my employee talks about people’s weight by Alison Green on May 16, 2024 A reader writes: I’m a female manager of a team. I’m significantly overweight. One of my direct reports has repeatedly made derogatory comments about overweight people to me during the course of conversations, such as “____is a big girl, I mean, she’s really big!” I think that’s rude in general, and I also sense she’s […] Read the full article →
how does maternity leave work, exactly? by Alison Green on May 14, 2024 A reader writes: I hope to get pregnant in the next two or three years and I have realized that I know absolutely nothing about how maternity leave works in the U.S. Do most companies offer paid leave and, if so, for how long? If it’s not paid, how are people taking months off? When […] Read the full article →
I can’t say no to clients and it’s destroying me by Alison Green on May 13, 2024 A reader writes: I’ve run my own business for nine years, and I’ve found financial comfort and fulfillment in my work. This did not come easy. I was barely scraping by the first couple of years. Not anymore. I don’t have to hustle. I have built rapport and trust with steady, well-paying clients who respect […] Read the full article →
I made a bad joke about my new hire by Alison Green on May 7, 2024 A reader writes: I have a new hire who’s coming to the end of his probationary period. Chris is conscientious, smart, and has gelled well with the team. He’s completed his probationary objectives with time to spare, and in our most recent catch-up, I suggested that he start considering his longer-term goals for career redevelopment […] Read the full article →
someone emailed me about my employee’s behavior outside of work by Alison Green on May 6, 2024 A reader writes: I recently got an email from someone with screenshots concerning an employee of mine. They were of a personal nature directed to an organization outside of work using her personal time and her personal equipment. They didn’t concern work at all. They weren’t racist or hate-filled rants or anything of that nature. […] Read the full article →
my team keeps working unauthorized overtime by Alison Green on April 29, 2024 A reader writes: I oversee a team of employees who used to be my peers. I understand this can be a hard transition, but it’s been over a year and the staff are still having a hard time with this. That is not the question but I feel it’s relevant. The bigger issue is the […] Read the full article →
I’m flooded by job candidates calling for more info by Alison Green on April 25, 2024 A reader writes: My company has a very small number of permanent employees but we employ a large number of entry-level seasonal workers at a couple of points in the year. We don’t have landlines, only company cell phones. The phone number on our website, brochures, etc. is my number and job applicants often call […] Read the full article →
your non-compete agreement is now illegal (or it will be in 4 months) by Alison Green on April 24, 2024 The Federal Trade Commission yesterday banned non-compete agreements for most U.S. workers, saying that they stifle wages. The ruling not only makes non-competes illegal, but it also requires employers to to inform employees with existing non-competes that they are null and void. An exception was carved out for existing non-competes for senior executives; the ruling […] Read the full article →
former employee is lying about her job with me … to cover up her time in jail by Alison Green on April 22, 2024 A reader writes: A couple years ago, I managed an employee who was arrested at work for stealing from a former employer, among other charges. She was put in jail for a considerable amount of time. She is apparently now out, because I received her resume. I’m no longer at the previous company. I did […] Read the full article →
how to write a thank-you email after a job interview by Alison Green on April 16, 2024 Thank-you notes are a surprisingly controversial part of job-searching. Some hiring managers are staunch advocates of thank-you notes, to the point of insisting they won’t hire candidates who don’t send them. Others couldn’t care less, and will barely glance at thank-you notes that arrive. On the job seeker end of things, some people write them […] Read the full article →