Ask a Manager

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…

1. Will my employer find out that I took a different flight home after work travel?

I work for a huge retail company, and the head office organizes travel for us. I’m being sent to training on the other side of the country. My boss agreed that I could use vacation time after my meeting to stay a few more days, but the company demands I take their flight back rather than book my own flight back 4 days later; when I called to change my flight, they said they are responsible for us so we must fly out on the date they choose. I just want to book my own paid flight home but I’m worried I’ll get in trouble from the head office. Will they know if I miss the original flight back?

It’s possible, but unlikely. Either way, it’s none of their business, and this “we’re responsible for you like you’re a child” thing is ridiculous. If you want to book your own flight home and decline to take theirs, that’s your prerogative.

That said, it’s not impossible that they could find out (unlikely, but not impossible), and if they did, it’s possible that you could face consequences for deliberately breaking their rules. So it’s a matter of deciding if that’s a risk you want to take.

2. I don’t want to appear on TV

I am one of three employees who work at a small nonprofit. My CEO suggested that I go on the local news to promote the new program I was
hired to run. I let her know that I am uncomfortable being on TV for a live interview, but she brushed me off, saying she is uncomfortable being on air but she does it.

When I took the position, it was never in the job description that on-air interviews would be required. This isn’t a deal-breaker for me and I certainly wouldn’t quit because of it, but I am very uncomfortable doing live television. How can I tell her without appearing insubordinate?

This is pretty common in nonprofit work, actually; it’s not unusual that she’d want you promoting your program in the media, especially in an organization too small to have a dedicated communications staff. So I wouldn’t say no — that’s not likely to go over well. Instead, why not tell her that you’re willing to try, but you’d want to get some media training first? That would be sensible regardless — both for you and the organization. (I used to have to do TV interviews too, and the media training I got beforehand was insanely helpful. Even just having someone videotape you in a mock interview will help you spot things you can easily fix.)

Search online for low-cost media training for nonprofits in your area; if you’re in a fairly urban area, you should find some options. And then agree to at least try — and if you try and you’re terrible at it, you can bring it up again at that point.

3. Manager asked me to come in on a Saturday morning for a furniture delivery

I am a salaried employee, and our employee handbook stipulates that, while a typical working week is 40 hours (Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 5 pm), from time to time it may be necessary for employees to work more hours than this in order to complete their tasks on time. I am employed as an engineer, and I regularly exceed 40 hours work in any given week.

Last Friday evening, as I was leaving work, my boss asked me to come to the office on Saturday between 8 am and 10 am to accept a furniture delivery. When I pointed out that this request fell outside the boundaries of my job requirements, since it is outside my normal working hours and is also a task that is not one of my normal duties, I was told that as a salaried employee I was expected to be available to do overtime as required. Is that correct, and am I being unreasonable by not complying with this request?

No, you’re not being unreasonable; it’s an unusual thing to ask of you. That said, your manager does have the prerogative to assign you additional duties that fall outside of your normal ones, and if he wants to push the issue, he can insist on it. (And it’s possible that he’s not being unreasonable by doing so; if it’s a small office and there are no other alternatives, and for some reason the furniture can’t be delivered on a weekday, it’s not inconceivable that he really does need you to do this. I can’t say from the info that’s here though.)

In any case, I think you probably erred by that particular response — when you resist something like this based on The Rules, it makes it more likely that your manager will use The Rules to respond back himself (which he did). It would have been more effective to say, “I’m sorry, I have plans then.”

4. Does my volunteer work work make me seem like a one-trick pony?

My 9-5 job is at a nonprofit focusing on a certain issue. I’ve also done some volunteer work on the same issue. The skills involved are not the same (my paid position is largely administrative, and the volunteer positions listed on my resume are a mix of fundraising and direct service). I don’t know if it matters, but this is not a soup kitchen type of thing; the issue I work on is often perceived as controversial and I tend to tread carefully when discussing it with others.

