when terrible work systems become sacred by Alison Green on October 17, 2024 I once worked for an organization where, years before, an IT person had created a database in an obscure coding language. He was long gone and no one knew how to make changes to it but the CEO loved it so we weren’t allowed to replace it, despite it being central to our work. Nearly […] Read the full article →
am I too old-fashioned about how I schedule calls, feedback said my enthusiasm can seem too aggressive, and more by Alison Green on October 17, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Am I being too old-fashioned about how I schedule calls? I work for a mid-sized media company. My job includes emailing people outside of the office to set up a time for me to interview them for content that I write. I keep an old-fashioned […] Read the full article →
our in-office employees are upset that they have to use more sick days than our remote workers by Alison Green on October 16, 2024 A reader writes: I’m the staff liaison to the board for updating the HR policies at a nonprofit where we’re transitioning to independence from our fiscal sponsor. We’re a small, mission-driven team, and while some roles could technically be remote, we all truly prefer to work on-site due to the collaborative nature of our work […] Read the full article →
our new hires keep quitting after their first week by Alison Green on October 16, 2024 A reader writes: Several times recently, we’ve had new graduates accept a job at our company, then quit after their first week with no notice. Should I say something about how unprofessional this is, or let them learn the hard lesson on their own? Or can we do something during the hiring profess to make […] Read the full article →
the company I want to work for employs a guy who’s abusive to women on dating apps by Alison Green on October 16, 2024 A reader writes: I have a tricky situation involving prior sexual harassment/creepy behavior by a potential future coworker at a job I’m applying for. A year ago, I matched with a man on a dating app who works in my (very small) field. The conversation was pleasant but we never met up and eventually lost […] Read the full article →
new employee isn’t cut out for the job, former boss blasts his music, and more by Alison Green on October 16, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Telling a new employee he’s not cut out for the job I began managing a new team last month. The team is very green — over half graduated less than two years ago. In the last two years, this department only had a manager for […] Read the full article →
coworker’s wife works remotely from our non-remote office by Alison Green on October 15, 2024 A reader writes: Weird thing just came up at my work that I’d be curious to hear you weigh in on. I work at a university that is 100% in-person, on-the-ground. My colleague Fergus has an office in an obscure little corner of the building. We rarely see him come in and out, and he […] Read the full article →
how to ask for a raise and get it by Alison Green on October 15, 2024 I’m always surprised by how many people tell me they’ve gone their career without ever asking for a raise. Sometimes they feel awkward starting the conversation or aren’t sure when the right time to broach it is, or they’re not sure how much is reasonable to ask for, or they’re even worried they’ll seem greedy. […] Read the full article →
new manager is angry that I’m pregnant by Alison Green on October 15, 2024 A reader writes: I’ve just gone through a long interview process for a job I was referred to a while back. I have not been actively applying for jobs because I am pregnant but this one came to me. During the process, I realized this is the best job I’ve ever been considered for — […] Read the full article →
my coworker does extreme sports when she’s out sick, asking to skip a performance review, and more by Alison Green on October 15, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker does extreme sports whenever she’s out sick I have a coworker, “Pattie,” who has a remote work accommodation due to a mental health diagnosis. For the past year, she has been chronically late to meetings, missed deadlines, and been difficult to reach. This […] Read the full article →