my manager died, and one of my coworkers didn’t go to the funeral by Alison Green on March 17, 2025 A reader writes: My manager was one of the good ones, completely trusted their team, didn’t micromanage, would support and defend us, and was just generally a friendly person. Their death was sudden and devastating to a lot of people, to say the least. Our team is fewer than 10 people, and most had worked […] Read the full article →
should I apologize for my coworker’s behavior at a conference, professional acquaintance messaged me on a dating app, and more by Alison Green on March 17, 2025 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I apologize for my coworker’s behavior at a conference? Recently, I attended an industry conference hosted by an important client. People in my field from across the country attended for purposes of brainstorming and networking. I attended with a senior colleague from my company, […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – March 15-16, 2025 by Alison Green on March 14, 2025 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: The Rachel Incident, by Caroline O’Donoghue. A best friendship is upended when one of the friends begins an affair with a married professor. […] Read the full article →
open thread – March 14, 2025 by Alison Green on March 14, 2025 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 →
should people be fired for big, public mistakes; managing a former friend; and more by Alison Green on March 14, 2025 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. Should people be fired for big, public mistakes? I’m curious about your thoughts on Major League Baseball’s recent blunder. They released a new series of hats that have the logo imposed on top of the team location. For the Texas Rangers, they did not think […] Read the full article →
how do I stop caring about my job? by Alison Green on March 13, 2025 A reader writes: I am a mother of three young children. Several years ago I took a step back in my career to work in a less high-pressure environment. The shift was incredible for my work life balance — I am much more present with my children, rarely bring home work stress, and am able […] Read the full article →
updates: humor as the boss, the apology for snapping, and more by Alison Green on March 13, 2025 Here are three updates from past letter-writers. 1. Does using humor risk undermining me as a manager? Thank you so much for responding to my question! In truth, I didn’t even consider the possibility that using too many self-deprecating jokes would alter my employee’s perception of me, I was mainly focused on the quantity of […] Read the full article →
let’s discuss final F-you’s to jobs or bosses you hated by Alison Green on March 13, 2025 Most of the time when you leave a job you hated, you do it professionally — you give notice, you transition your work, you move on, even when there’s malice deep in your heart. But sometimes you get the opportunity to go out with a bit more verve — for example, the person who quit […] Read the full article →
employee struggling to identify accommodations to do her job, cold-calling for internships, and more by Alison Green on March 13, 2025 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Employee can’t figure out what accommodations would help her do her job I work at a small organization where I wear many hats, including HR-related items. We have an employee, Nicole, who shared with us about a year ago that she was diagnosed with some […] Read the full article →
what’s the deal with one-way recorded video interviews? by Alison Green on March 12, 2025 A reader writes: Over the past year, I’ve been applying for jobs and have been invited for some interviews. I’ve noticed that a few of the places that I’ve applied to responded to my application by requesting a pre-recorded video interview. I’m really put off by this practice. I would need to find the time […] Read the full article →