our holiday party is mandatory, but I don’t want to be around unmasked coworkers by Alison Green on November 30, 2022 A reader writes: My office is hybrid now, with each team in one day per week. I’m still being very vigilant about masking on the days that I’m in the office because my mom, who lives with me, is having chemo and is immunocompromised. So on the days I’m in the office, I’m careful to […] Read the full article →
ice-breakers don’t have to suck by Alison Green on November 29, 2022 In response to the recent post about excessive ice-breakers at work, Sarah Lichtenstein Walter shared the guide she created for her team about how to design good ice-breakers and what to avoid. I love it and am sharing it here with her permission. Sarah says, “My favorite of these is the favorite/least favorite work activities […] Read the full article →
the baby grand piano, the legend of Buddy, and other tales of holiday woes by Alison Green on November 23, 2022 All this week I’ve been sharing holiday stories from years past. Here are eight more. 1. The piano “I work for a nonprofit that currently gets almost all of our funding from one donor, which means if she gets a bee in her bonnet about the way things should be done, we generally try to […] Read the full article →
the cake hoarder, the missing egg, and other stories of holiday mayhem by Alison Green on November 23, 2022 All this week I’ve been sharing holiday stories from years past. Here are 10 more. 1. The stench “Years ago I worked at a cookware company. Every year the owners gave us a week off with pay, an amazing Xmas party at a restaurant, and a fresh turkey. One coworker who wished mightily to be […] Read the full article →
the holiday perfume, the ancient fruitcake, and other stories of holidays at work by Alison Green on November 22, 2022 All this week I’m sharing holiday stories from years past. Here are 10 more. 1. The perfume “My father’s story from a good 25 years ago. One time he’s telling us about what gifts they bought for all the staff. It was perfume (don’t get me started on the gendered nature of it, that’s a […] Read the full article →
the thief and the hero, the crockpot discrimination, and other stories of potlucks at work by Alison Green on November 22, 2022 Here are 12 more of my favorite stories you shared about potlucks and other food gatherings at work earlier this month. (Part one was yesterday.) 1. The cook-off “We had a chili cook-off and the winner admitted she didn’t make the chili. She got it from Wendy’s.” 2. The sushi “Before he retired, my spouse […] Read the full article →
how can I take time off when my team needs it more? by Alison Green on November 22, 2022 A reader writes: I like to take vacation during the popular times that everyone likes to — spring break, 4th of July, and Christmas. The problem is that the small team I manage also likes to take that time off. We have a specialized skill set. My boss has no experience in this space — […] Read the full article →
the Thanksgiving tyrant, the very special salad, and other stories of potlucks at work by Alison Green on November 21, 2022 All this week to get us in the holiday spirit, I’m going to be featuring holiday stories readers have shared here in the past … and then updates season will start next week! To kick us off, here are 12 of my favorite stories you shared about potlucks and other food gatherings at work earlier […] Read the full article →
we’re supposed to do ice-breakers at every single meeting, even routine ones by Alison Green on November 16, 2022 A reader writes: I’m curious what you think about ice-breaker questions as openers for work meetings. I know the idea is to help people get to know another and to encourage everyone to speak up during a meeting. But at my current job they’ve felt overdone. We have an ice-breaker at the beginning of every […] Read the full article →
my boss won’t let me move to another state — but I’m remote by Alison Green on November 15, 2022 A reader writes: For eight years, I have been a fully remote employee. I am an outstanding employee, even winning Employee of the Year last year. After a year of great loss, I felt the need for a change of scenery and told the entire executive team that I was going to California to see […] Read the full article →