Ask a Manager

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

1. Applying for a job with a company that shares office space with my current employer

I currently work for a company where we share an office/floor with another company that is one of our clients. I was recently asked by the other company’s CEO’s executive assistant to submit my resume for a position opening that is the same as my current position. Is it wrong to apply for this position since I would still see all my old coworkers/boss everyday? The thing is that although in title it is a lateral move, in all other ways, it’s moving up. The salary would be a 50% increase plus health benefits and 401k (which we don’t have). It would be a no brainer if it weren’t for the fact that I’m literally working in the same office.

You should go ahead and apply. If you end up in the other job, it shouldn’t be terribly awkward, as long as your boss isn’t someone who takes resignations personally. People make this kind of move all the time — maybe not within the same office, but certainly jumping to, for instance, a client of their previous company, which keeps them in regular contact with their old coworkers. People are generally going to be happy for you, unless you have a particularly dysfunctional manager.

2. My coworker told a customer I didn’t want to do part of my job

A different take on the question earlier in the week about driving a large vehicle for work:

I recently stepped down from being what my company calls a shuttle driver, which was a major part of my job. It was stressing me out and making my anxiety levels so high that after the new year, I became physically ill and missed 3 days of work in a row (this was last week). So, the reason I stepped down was because it was negatively affecting my health and was making me dread my job every morning. And to be completely honest, the coworker I talk about below was causing huge issues.

Today, a coworker (Jake) said something about me that I thought was unprofessional to a customer. We weren’t even open yet (it was 7:15 and we open at 7:30) and I was in the same room vacuuming when a customer walked in. I immediately stopped and greeted him, but I don’t think he heard me. The customer started talking to the service people, and I moved onto my other cleaning duties since there was a customer, and was in the in-office bathroom when I heard Jake and the customer talking. The customer asked if I was going to be giving him a ride, like usual, and Jake replied with “No, she’s not giving rides anymore, because she doesn’t want to.” First of all, the customer didn’t even ask why, just if. Secondly, I don’t think it’s anyone’s business of why I stepped down, and I’m certainly not okay with this rumor, especially not being spread to customers. Jake has been a problem before, but, whenever I complain to my boss about him being an unprofessional jerk, I’m told “That’s just the way Jake is,” and to “deal with it.”

Am I being too sensitive, or is this just unprofessional? I haven’t told my boss about this yet, because I wanted to see what you had to say about it. I also didn’t really know how to approach the subject without sounding like a crybaby.

It’s absolutely unprofessional, and it will make customers uncomfortable. I’d ask your manager to give people guidance on what to say to customers who ask why you’re no longer driving and/or to correct Jake himself if he’s the only one who needs to hear it. People should probably say something like, “Bob is driving the shuttle now” and if pressed for more information, “We reshuffled some roles, and Jane is no longer driving, but Bob is.”

3. My employer was ordered to pay overtime backpay, but I haven’t received it yet

I work at a small private university. For years, employees were working overtime and not getting paid. Someone eventually caught wind of this and the apparently the Labor Division in my state (NC) was contacted. We were emailed in early November to formally document all overtime in the past 3 years and the next week, sent to the CFO to sign off on the checks we were to receive. We saw the projected amounts of the check from the hours we had worked and everything. We were told we would get our checks “soon.” Some individuals had already received their additional checks for the overtime pay.

It’s now January, and there are no signs of this money and the university is struggling financially to the point they just told us they will furlough staff/faculty for spring break. Thankfully, I’m not in a position that I direly need the money and I’m wise enough not to count money before I have it, but it’s super shady! Especially being that some people have received their money and my department hasn’t. Should I just leave it alone?

If the state labor agency was on this, they should continue to be involved until you’re paid the money you’re owed, so I doubt that the university is just going to ignore this halfway through the process. That said, you could reach out to the state agency to ask about the timeline (and let them know that you haven’t received the backpay yet). Or you could ask whatever department at your university is most likely to know; it’s not an adversarial question when they’ve already made it clear that the money is coming. I’d just say something like, “In November, I was told to expect a check for $X in backpay. So I can plan, can you let me know when I should expect to receive it?”

4. How do I explain that I want to leave my job because they’re illegally firing people?

After 5 months at my new (and great!) job, I’m on the market again, but I don’t know how to phrase my reasons for leaving.

