everyone likes me, so why am I not in the group chat? by Alison Green on March 19, 2025 A reader writes: I started a new job about four months ago in a team of six people in a mid-sized company, and my five immediate coworkers have been nothing but nice and helpful. They answer all of my questions, take lots of time to explain stuff, include me in lunch plans, go out of […] Read the full article →
is it bad for managers to sound frustrated? by Alison Green on March 19, 2025 A reader writes: I’m wondering whether a good boss should ever show impatience. One of my employees, Jane, does a good job. I’ve given her a lot of (well-deserved) praise in public and private, and she’s said she’s happy in her work. However, she made a serious error the other day and when I brought […] Read the full article →
my promotion was pulled after I tried to negotiate the salary by Alison Green on March 19, 2025 A reader writes: I’m writing to you because I believe what happened to me today (literally 30 minutes ago) is a lesson to be learned — though I’m struggling to identify exactly what that lesson is. For the past eight months, I’ve been working for a small company, and I absolutely love my job. In […] Read the full article →
HR changed our performance reviews, do I have to announce my pregnancy at work, and more by Alison Green on March 19, 2025 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I say something about past allegations against a colleague? I started a new position about six months ago, working with partner organizations across the state on community projects. On a recent call, I was surprised to see someone I’ll call Brad. I knew Brad […] Read the full article →
my employee says I have to give her longer breaks because she’s a smoker by Alison Green on March 18, 2025 A reader writes: I own/manage a business, let’s say a retail heath care equipment supply company that is located in a larger health care campus. I have multiple employees, and for a six-hour shift they get two 15-minute breaks. It isn’t intense or overly physically exhausting work, but I realize it is nice to step […] Read the full article →
can I back out after accepting a job? by Alison Green on March 18, 2025 A reader writes: What do you owe a company when you accept a position? Is it ever okay to leave a good job only a few weeks after starting? I worked for a decade in an industry I loved, then burned out hard and left for a better-paying sector. For the past 18 months, I’ve […] Read the full article →
my coworker isn’t willing to tell a teenager helper that he’s accidentally killing all our fish by Alison Green on March 18, 2025 A reader writes: I work in the five-person office of a large pre-school. My colleague, Amy, keeps a five-gallon fish tank near her desk with between two and four fish in it. The tank is in full view of the office door and the lobby beyond. The fish are important to the school; when our […] Read the full article →
board volunteer makes everyone’s jobs harder, can I expect a raise when I’m on a PIP, and more by Alison Green on March 18, 2025 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Our board volunteer makes everyone’s jobs harder I was recently made the chair of the board for a local community service group. The board receives money each year to buy supplies for community service events, but being on the board is a volunteer position (no […] Read the full article →
the wet carpet, the pickle jars, and other stories of final F-you’s to jobs you hated by Alison Green on March 17, 2025 Last week we discussed final F-you’s to jobs or bosses you hated, and here are 18 of the best stories you shared. (Caveat: appearing on this list is not an endorsement of said behavior in every case! Stories are shared primarily for entertainment value.) 1. The revenge A legal secretary at the Big Law firm […] Read the full article →
should managers stay out of private Slack channels? by Alison Green on March 17, 2025 A reader writes: I’m the head of HR for my small(ish) international company. I’m a mixed-race woman and a mom. We have a variety of private Slack channels, including channels for parents, women, people of color, etc. Our people of color channel is a relatively new addition started by an employee who wanted a safe […] Read the full article →