employee isn’t clearing decisions with me, I don’t want baby gifts, and more by Alison Green on March 27, 2025 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employee isn’t clearing decisions with me and argued with me at a staff meeting I am the executive director of a nonprofit, without any formal management training. I raised $1.5 million last year and we now have some new staff people, including a male […] Read the full article →
how to get people to answer my questions, without sounding rude or snarky by Alison Green on March 26, 2025 A reader writes: I need help figuring out how to point out to someone they haven’t answered my question in a way that doesn’t sound rude. I’m a 40-year-old woman who has recently been diagnosed with both ADHD and auditory processing disorder. I’ve found that this is the reason why I have a hard time […] Read the full article →
update: my boss never praises my work by Alison Green on March 26, 2025 Remember the letter-writer whose boss never praised their work? Here’s the update. My undying thanks to you and all the commentariat for your compassionate take and excellent advice: I needed to get out of that job. It was advice that didn’t land well at the time, because my morale was so shot that I didn’t […] Read the full article →
my employee wants us to stop ordering “unhealthy snacks” by Alison Green on March 26, 2025 A reader writes: I work in a small workplace, we’re about 40 employees. When I started at the company about five years ago, I started ordering granola bars and some treats. Then I started adding on some fizzy drinks and then progressed to some other snacks, like nuts, fruits, and cookies. None of this is […] Read the full article →
coworker doesn’t want to report our boss for harassment, I accidentally let a contact think my dad is still alive, and more by Alison Green on March 26, 2025 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker doesn’t want to report our boss for harassment Recently a coworker shared information with me about some pretty egregious sexual comments our mutual boss made. My personal feeling is that she needs to share this with HR and/or our company leadership team (we […] Read the full article →
were we wrong not to interview a volunteer for a paid job? by Alison Green on March 25, 2025 A reader writes: I would really love your opinion on how we handled this hiring process — and on the subsequent fallout. I work for a public library that has a very large volunteer base and a small paid staff. When we have a job opening, which is rare, volunteers are welcome to apply. We […] Read the full article →
are these men hitting on me, or legitimate business contacts? by Alison Green on March 25, 2025 A reader writes: In the past year or two, quite a few people (typically middle-aged men) have been reaching out to me via LinkedIn (I am a 20-something woman) trying to recruit me. While I do have a lot of experience, I’m wondering if it’s odd that some of these professionals are reaching out to […] Read the full article →
my coworkers won’t answer their phones, ever by Alison Green on March 25, 2025 A reader writes: I feel bananas asking this, but could you give me a read on how/whether people still use phones in office/remote office work in 2025? I have a fully remote, customer-focused job for a tiny organization, and no one on my team will use phones. I have the most customer interactions and am […] Read the full article →
mentee was fired for using a vulgar term, asking candidates which position in a band they’d choose, and more by Alison Green on March 25, 2025 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My mentee was fired for using a vulgar term I work in a regulated industry and there are specific education and license requirements to work here. My company has a mentorship program for those who are new to the industry. I am one of those […] Read the full article →
the pinstripe suits, the fancy espresso machine, and other weird hills coworkers chose to die on by Alison Green on March 24, 2025 Last week we talked about weird hills to die on — people who became so strongly committed to a minor fight that they lost all sight of logic and decorum — and here are 10 of my favorite stories you shared. 1. The newsletter Our Fortune 500 company hosted a weekend company-wide softball tourney, which […] Read the full article →