employees drinking on the job and the ethics of firing without warning by Alison Green on May 12, 2011 A reader writes: I’m the GM of a small company. I have 2 employees who handle important parts of the company. I started at the company 4 years after them so have leaned on them to teach me the “ins & outs” of the company. Since they were both very capable I never took the […] Read the full article →
how to fire an employee with a bad attitude by Alison Green on January 3, 2011 A reader writes: I have an employee who has been doing her job OK but has a bad attitude and is dragging everyone down. I know that you can’t fire someone just because they “have a bad attitude” so what is the best way to let her go? I am going to keep someone who […] Read the full article →
manager borrowed money, refused to repay it, then fired me by Alison Green on October 7, 2010 This is long but really outrageous. A reader writes: I was fired from my job 3 months ago. The reason I was given was “due to personality conflicts with your supervisor,” which was shocking, considering that we were actually were pretty close in the office. I had been there longer then her and anyone else, […] Read the full article →
how to explain you were fired, when interviewing by Alison Green on October 4, 2010 If you were fired from a recent job, you’re probably dreading being asked about it in an interview. Is there any way to tell the truth without killing your chances of getting the job? Fortunately, yes. There are five keys to handling this well: 1. First, before you can formulate a good answer for why […] Read the full article →
how do you replace an employee who doesn’t know she’s being fired? by Alison Green on August 13, 2010 A reader writes: I’ve been going through your archives to see if you had any advice on replacing a current employee before they know they are being replaced, when that employee is HR. In a small company with one HR person we certainly can’t place an ad — and they want to have viable candidates […] Read the full article →
no one told me my coworker was fired by Alison Green on November 18, 2009 A reader writes: Yesterday I found out through coworkers that one of our managers left/was fired (closer to the latter, I think… I have heard he was in a “you need to show improvement in three months” situation which ended this week). His name is still on his office, and his things are still here, […] Read the full article →
should I include a job I was fired from on my resume? by Alison Green on October 18, 2009 A reader writes: I was just terminated from my job. I was five days before being off probation and two days away from my first big job event (I plan and run conferences). Without any prior notice, meeting, or confrontation, I was ushered into my department head’s office and told that in order to make […] Read the full article →
firing an employee of 27 years by Alison Green on October 14, 2009 A reader writes: My husband is a wonderful dentist, but has not been exactly the best manager. He has a small office with one employee who has been there for 27 years. When she started 27 years ago he sent her a general confirmation letter that stated her salary at the time and time off. […] Read the full article →
career counselor is advising me to lie by Alison Green on September 1, 2009 A reader writes: I was told by a career counselor that if asked in an interview why I left my previous job I should answer that I was laid off. I was actually fired, but the company did not dispute my claim for unemployment so I am now collecting. I feel to tell an interviewer […] Read the full article →
which employee should be let go? by Alison Green on July 29, 2009 A reader writes: I supervise a staff of 5 people as part of a team that was just created within the organization since the beginning of the year. Two of them are constantly bickering between themselves and each runs to me with complaints about the other. I have tried coaching and mediating with the two […] Read the full article →