August 2024

is it bad to request the top of the salary range?

A reader writes: I am interviewing for a job at a different company. It would be a lateral move, but worth it to me given that the new company is more stable and has greater opportunity for advancement. This is a salaried professional position. I think I am well qualified for it, perhaps a little […]

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my employee keeps commenting on my looks

A reader writes: How can I best respond to an employee of mine about his frequent inappropriate comments about my body and looks? I’m worried about inadvertently devolving into “you think I’m hot” territory or drawing even more attention to my body, which makes me very, very uncomfortable. Some recent comments/actions include “You’re bringing sexy […]

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my boss is pressuring me to work more hours … I just came back from stress leave

A reader writes: I recently took a couple of weeks off work because of a work-stress-related mental breakdown, and came back today. Our project is a nightmare — toxic culture, inexperienced leadership, over-budget, understaffed. Brian, our project manager and my grandboss, is responsible for a lot of the problems. He also can’t manage the members […]

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how to respond to “jokes” about age and weight at work

A reader writes: I’m a manager with several supervisors under me. A supervisor was “teased” by one team member for being overweight and by a different one for being “old.” Prior to these comments, the supervisor had told me that she’s watching what she eats and is trying to lose weight. She’s about my age […]

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my team has been stealing from the company

A reader writes: A few days ago, I discovered that at least seven people on my team have been stealing cash across different sites for months. It was deliberate and carefully coordinated and occurred almost daily. They took an average of $30-40 a day so I can’t see how the risk worked out financially after […]

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weekend open thread — August 10-11, 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: Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend, by MJ Wassmer. A couple is trapped at an expensive resort after the sun explodes. * I make a […]

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open thread – August 9, 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 […]

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