This is an issue I feel quite strongly about, and since I only have so much volunteer time I would like to dedicate it to the issue or issues I care about most. That said, I don’t want to limit employment and networking opportunities or make it look like I’m a one-trick pony who doesn’t care about other problems facing humanity. Do you think I should consider expanding my volunteering horizons?

I’d love to say that there’s no need to, but the reality is that it would probably help you to balance it out with other types of volunteer work. It’s not so much that you’ll appear not to care about other social issues, but rather that you risk some hiring managers (even otherwise good ones) thinking that you’re so focused on one particular agenda that it might come into the workplace in ways they’re not comfortable with.

5. I just realized my old job didn’t pay me for my last two weeks of work

I think I’ve found myself in an awkward situation. It appears that my former employer never paid me for my last two weeks of work, which was about five weeks ago. (I won’t bore you with the details as to why it took me this long to notice the error, other than saying I had gotten used to living on the limited budget my previous job afforded, and under my new job I’m paid monthly.) Do you have any suggestions regarding the best way to inquire about this?

Start by assuming it was an error, not something intentional. Call them and say, “I think there was an error; I haven’t received my last paycheck.” Presumably they’ll say they’ll look into it and get back to you. If you don’t hear from them within 48 hours, call again and ask when it will be issued to you.

Also, google the name of your state and “last paycheck law,” which will tell you by when they’re required to issue that check to you. (They’re almost certainly past that deadline.) If you’re not getting fast resolution, at that point you can say, “I’m concerned that we’re so far outside the deadline Illinois sets for getting this to me, which was January 2” (or whatever).

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…

1. Do I have to reply to recruiters’ emails?

Is it considered rude or inconsiderate not to reply to recruiters’ emails? I’m in the legal profession and I probably get anywhere from 5 – 20 emails a week from recruiters looking to fill positions nationwide. I’m not currently looking to make a move, but I might in the future. Am I burning any bridges by pressing the “delete” key?

No. If you have a relationship with a recruiter already — someone who you’ve worked with in a past job search or who has helped you find candidates when you’re hiring or who you’ve referred to other candidates — then it’s going to be more noticeable, in the “why has my contact suddenly stopped responding to me?” way. But if the emails are from strangers, it’s very unlikely that they’re going to remember you at all, let alone as someone who didn’t answer their emails, if you want to approach them in the future. (Plus, if they did remember you, they’re still not likely to refuse to work with you on principle, if you’re a great fit for a search they’re running.)

Recruiters send out a ton of these emails. They’re used to being ignored (and they’re used to doing plenty of ignoring themselves, when job seekers emails them). It’s pretty normal in that field.

2. Small organization can’t seem to give me details of their health insurance

I’ve been negotiating an offer with a small nonprofit without an HR person. Getting details about their health insurance, beyond the name of the provider and plan, has felt like pulling teeth. They’ve asked me to provide my doctor’s tax ID so they can figure out for me if his fees are covered or reimbursable under their plan. That seems impractical (wouldn’t it be more efficient to send me the details of the plan and let me evaluate it myself?) and inappropriate (I don’t tell my current employer what doctor(s) I visit; why would I tell a would-be employer?). I can’t tell if they’re being opaque to hide poor benefits, if they don’t want to bother putting together a comprehensive explanation of the package to send to me, or if they’re just really inexperienced when it comes to hiring and making this up as they go along. Can I decline this request without shutting down negotiations entirely, or is this a big enough red flag that I might as well seriously consider turning down the job offer?

I don’t think I’d consider turning down the offer over this alone; organizations too small for HR often mishandle this stuff just because they don’t have much experience with it. However, you should definitely take it as a flag to think about whether that type of thing will bother you. If they’re a little weird on other HR stuff, how big of an issue will that be for you? Some people would be mildly annoyed and some people will be completely turned off; it’s really just about knowing where you’ll fall in that spectrum.

But regardless, you can absolutely refuse this request. I’d say something like, “Rather than getting into individual doctors, I’d prefer to simply get more comprehensive information about the insurance plan. Maybe if you provide me with the insurance materials I’d receive as a new employee, I can figure it out from there.”

