Ask a Manager

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I warn a store that my relative who they’re about to hire steals from them? This may be a bit of a weird question, but I know someone who is about to be hired at a corner store that we both frequent. The issue […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I ask for a phone interview before investing time in an in-person interview? I work at a growing tech company. I like the work and my colleagues and I make a decent living. My skills fall neatly into searchable buckets, so recruiters often reach […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I ever push back when an employee calls in sick? As someone’s supervisor, are there ever limits on someone using their sick leave if they have it to use? We’ve had employees tell us “my allergies are acting up today” or “I have to […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How do I train my staff to be comfortable figuring things out on their own? I’ve been a manager for a few years now, and I’ve been working hard to build my bench. I seem to keep running into assigning an employee a new task […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss thinks I’m his graphic designer I’ve been working at this chocolate shop for about six months now. It’s pretty slow and easygoing so I have a lot of free time. I remember the owner asking during the interview what I do for fun, […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker brags about how rich he is and tries to put others down I have a coworker who constantly brags about how rich he is. His family is well-known in the area and it’s common knowledge he got the job at our nonprofit because […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can you work from home while caring for small children? I have a friend who is currently working from home full-time with her toddler around. She’s been managing so far, planning her work day around his naps and the feast/famine workload. She would like to […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Office lunch event is out of control Once a month, my mother and her coworkers coordinate a potluck to celebrate birthdays and other special events. “Potluck” is the terminology my mother uses, although it does not sound like a typical potluck to me. These lunches […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My husband’s boss says he can’t expense my meals My husband gets per diem for trip meals — it’s a “you can spend up to this amount for each eligible meal” kind of deal. He uses a company card and submits an expense report to […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss shakes hands with men, but fist-bumps with women My manager does this thing that annoys me but I don’t know if I should address it or just let it go. Whenever he says goodbye to my male colleagues, he shakes their hand. Whenever […]