where are you now? (a call for updates) by Alison Green on October 23, 2024 At the end of each year, I publish a slew of “where are they now” updates from people whose questions I answered here in the past. In past years we’ve had several hundred each December and it’s been magnificent. If you’ve had your question answered here in the past, please email me an update and […] Read the full article →
my employee takes credit for the whole team’s work by Alison Green on October 22, 2024 A reader writes: I’m a fairly experienced manager, but I’ve only been managing my current team for a few months. I’ve been in a couple meetings with one of my team members that I’ve asked her to take the lead on, and she reports out at every meeting. Twice now, as she’s reporting I’ve heard […] Read the full article →
is it weird to send work emails late at night? by Alison Green on October 21, 2024 A reader writes: Last night around 11 pm, my husband suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to email someone back about a meeting request, and was about to respond when I said it looked weird to be emailing at 11 pm. He asked why and I had no good reason, except that it seemed weird […] Read the full article →
how can I reject former coworkers applying for jobs with me? by Alison Green on October 17, 2024 A reader writes: Several past coworkers have reached out to me on LinkedIn asking about a job posting at my company. The only thing is … they don’t know that I am the hiring manager for the role, and they are under-qualified. I already know I would not hire them for the position. I have […] Read the full article →
our new hires keep quitting after their first week by Alison Green on October 16, 2024 A reader writes: Several times recently, we’ve had new graduates accept a job at our company, then quit after their first week with no notice. Should I say something about how unprofessional this is, or let them learn the hard lesson on their own? Or can we do something during the hiring profess to make […] Read the full article →
how to ask for a raise and get it by Alison Green on October 15, 2024 I’m always surprised by how many people tell me they’ve gone their career without ever asking for a raise. Sometimes they feel awkward starting the conversation or aren’t sure when the right time to broach it is, or they’re not sure how much is reasonable to ask for, or they’re even worried they’ll seem greedy. […] Read the full article →
my coworker won’t stop telling me that I smell by Alison Green on October 14, 2024 I’m off today. This was originally published in 2017. A reader writes: I enjoy wearing perfume, but tend to stick to indie oil scents, since the smell tends to stick closer to my skin (so, in theory, I don’t bother my coworkers) and also because I seem to be sensitive to the alcohol that a […] Read the full article →
we have public shamings about how often we say “um” and “uh” by Alison Green on October 14, 2024 I’m off today. This was originally published in 2017. A reader writes: Every month, my work has a “pep rally” where the whole staff gets together to highlight what’s going on in each department. My boss, the executive director, has recently decided she wants to cure everyone of using the words “um,” “uh,” and “like” […] Read the full article →
my employee’s toddler screams in the background of work calls by Alison Green on October 9, 2024 A reader writes: I am a first-time manager of a virtual team, and one of my direct reports works from home 100% of the time. On a recent call, this employee was providing an overview of a new system and in the background, everyone on the project team could hear his three-year-old child screaming. It […] Read the full article →
employee is sending risqué photos of himself to his coworkers by Alison Green on October 7, 2024 A reader writes: My small company has a very laid-back culture — sometimes too laid-back. A lot of the employees are friends outside of work or follow each other on social media. A team of seven employees sits outside of my office in an open floor plan space. They often talk throughout the day and […] Read the full article →