3. Asking a resigning coworker about the real reasons she’s quitting

A coworker of mine has put in her two weeks’ notice recently, and I am interested in her position. Is it appropriate to ask her, while she’s still working, how much she makes and the exact reasons she’s quitting? She has said she found another opportunity that will allow her to be more flexible, but I noticed she has been very frustrated recently. We have two different supervisors, so I don’t want to try to get a new position if I’m not fully supported, have crazy expectations, etc. Long story short, to ask or not to ask?

It’s absolutely reasonable to talk with her about what her experience in the job has been like and why she’s moving on. I’d be explicit with her that you’re asking because you’re thinking about applying for the role yourself; you’re more likely to get candid information that way.

I wouldn’t ask her directly about what she’s making though; enough people consider salary to be personal information that it’s likely to be considered rude. You could say something like, “Are you comfortable giving me a sense of what the salary range for the role is?” but even there, some people will balk a bit, so you’d want to be sensitive to that.

4. Employee using personal cell phone for work

If I have an employee who is freely using her cell phone for business, if things ever go wrong can she hold us responsible for the bill?

No. If it’s in her name, she’s responsible for it. But keep in mind that if she’s using her personal cell number with business contacts, they may continue to use that number after she leaves your company.

5. What if you don’t remember if you’ve applied with a company before?

I have a question that reveals just how much of an idiot I am, but here goes. When I graduated from college (many, many years ago) I applied for a LOT of jobs, but was not qualified for most of them and was (rightly) rejected. In the intervening years, I’ve built a great resume and am again searching for a job. Here’s my question: I keep coming up against applications that ask if I’ve ever applied at the organization before. There’s no option for “possibly but I can’t remember because it was so long ago.” Is there a benefit/disadvantage to answering to the best of my recollection and hoping I am correct?

If you’re not sure, I’d say no. In fact, if it’s been many, many years, I might say no regardless, unless you were actually interviewed back then. Companies ask this question because if you did apply in the past, they want to check to see if they have any notes on you (notes from interviews, generally). Assuming that you weren’t interviewed or behaved memorably badly in some way, they’re not going to find any notes on you. You’re under no obligation to do any sort of forensic research in your brain to figure out if you sent them an application a couple decades ago; it won’t matter either way to them.

Also, this isn’t idiotic; it’s pretty normal.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…

1. How to announce on Facebook that you were laid off

I’ve been an event-marketing consultant for over 10 years, working around my family schedule. Due to life changing events such as a divorce and relocation, I secured full-time employment as an account executive. Of course, I quickly updated my Facebook page and LinkedIn profile, posting pictures and events I had executed. Right before Christmas, the company announced it was closing their Austin office and let the staff go. I had only worked for the company for four months.

I have not updated my Facebook information, nor have I posted my unemployment status due to the company closing its office. My concern is the perception people may have regarding my short-term employment, especially given the fact I have not had full-time employment with a company for many years. What suggestions would you recommend for posting this type of information online? Especially in this day and age when recruiters and hiring managers look you up online and view your postings?

Just be straightforward! When an entire office is closing, people aren’t going to think the problem was you. And by alerting your network, you create the possibility that someone will reach out to you about openings they know of. (Don’t rely an a Facebook post to be your whole networking strategy, of course; you also want to be reaching out to people in your network individually.)

It’s also likely that people aren’t remembering all the details of your work history that are so front-of-mind for you; anyone other than close friends and family probably doesn’t even know or remember that your jobs were part-time before this.

2. How can I get to know people in my new office?

I’m an introverted new attorney who just started working with a small engineering firm. I’m the only attorney, so I work exclusively with management. Is there an easy way of getting to know the rest of my colleagues and office norms so it isn’t as awkward in the cafeteria, etc.? All of my work so far has been with law firms or in academia (i.e. places where there is a 30-page plus manual outlining what to wear, where to go, etc.) so I don’t know how a more informal office functions – and as you might expect, most of my colleagues are middle-aged men, so it’s hard to find commonalities.

