my coworker won’t stop telling me that I smell by Alison Green on October 14, 2024 I’m off today. This was originally published in 2017. A reader writes: I enjoy wearing perfume, but tend to stick to indie oil scents, since the smell tends to stick closer to my skin (so, in theory, I don’t bother my coworkers) and also because I seem to be sensitive to the alcohol that a […] Read the full article →
we have public shamings about how often we say “um” and “uh” by Alison Green on October 14, 2024 I’m off today. This was originally published in 2017. A reader writes: Every month, my work has a “pep rally” where the whole staff gets together to highlight what’s going on in each department. My boss, the executive director, has recently decided she wants to cure everyone of using the words “um,” “uh,” and “like” […] Read the full article →
we say grace at team meals, is it unethical to automate people’s jobs away, and more by Alison Green on October 14, 2024 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. We’re supposed to say grace at the start of team meals I work in government. Fairly new to job, first time in government. Been in private sector and higher education before this. Every time my department has a group meal, they say grace. Led by […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – October 12-13, 2024 by Alison Green on October 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. Read the full article →
open thread – October 11, 2024 by Alison Green on October 11, 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 →
new boss has a different work style, hanging a photo of the president in your office, and more by Alison Green on October 11, 2024 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. My new boss has a different work style than my old boss I’ve been in my job for three years under James. I’ve liked working with him and have learned a lot. The work is fairly strategic in nature, and James often asked for multiple […] Read the full article →
my boss says we can’t call out sick any sooner than 2 hours before our shift by Alison Green on October 10, 2024 A reader writes: I work in retail. Today, a coworker was out, which prompted my boss to go over the policy for calling out sick. She explained that employees have to call out two hours before their shift starts, which seemed reasonable. However, she also said that we shouldn’t call out more than two hours […] Read the full article →
update: boss wants us to do early-morning and evening meetings so he can attend from his vacation by Alison Green on October 10, 2024 Remember the letter-writer whose boss wanted them to do early-morning and evening meetings so he could attend from his vacation? Here’s the update. My question was posted a couple months after I wrote in, toward the end of my boss’s “vacation,” but I ended up doing some of what was recommended. The particular issue I […] Read the full article →
have you seen Halloween go wrong at work? by Alison Green on October 10, 2024 I’m writing a column for later this month about the ways Halloween at work can go wrong and want to hear your stories. Did your coworker get fired for refusing to remove his unicorn mask to get through security? Did your office put up decorations so grisly that they were traumatizing people? Did a coworker […] Read the full article →
disgruntled ex-employee keeps contacting current staff, a toxic friend, and more by Alison Green on October 10, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Disgruntled ex-employee keeps contacting current employees We had an employee, Lark, who served as a director in our business for about eight months. She chose to put in her notice and leave the company this summer. During her tenure, she repeatedly told several members of […] Read the full article →