do I need to work with the woman my father had an affair with? by Alison Green on April 22, 2019 A reader writes: I am employed by a nonprofit that works with low-income students. I love my job and think my doing it has a positive impact on others. I like my boss and coworkers. We also have an employee who kind of works as an assistant who does data input and organizes our lecture […] Read the full article →
I hired a friend and it’s not going well by Alison Green on April 15, 2019 A reader writes: Late last year, when my company had some turnover and we needed a high performer in stat, I weighed the pros and cons and hired a friend, “Mike,” who I had previously managed. He and I had brunch and discussed the friendship and work aspect, but ultimately the benefits to the business […] Read the full article →
should I take a job working for my dad? by Alison Green on March 25, 2019 A reader writes: After almost a decade of working in one industry, I am totally burnt out and desperately longing for a career change. This industry is fairly difficult to get out of (very specific skillset not easily transferable to other jobs) without going back to school, which I don’t have the money for at […] Read the full article →
my husband keeps contacting my coworkers about funding his nonprofit by Alison Green on February 26, 2019 A reader writes: I work for a special district. My husband has been between jobs for several years and decided he wants to found a nonprofit. He has run them successfully before, and I support him. The problem is he wants my agency to be the primary partner for his nonprofit, to the tune of […] Read the full article →
my boyfriend thinks only bad candidates prepare for interviews by Alison Green on January 30, 2019 A reader writes: I (24F) graduated from college two years ago and was lucky enough to fairly quickly find a job in my field. I’m currently still working there, while also attending graduate school part-time. My boyfriend (26M) is currently in his last year of college and has started looking for his first post-college job […] Read the full article →
must I hire a qualified candidate with a ton of baggage? by Alison Green on November 5, 2018 A reader writes: My department recently created a new position. A colleague from another department got wind of this and asked when I planned to advertise the vacancy. I’m in no actual hurry to fill the position, so I said “hopefully by the end of the year.” He let me know that his wife is […] Read the full article →
my husband’s boss/our friend is sleeping with their married department head by Alison Green on September 25, 2018 A reader writes: My husband works for a well-known and well-respected organization. The supervisor of one of his projects, “Jane,” is also a personal friend of ours since before she was promoted. We’re pretty close; we house-sit for each other, etc. Jane broke up with her long-term boyfriend earlier this year because she fell for […] Read the full article →
I accidentally embarrassed my friend’s boss — but I was right about what I said by Alison Green on September 17, 2018 A reader writes: I’m having trouble dealing with fallout from an awkward interaction that took place at work a few days ago. I work in a large organization on an open floor plan. One of my neighbors is Sam, a nice, chatty, younger guy in a different department. We spend a lot of time taking […] Read the full article →
job candidate’s wife keeps contacting me, even after I’ve told her to stop by Alison Green on August 27, 2018 A reader writes: I have a candidate in our hiring process. Due to the industry (skilled trades) I work in, we require a number of safety tickets, orientations, supplemental training, and coordination of flights and camp prior to an employee starting. This candidate, we will call him Bob, seems to be a good fit for […] Read the full article →
is my husband’s chronic unhappiness at work really about him, not his jobs? by Alison Green on August 8, 2018 A reader writes: When it comes to employment / job stability, my husband and I are seemingly polar opposites. We have been together for almost seven years now (married for almost one year), and in that time, he has had six jobs. Of those, the longest he held the same one was for three years. […] Read the full article →