my company is a great place to work … for everyone but me by Alison Green on January 21, 2025 A reader writes: The small company where I work offers good pay, generous PTO and other benefits, a fun and friendly environment, and good work-life balance. It also has an excellent product with a lot of growth potential. Generally, it’s considered by employees to be a great place to work. The problem for me is […] Read the full article →
I can’t advocate for myself without getting emotional by Alison Green on November 26, 2024 A reader writes: I can’t advocate for myself without getting emotional. Once I tried to negotiate a medical bill down using advice from many articles online and couldn’t get through the conversation without crying. It wasn’t that I didn’t have money to pay the bill; it was the anger and frustration and feeling of powerlessness […] Read the full article →
how do you stay focused on work during anxiety-inducing world events? by Alison Green on November 4, 2024 A reader writes: I wonder if you have any tips/tricks on how to keep focused on work when there is a major event going on? I recall trying to work for several weeks after the 2020 election and January 6 and know my work was not efficient or good quality during that time. I’m so […] 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 do I live down a reputation for being “extra”? by Alison Green on October 8, 2024 A reader writes: How does one shake a reputation at work for being “extra”? Three years ago, I joined my current organization and quickly became known as a go-getter, an innovator, and someone good at their job. Senior level colleagues would learn about programs I had developed, express admiration, and ask to borrow the idea. […] Read the full article →
is it OK to have sex while working from home? by Alison Green on September 23, 2024 A reader writes: I am a stay-at-home mom of very young children. My husband works from home one day per week, occasionally two. When he works from home, he watches our baby while I take the older ones to and from school/preschool. Other than that, he works in our home office and I rarely see […] Read the full article →
how to respond when someone’s manager makes them apologize to you by Alison Green on September 3, 2024 A reader writes: I was reading one of your recent posts where you mentioned you don’t believe in forcing adults to apologize in a professional setting. I am on the same page with you about that, and it made me think of a similar type of experience I had once where I was on the […] Read the full article →
I’m pregnant! how do I announce it at work? by Alison Green on August 6, 2024 A reader writes: My husband and I just found out that I’m pregnant, after trying for several years! I’m extremely excited, but also realized that I have no idea how to announce this at work. I’ve only been at my company for about 18 months and, in that time, no one else on my team […] Read the full article →
my job wants me to do public speaking … I don’t want to by Alison Green on July 23, 2024 A reader writes: A few years ago, I accepted a job as a director of strategy at a small agency. One of the perks of this job was that I would deal with clients less, because this company had client managers to do that, and wouldn’t have to do things like public speaking. To be […] Read the full article →
should I apologize for being a bad employee? by Alison Green on July 11, 2024 A reader writes: Do I need to apologize to my managers for being a less-than-stellar employee? I’m a contract employee on my second year of employment with an organization that hires its employees on one-year contracts. During my first year, my performance was good — not outstanding, but at least good enough to have my […] Read the full article →