our work, all my employees need to be on-site, but I try to be liberal with letting […] Read the full article →
coworkers complained it’s not fair that I miss meetings, boss makes awkward comments about money, and more by Alison Green on March 19, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. When a job offer will require learning a new language and is 5,500 miles away My spouse was invited to apply for an academic professor job at a university 5,500 miles away (different continent and hemisphere!). He passed the first interview with the department he’d […] Read the full article →
the fake union organizer, the lemon zest, and other Machiavellian triumphs at work by Alison Green on March 18, 2024 Last week, I asked about Machiavellian things you’ve seen or done at work. There were so many amazing stories shared that I couldn’t fit my favorites in one post. Here’s part one, and part two is coming later this week. 1. The store credit I worked in a specialty retail industry for many years. It’s […] Read the full article →
my coworker doesn’t take the hint that she’s interrupting me by Alison Green on March 18, 2024 A reader writes: My company is generally pretty casual, collegial, and “open-door.” An employee on my team (not a direct report, but I review a lot of her work and am senior to her) who seems to lack a lot of common sense about professional norms has a tendency to walk right into my office […] Read the full article →
my kind, caring colleague wants to heal my MS by Alison Green on March 18, 2024 A reader writes: I was recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis after a long period of treatment for increasing pain, joint deformation, and immobility. After the diagnosis, I told my boss, HR, and the team of four that I manage. Since I don’t want this to be seen as weird or embarrassing or something to tiptoe […] Read the full article →
we’re supposed to send compliments for Women’s History Month, Glassdoor can un-anonymize you, and more by Alison Green on March 18, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. We’re supposed to send compliments for Women’s History Month I wanted your take on this because for reasons I can’t entirely explain, it feels “icky” to me. We received an email today through our D&I committee about a new Praise function in Teams that the […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – March 16-17, 2024 by Alison Green on March 15, 2024 This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: The Wife App, by Carolyn Mackler. Three friends create an app to monetize the mental load women typically carry for men. * I make […] Read the full article →
open thread – March 15-16, 2024 by Alison Green on March 15, 2024 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to take your questions to […] Read the full article →