Does anyone seem especially open or friendly? Go talk to that person. Make conversation! You can even say you’d love to get to know more people in the office since your job hasn’t put you in contact with any. Then repeat with the next friendliest-appearing person. And if there’s no obvious choice to start with, start with the person whose office is closest to yours. It sounds boringly simple, but that’s the most straightforward way to do it. Most people have had the experience of being new in an office and knowing no one and will be friendly. (And if someone isn’t, assume it’s about them rather than you, and try with someone else.)

In addition to that: If there are any office social events (happy hours, cake for a birthday, etc.), go to them, even if it’s not normally your thing. Also, consider the power of food; you might bring in bagels one morning or some other food-related lure.

Read an update to this letter here.

3. How do I deal with my incompetent American manager?

How do I deal with my American manager? She is a nice person and the same age as me and we get on quite well, but I am resentful about the fact that she is from America doing a basic level admin job in the UK which could be easily filled by a British person.

As we are the only two people in the office, my other work colleagues don’t notice the fact that she doesn’t come into the office until the middle of the morning and spends quite a lot of the day looking at the internet and taking extended lunch breaks and going home early. She also “works from home,” i.e. I have to get to work to deal with the students (I work in a college) and deal with people face to face while she is at home in the warm only answering emails. She also is being paid to be a manager but has shown zero management skills to me (I’m her only employee). Whenever I ask her a question she just refers me to someone else.

Basically she doesn’t do the hours or the work and there is no reason an American worker needs to do the job and take away the job from a British worker.

I think you’re going to be far better off focusing on the fact that she’s a bad manager than what her nationality is. Her nationality doesn’t change the fact that you have a bad manager, and this wouldn’t be any more acceptable if she were British. (Plus, I’m assuming that she’s working there legally, in which case your beef is with your country’s immigration policies, not with a person who is complying with those policies. She herself is not taking a job away from anyone; whether or not your laws are doing that is a different issue.)

In any case, what you have is a bad manager. Here’s some advice on dealing with that (here, here, and here) … and it’s also worth keeping in mind that whoever manages her is the other big issue here — because it’s their job to ensure she’s performing well.

4. Telling an interviewer that I’m now eligible to intern, when I wasn’t before

I applied for an internship. When I went in to interview, I had planned on graduating in May. Later, my interviewer explained that company is looking for a student who will stay in school for a few more semesters so could not consider my application any further.

Recently, I found out that I needed six more classes to earn a second degree. I plan to graduate and then continue taking classes in the summer and fall, thus graduating again in December. I’ve just recently made this decision about going for a second degree, and am unsure whether I should tell my interviewer and try to continue with the internship. Would it make a difference? I suppose she’s made her decision, and I don’t want to be bothersome or make the hiring process more difficult by “putting myself back in the running.” I also don’t want to make it seem as though I’ve decided to stay in school just for this.

It’s fine to email her and let her know that your circumstances have changed; it’s not bothersome to give her that information, as long as you don’t come across as if you believe that the job is now yours as a result. I’d say something like this: “I wanted to let you know that I’ve decided to take additional classes, pushing my graduation date back to December (in order to get a second degree in __). In case that changes my eligibility for the internship, I’d love to still be considered. If you’ve already hired or moved forward with other candidates, I of course understand.”

5. Wording a sign to indicate that drinks are for guests, not employees

My organization’s policy is to provide sodas and coffee pod drinks for guests in the conference room. The room and refrigerator are both unlocked under the honor system. As we are open 24/7 with three work shifts, opportunity has arisen for workers to anonymously help themselves after first shift to the refreshments, leaving shortages for guest events. Locking up the pod coffee maker and installing locks on the refrigerator would be measures that are excessive and not cost effective.

A sign has been requested, but I’m at a loss as to how to phrase the sign. How would you phrase a sign in the conference room that makes it clear that the refreshments are for visitors only without offending current employees? The sign is expected to be left out at all times for all to see.

Actually, current employees aren’t that likely to be offended; it’s your visitors who are likely to be made uncomfortable by it. If the policy is important to enforce (and we had a discussion here recently about why it’s worth reconsidering that), I’d do it by talking with employees directly and explaining the reasons, not by edict-via-sign.