can you even job search right now? by Alison Green on April 6, 2020 Job hunting can be difficult at the best of times. It’s absolutely dismal right now. With layoffs climbing into the millions, workers are being abandoned into an economy where, in many fields, it feels impossible to find a job anytime soon. There’s never been a more depressing time to be a work advice columnist. Today […] Read the full article →
what’s reasonable for managers to expect of parents working from home? by Alison Green on April 6, 2020 A reader writes: What are reasonable expectations for managers whose employees are now working from home? For myself, I can adhere to my normal schedule while homebound, but I have a great employee who, having gone above and beyond in normal times, pleads child care issues now that she is home. She is productive, but […] Read the full article →
here is your script if you need to check on a job you haven’t started yet by Alison Green on April 2, 2020 I’m getting a lot of questions about what to do if you’ve accepted a job, have a start date at some point in the future, and are wondering if it’s going to be pushed back or even if the offer might be revoked. If you’re in that situation, here’s a script to send to your […] Read the full article →
we’re being asked to choose our own pay cuts by Alison Green on April 1, 2020 A reader writes: In the wake of COVID-19, my large company has been told that “tough decisions” are ahead, and that they would first start by asking us to to take voluntary pay cuts. The more of a pay cut that everyone takes, the fewer people will need to be laid off. Here’s the catch […] Read the full article →
what do I do with my kids during remote meetings, leaving your camera off on video calls, and more by Alison Green on March 31, 2020 Throughout the coronavirus crisis, I’ll be answering questions at New York Magazine about the ways it’s impacting our jobs and the way we work now. This week I’m answering: What do I do with my young kids during remote meetings? What to do if your company claims it’s “essential” when it’s not Is it OK […] Read the full article →
my company won’t pay us if we don’t install spy software on our personal computers by Alison Green on March 31, 2020 A reader writes: We are working remotely for the time being due to COVID and have recently been asked to install an Internet/computer monitoring program on our personal laptops. I’m uncomfortable with this for several reasons, but mainly I don’t want anyone to have access to my personal laptop and my private data. The software […] Read the full article →
bosses are panic-buying spy software to monitor remote workers by Alison Green on March 27, 2020 Well, this is a terrible indictment of employers’ utter lack of understanding about how to manage remote workers: I’m quoted (in part, questioning how these managers are getting any work done themselves). Also, note it’s by Polly Mosendz, the reporter I’ve asked people to contact if their employers are behaving badly in relation to coronavirus. Read the full article →
exactly where to report employers for violating shelter-in-place orders, by state by Alison Green on March 27, 2020 When I wrote on Wednesday about what to do if your employer is violating shelter-in-place orders, commenters were a wealth of information for individual states. Here’s crowd-sourced info on where to report non-compliant employers, by state. I will verify and add additional info here as I get it. • In California, if your county declared […] Read the full article →
we have a new paid (paid!) sick and family leave law by Alison Green on March 24, 2020 Note: This law expires on December 31, 2020 and has not been renewed. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA), which became law last week, offers some American workers expanded family and medical leave — and it’s paid. That’s a key difference from the leave already provided under the Family and Medical Leave Act, which […] Read the full article →
how the hell are we supposed to work now? by Alison Green on March 24, 2020 As you might imagine, coronavirus has overtaken my inbox. I’m hearing from people whose entire companies have gone fully remote overnight and people whose companies are acting as if nothing has changed and still expect everyone to show up as normal every day. I’m hearing from people whose virus-related questions are pretty light (“what’s up with my […] Read the full article →