coworker scrolls on her phone in meetings, employee freezes out women who reject him, and more by Alison Green on September 16, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I tell my coworker to stop scrolling on her phone in meetings? I’m writing to ask how to handle a coworker who is constantly texting in meetings — virtual, in-person, the works. She doesn’t try to hide her phone and is often scrolling in […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – September 14-15, 2024 by Alison Green on September 13, 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: Colored Television, by Danzy Senna. An author struggling to finish her book gets sidetracked by Hollywood. It’s a satirical take on race, marriage, career, […] Read the full article →
open thread – September 13, 2024 by Alison Green on September 13, 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 →
asking for a hotel room far from coworkers, asking about camera culture in an interview by Alison Green on September 13, 2024 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Can I ask for a hotel room far from my coworkers when traveling for a conference? I recently completed my professional degree and licensure in my field, and have been getting a lot of support from my employer in establishing myself. In about a year, […] Read the full article →
when is it OK to quit without notice? by Alison Green on September 12, 2024 A reader writes: I’ve read your advice that two weeks’ notice before quitting is the professional standard, because it “provides time for you to wrap up projects and transition them to whoever will be covering them in the interim.” In general, I agree. But what about in situations where you couldn’t possibly “wrap up” anything […] Read the full article →
a resigning employee gave me the best gift by Alison Green on September 12, 2024 A reader writes: I am a manager, and I’ve heard you speak many times about how the best gift to a manager is a personal note about how the work we’ve done is appreciated by those who report to us. I wanted to share an experience I have recently had that underscores your point. I […] Read the full article →
let’s talk about times when speaking up as a group got something changed at work by Alison Green on September 12, 2024 We talk a lot here about times when you need to band together with coworkers to push back on something as a group — an unfair policy, a problematic process, or anything that you’ll have more luck changing if you speak up as a group rather than as an individual. (Here’s advice on how to […] Read the full article →
my boss told me to be less harsh, ex-employee didn’t check the mail, and more by Alison Green on September 12, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss told me to be less harsh but I think it was a miscommunication Yesterday, I had the rare honor of crying in front of my boss. He pulled me aside to gently ask me to rein in my big and sarcastic sense of […] Read the full article →
a nonprofit kept badgering me to interview their disabled client by Alison Green on September 11, 2024 A reader writes: I’ve read the many times you’ve talked about how to not annoy hiring managers or badger them, but I’m wondering if I’m finding my situation a little too annoying. We’re hiring for a very specific type of job that requires a skill set that we don’t have the time or resources to […] Read the full article →
update: my boss reprimanded me for not answering an email … in four minutes by Alison Green on September 11, 2024 Remember the letter-writer whose boss reprimanded them for not answering an email in four minutes? Here’s the update. Your response was really helpful. Martha had already fucked with my head so much that she really had me doubting myself — so much so, that I honestly thought you might take her side and ask me, […] Read the full article →