how much should I hand-hold a disorganized employee? by Alison Green on June 10, 2024 A reader writes: I am a new manager struggling with how to handle one of my employees. He is a smart guy but super disorganized. For example, he is in charge of ensuring all internal audits in our company have been set up and executed. We discuss this in our one-on-ones, and invariably, every time […] Read the full article →
what’s the etiquette for reply-all email disasters? by Alison Green on June 5, 2024 A reader writes: Can we get a definitive ruling on the etiquette when someone accidentally emails an incorrect email list in a large office? Today I went to lunch for 40 minutes and came back to 239 emails — someone emailed the wrong distribution list for a request (there were over 1,000 people on this […] Read the full article →
should I say something about my assistant’s messy desk? by Alison Green on June 4, 2024 A reader writes: My administrative assistant’s desk is atrocious. It is covered in not just piles of paper, but trash, food items, and all sorts of miscellaneous junk. She is a good employee and appears to get her work done. How would you handle this? I answer this question — and three others — over […] Read the full article →
I’m the boss who’s always late by Alison Green on June 3, 2024 A reader writes: I’m part of the senior management of a small company I’ve been with for several years. While I’ve consistently been a stellar performer, I do have one major flaw — I am always late. Doesn’t matter if it’s in the morning, the afternoon, or the evening. I am what you’d call a […] Read the full article →
what comp time policy should I set for my team? by Alison Green on May 29, 2024 A reader writes: I head an agency with around 40 employees. I’m struggling with our policy on compensatory time for travel. For years, every waking minute during travel, from departure to return, has been counted as work time, with staff receiving comp time for any time over eight hours per day. For example, an employee […] Read the full article →
how can I shut down gossip at work? by Alison Green on May 28, 2024 A reader writes: I like my job and my coworkers, but there’s one thing that keeps bugging me: There’s a real culture of gossiping, and I keep getting sucked into it. I used to be a huge gossiper myself, but at a previous job I was the target of some untrue and hurtful gossip, and […] Read the full article →
where are you now? (a call for updates) by Alison Green on May 23, 2024 It’s mid-year updates season! If you’ve had your question answered here in the past, please email me an update and let us know how your situation turned out. Did you take the advice? Did you not take the advice? What happened? How’s your situation now? (Don’t post your updates here though; email them to me.) […] Read the full article →
should I hire an ex? by Alison Green on May 22, 2024 A reader writes: My company is starting a massive and complex two-year project. We advertised but after interviews we haven’t found a suitable candidate for the position that’s probably most critical. Rather than advertise again given the urgency, we’ve tapping our networks for candidates to interview. One of my exes has the qualifications to be […] 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 →
sometimes an old job isn’t done with you … even when you’re done with it by Alison Green on May 20, 2024 When you quit a job, you typically assume you’re finished with that work — once you’re gone, your former colleagues will find a way to move on without you. But sometimes an old job isn’t done with you … even when you’re done with it. Bizarrely, I hear all the time from people who still […] Read the full article →