The situation in short: I work in Europe, in a company that is a subsidiary of a US company. A few days ago, we were told that 15 people (~20% of the local people) were being let go, effective immediately. The problem: there is a whole procedure that applies in cases like this (mandated by law) and the management in the US is completely ignoring it and trying to treat us as “at will” employees (there is no such concept in the local law). The second problem: the people being fired are all high performers and come from all layers of the company (so it’s not a matter of firing the highest earners, to save money), so the names seem to have been chosen at random. I have not been let go, but I no longer trust the company, given they are trying to do something illegal and they are firing people with no apparent reason, without considering how this will impact day to day operations. All the remaining employees are updating their resumes and the morale is at an all time low. How do I convey this in an interview without looking like I’m badmouthing the company?

“My company has started having significant layoffs, and I’m looking for a company with more stability.” There’s no reason to get into the legality issues since the layoffs alone are a reasonable explanation.

5. Job-searching when you’re pregnant and on bed rest

I’m currently pregnant with twins and on strict bed rest. I’ve been teleworking but was recently told they were cutting my position. I’ll have no job to go back to after my maternity leave. We had already budgeted for me to take three months of unpaid leave when the babies are born (my employer offers neither short-term disability nor paid leave), and it will be a hardship for us if I’m unemployed for very long after that.

My question is what kinds of job searching activities are useful for me to do now if I won’t be able to start at a new job until June at the earliest, and won’t be able to go to an in-person interview until May? Also, what, if anything, can I say to employers who are worried about how committed an employee with new twins at home might be? (The answer is I have no choice but to be very committed. I currently earn more than half our income.) I’ve already been reaching out to my network and have a few leads. Some jobs (mostly in the federal government) will be so slow moving in the hiring process that I feel fine applying now. Others, mostly in the private sector, may have long or short timelines. I don’t want someone to be frustrated that they wanted to interview me and I say “oh, hey, by the way, I can’t leave my house for another 5-6 months.” But I’d also like to start getting my name out there so I’m not starting from scratch in June (also, I have time on my hands now).

Since I’m no Marissa and therefore no one’s banging down my door to ask me to be CEO of a major tech company, any tips for the unemployed pregnant lady?

I’d start applying for jobs now. If you have to withdraw from some hiring processes because they need someone to start sooner than you can, that’s better than realizing in June that you started searching too late. And many will be on a slow-ish timeline that fits what you need.

If you’re invited for an in-person interview before you’re off bed rest but your sense is that your start date timeline isn’t out of sync with theirs, I’d say something like, “I’m currently on bed rest until X, although I’ll be absolutely fine after that. Would interviewing by phone or Skype be possible at this stage, with a plan for me to come to you in-person in May if there’s mutual interest?”

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

1. Sending a very belated rejection to a job candidate

I just realized I composed a decline email to a candidate on December 11 and never hit send. It’s more than a month later. Should I send it or just let it be? The kicker is that after we decline people, we send a handwritten note to say “thanks for coming in, it was nice to meet you, good luck with your search,” etc. and I did send that. The idea is that comes after the normal decline email. On its own, the note seems like a vague I’m-implying-you-are-declined-without-actually-saying-it.

It’s probably clear that she didn’t get the job, but she must think we have the strangest way to decline people.

I’d go ahead and send the email now, but just add a line at the top saying that you thought you had sent this a month ago and just realized that it hadn’t gone out, and that you apologize for leaving her hanging. If she’s reasonable, she’ll understand that, and she’ll just appreciate that you got back to her (especially against the backdrop of the large number of companies that don’t send rejections at all).

2. Why would a terrible temp be hired over a great temp?

I was a temp at a company for about 8 months. It was a 6-month temp-to-perm assignment. Our stats would be sent out at the end of each month. During my time there, I out-produced the hired employees each month since the week I started. We did have another temp who started about 2 weeks before I did who was a very poor performer and was the lowest performing specialist on the team. Unfortunately, our boss decided to hire him at his 6-month point. Frustrating as that was, when it came time for my 6-month hire-on, our boss said he had already filled all the positions and that there might be space later on. What gives? I did find a better permanent job, but what is with a supervisor hiring someone know for performance problems?

