can I secretly book time off for my partner to take her on a surprise trip? by Alison Green on August 27, 2024 A reader writes: I’m looking to book a birthday getaway for myself and my partner in the next few months. It is nothing extreme, just a long weekend away that might require a Friday and a Monday off. I’d like to keep it a surprise until the week of the getaway. Would it be inappropriate […] Read the full article →
my friend is in trouble for attendance issues caused by her dad being sick by Alison Green on May 23, 2024 A reader writes: I’m wondering if you have any advice on encouraging a coworker (or former coworker) to stand up for themselves. I have a feeling there’s not a lot I can do, but I feel so helpless watching this situation. My former coworker and friend, Jane, is still at the job where we met. […] Read the full article →
I’m supposed to fire my husband’s ex-wife by Alison Green on May 21, 2024 A reader writes: I have recently accepted a job I am excited about. I have been working a long time to get to this level of position. I am taking a week off before starting my new position. While I was interviewing for the new position, they mentioned that one of my potential direct reports, […] Read the full article →
friend drama may collide with job hunt by Alison Green on April 25, 2024 A reader writes: I have a friend, Jane, who I used to be close to, but in the past few years she’s been very hot and cold, going through periods of being almost clingy and then turning on a dime to become unresponsive or even kind of annoyed that I’m talking to her. This has […] Read the full article →
I manage my sister, and she overshares about her breaks and sick time by Alison Green on April 10, 2024 A reader writes: I’m hoping you can help me with this conundrum. This situation is complicated by the fact that this is a family business, and all employees are my relatives and/or their romantic partners, but we have virtual assistant team members (independent contractors or third party services) who are party to these conversations. Background: […] Read the full article →
my friends are entitled contractors who are overstepping work boundaries by Alison Green on March 11, 2024 A reader writes: I have two friends, Drake and Josh, who I know from a retail job I had years ago. Drake and Josh work as contractors for Company A, which holds a big event at the end of every quarter. Company A holds the event across multiple cities at various venues and hires contractors […] Read the full article →
I might run into the person whose life I ruined at a work event by Alison Green on March 5, 2024 A reader writes: Almost a decade ago, I found out my fiancé (who I had been with for many years) was still with Sarah, the woman he had been dating for years before we got together — the one he told me he had broken up with to date me. It broke my heart and […] Read the full article →
how much can I pet my cat on video calls? by Alison Green on January 31, 2024 A reader writes: I have a somewhat low-stakes question that has been puzzling me lately. I’m wondering where the line is for interactions between me and my cat on Zoom calls. What is professional and what is not? My team is informal, with no dress code, and we sometimes show off our cats on video […] Read the full article →
how to work with a friend who has stopped talking to me by Alison Green on January 30, 2024 A reader writes: I could use help with handling a work friendship that is going through some ick. Lou is a remote worker (now in another country) whom I have never met in person. Shortly after he started a few years ago, we became close friends even with that distance. We’ve provided personal and professional […] Read the full article →
my rich friend is oblivious when he talks about money … and I’m at a breaking point by Alison Green on November 21, 2023 A reader writes: I’m writing for help because you’re the best writer I can think of who delivers the right words in the right way. My issue is workplace-adjacent without it actually being about a coworker. I’m at the end of my rope with friend, someone who I’ve known for 25 years, who is deeply […] Read the full article →