our anti-bullying consultant accused me of bullying him by Alison Green on August 2, 2023 A reader writes: The research department at my workplace has a bully and I was recently asked to look into workshops to address it. Emma, my coworker and friend, is also aware of the issues, which have been going on for years without action from management. Emma was frustrated as she had brought the issues […] Read the full article →
am I supposed to thank my boss for paying me? by Alison Green on July 31, 2023 A reader writes: I’ve just had a mid-year profit share conversation with my boss (who majority owns the company, and note that we do not bring out the best in each other so perhaps this is just interpersonal friction) where he told me what my payment would be. This is an established, formal profit share […] Read the full article →
I’m poly — can I ask to bring both my partners to work events? by Alison Green on July 31, 2023 A reader writes: I know you’ve answered a couple of questions from managers of polyamorous employees who want to bring more than one partner to events, but as a relatively junior employee … what would be the best way to go about asking if it’s okay to bring two people? My institution (higher ed) throws […] Read the full article →
how much transparency does a manager owe employees in an internal hiring process? by Alison Green on July 26, 2023 A reader writes: I recently went through a hiring process for a promotion within my department. The interview phase has been over for five weeks, and I suspect that another colleague, Micah, was unofficially offered the role — and unofficially accepted it — about four weeks ago, but due to what’s been described as HR […] Read the full article →
my coworkers demand a response to every single email — even thank you’s by Alison Green on July 26, 2023 A reader writes: I have a small cultural issue at work that is driving me crazy and takes a not-insignificant amount of bandwidth out of my busy schedule. My workplace is comprised of 70% EU employees, 30% US. We are a mid-sized company with a high volume of work in an industry that bridges the […] Read the full article →
how do I navigate being naked around employees in a locker room? by Alison Green on July 24, 2023 A reader writes: I wanted to get your take on being nude in the workplace, specifically within a locker room setting. I work at an upscale health and wellness facility that‘s known for exceptional locker rooms. The locker rooms have beautiful cedar wood saunas, eucalyptus steam rooms, hot tubs, rainfall showers … you name it, […] Read the full article →
my boss wants to hire us out for our “unique talents and skills” that have nothing to do with our jobs by Alison Green on July 18, 2023 A reader writes: I am self-employed. But I also have one teeny, tiny job (2-5 hours a week) working in a secretarial-adjacent position for another small business. It’s someone I’ve known and they have a great mission, and I work from home so I thought it would be some nice side money. I am highly […] Read the full article →
is it OK to call out sick on a business trip if you’re just really tired? by Alison Green on July 17, 2023 A reader writes: I manage a small team of software developers based in the London office of a small-to-medium company with offices in multiple countries. The workplace norms in each of our offices are very different, with different levels of PTO and differing expectations in company culture. I work very closely with a team over […] Read the full article →
the magic mushrooms, the underwear scavenger hunt, and other awful workplace ice-breakers by Alison Green on July 12, 2023 Recently I asked about terrible ice-breakers you’ve been subjected to at work. Here are 10 of the most horrifying you shared. 1. The underwear Many years ago, at a large law firm, the ice-breaker at our company retreat was to find all the other people wearing the same color underwear as you (no, I’m not […] Read the full article →
are any office social events truly inclusive for everyone? by Alison Green on July 12, 2023 A reader writes: I understand that teams who connect with each other beyond the basics of their role tend to be higher-performing. And yet, it seems that almost every type of event or activity that provides an opportunity for employees to connect on a more casual basis is fraught with issues. Golfing — gender discriminatory. […] Read the full article →