He’s a terrible manager? The bad temp was someone’s friend/nephew/blackmailer? The temp was good at some other skill that the team needed (and which you didn’t know about)? You had good performance stats but weren’t the right fit for some other reason (like a personality clash, or they needed someone who was also good at X, which you didn’t have)? It’s hard to say, but those are some of the possibilities.

3. I was told to charge a team building day to my vacation time

Recently I was “volunteered” to participate in a company golf outing. I did not have any desire to go, but of course it would have looked bad for me to dodge out. The outing was on a Friday and involved golf and alcohol, all of which were comped by the company. We had a business meeting around noon, where we discussed the company direction and other similar things. The golf teams of four were pre-arranged to allow for maximum team building, which seemed to be the purpose of the event.

My issue is: when I returned to work Monday (after losing my weekend flying back from said event), I questioned how I should bill my hours for that Friday. Maybe towards marketing (there were a few potential clients we were there to market to) or perhaps towards “employee meeting” time. I asked a higher-up and they told me to bill it all toward my own vacation time.

This did not feel like “paid time off” – it was work. There are a million things I would rather do with my precious vacation days than work, golf, network, or participate in business meetings. Any thoughts on this? Is the company right to ask me to use my vacation time for this? The whole thing rubs me the wrong way, which seems unhealthy for the company all around.

No, absolutely not. This was a work function, and it wasn’t vacation time — and that’s true whether it was “voluntary” or not. Is it possible that the person you asked was a slightly deranged half-wit and you can ask someone else without appearing to just be fishing for the right answer? If that person was not your manager, it’s totally reasonable to say to your manager, “Bob said to bill Friday’s trip to my vacation time, but that can’t be right since it was a work event.” If that person was your manager, check with HR, who are generally sensible about this type of thing.

4. How to connect a friend with a business contact who’s hiring

One of my friends recently graduated from college, and she’s applying for a few jobs within an adjacent industry. I have contacts through my work with an organization she’s applying at (my company did some marketing work with the organization in the past) and I offered to introduce her by email to that contact. However, I just realized I’m not sure how to really approach this person or what to say – we only worked together on the one project, and although we’re cordial, it’s a strictly business sort of contact. The other person I want her to connect with is a former coworker who moved into her industry and used to work for that organization, so that’ll be a lot easier; it’s just the first person that I’m unsure about.

How do I go about approaching the first contact without looking unprofessional or making it sound like “hey, you should give my friend a job”? Is it okay if I email them through my work email or should it be my personal one? Are there any tips you have?

Well, you’re not saying “give my friend a job.” You’re saying, “I know of someone who might be a great fit for the job you’re hiring for.” In fact, you’re doing your business contact a favor (because hiring is the right person is hard, and getting referrals from a trusted source can be hugely helpful), not asking her to do your friend a favor. I’d just say something like, “I’d like to introduce you to my friend Lucinda Snodsgrass, who’s applying for your ___ job. She’s smart and has an encyclopedic knowledge of teapot design, and she might be a great fit for you.” (If that last sentence isn’t true, leave it off, since your reputation is at risk here too.)

And it’s fine to use your work email for this; it’s business networking, and you’re not job-searching for yourself.

5. How can I point out that we must be paid for doing required reading outside of work?

My employer is trying to implement the philosophies from a business book. This means that all employees will be required to read the book. My employer will assign chapters each week for the employees to read, and then we will review those chapters as a group to make sure everyone has a clear understanding of the book’s principles (the review of chapters will be during a work day – this will be paid time). They want us to do this required reading on our own time, meaning we will not be paid for the reading. Can they do this, and if not, how can we address this?

Yes, they can require you to read the book outside of work, but if you’re non-exempt, you must be paid for the time you spend reading it. To point that out to them, I’d say, “Since it’s a required activity for work, how should we track our reading time so it’s on our timesheets?” If they miss that hint and respond that you should do it on your own time, say, “I think that since it’s an activity required for work, we actually have to count it as work time.” If they still push back, say, “Could you look into that? I don’t want us to get in trouble for mishandling non-exempt employees.”

(Note the use of the “we” trick here — you’re saying “we” to make it sound collaborative, not adversarial.)