Ask a Manager

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Manager says I have to come in even though my doctor says to stay home My company has just increased the number of days we’re expected to be in office. We were fully remote for two years during the pandemic, so the shift to hybrid […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should managers have to train professionals on basic computer skills? We have an ongoing debate in my office – is a manager responsible for training an employee on non-essential but generally required skills? For example, my partner and I provide our new attorneys training in […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I opt out of AI assistants in meetings? In large Zoom meetings, I’ve noticed a coworker using an AI assistant to transcribe and take notes. While I understand the desire to use these kinds of tools on an ease and accessibility level, everything about […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Do I have to give notice when my boss is an abusive jerk? I have worked at my current job over three years. I am in the legal field and, because of the small geographic area, most of the people in this field know each […]

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. How do I stop being so aggravated by a coworker? I have a coworker who is a kind person with a lot of great qualities. They’re good at their job and an asset to the team. There is, of course, a big BUT: I find […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should my employee provide any explanation for her repeated last-minute time off? One of my employees, Ciera, has been regularly requesting her PTO at the last minute over the past few months. For example, she’ll submit a request over the weekend to have Monday off […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How can I get out of group photos at work? I work in a department where the staff work remotely most of the time. We do have monthly and quarterly meetings where everyone is required to work on-site and the occasional optional staff party or […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employee says I’m triggering their unresolved trauma I have a question as to how to manage a direct report who has admitted that they have self esteem issues resulting from unresolved childhood trauma. It is evident in any dealings with them that they struggle […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Church member at my job wants help raising money for a bad idea I work for a small church, of which I am also a member. Laurel has been a member for many years and works as a freelance bookkeeper. For many years, the church […]

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker won’t answer my boss’s questions I work for a very small department within a bigger group. I have one coworker (Jane) and a boss (Amanda), and the boss also manages about eight others who are in a bigger department. My role is small and […]