Ask a Manager

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

1. Interviewing a friend

Do you have any advice on interviewing and possibly working with a good friend? One of my best friends is a contender for a job exactly opposite me.

I don’t want to unfairly sway the decision since I’ve never worked with her before, but I’m really not so sure about working so closely with someone I’m close with outside of work. I try to keep those things very separate. That said – if she’s right for the job then she’s right for the job and that’s a good thing. I will have to interview her though. Do you have any advice?

If at all possible, I’d recuse yourself from the interview on the grounds that you can’t be objective. Even if you think you can be objective, you may or not may be able to be — and either way, others are likely to assume that you can’t be. Surely someone else can interview her (like the manager for the position!).

2. My boss won’t put a monitor in a friggin’ box for me

My external monitor died in May and I have been badly in need of a replacement since (I work with a ton of spreadsheets and my laptop has a tiny screen). When it originally died, my boss said that our organization could not afford to replace it. If it makes any difference, we are a nonprofit.

In August, a coworker who left mailed my boss her external monitor and a printer in a single box (we all work remotely from different states). At my inquiry, my boss said that she would mail me the external monitor, but was also going to mail me the printer as all—which I don’t need or want—so that she didn’t have to repackage the monitor into a new box. I found her reluctance to perform such an easy tax on my behalf pretty demoralizing, especially since she is a particularly needy manager, and thus, I am frequently required to go above and beyond in order to support her.

As I have been with this nonprofit for over 4 years and have received nothing but glowing reviews, I do not question my value to the organization. Am I being unreasonable to expect my boss to take the time to put the monitor into a new box and arrange for a FedEx pickup? As a telecommuting Office Manager, I am already storing a room’s worth of records and equipment for the nonprofit in my home and I just don’t have space for an additional printer.

No, you’re not being unreasonable in expecting her to do that, but you might be being a little unreasonable in being so bothered that she won’t. It’s silly that she won’t, but apparently she won’t. Why not just mail the printer back to her once it and the monitor get to you?

3. Do I have to point out that I’m scheduled for a day I can’t work?

I was scheduled for vacation this week, Sunday thru Saturday. But Monday, they have me working. The rest I have off. Can I get in trouble for not showing up and not saying anything? I have a copy of my schedule in case they raise a stink about it.

Why would you not say something about it? People make mistakes on schedules; this is normal. It’s expected that you’ll speak up and say, “Hey, remember that I’m off on Monday, but you have me scheduled then.” But if you just look at, decide it’s not your problem, and don’t say anything, then yeah, you can get in trouble, whether or not you believe you should.

4. Phone calls when I have a voice disorder

About 10 years ago, I started losing my voice. After spending thousands of dollars on various doctors and medications, I found out that I have spasmodic dysphonia. I am not in a financial position to get treatment at this time.

When I have an interview or speak with someone on the phone for the first time, do I tell them about my disorder? I am constantly being asked if I am sick, or if I am crying or okay. I avoid the phone as much as possible, but it is hard. How would you suggest I go about conducting business on the phone with people who I have not ever met?

I’d just briefly explain it at the start of the conversation — “I’m dealing with some voice issues; please excuse my voice” or any other wording that you’re comfortable with. Let people know so that they don’t wonder or ask about it, and then just proceed like you normally would. Most people won’t be alarmed once you tell them what’s going on.

5. Taking a personal day when you’re in the red on vacation days

I’m asking this for a friend. An employee has overdrawn his vacation days for the year, which was approved by the manager. The idea was that we accrue our days off, but he wanted to use 100% of his early in the year. Now, he “owes” vacation time because we still have 2 months left for the year, but he has 2 sick/personal days left.

I’m not understanding the idea of personal days works in general. He resigned and wants to use a personal day tomorrow. He’s never going to make up the vacation time, but the 2 sick/personal days balance out the PTO. Would most companies allow the use of a personal day even though he “owes” vacation days and is leaving?

I doubt it, although it would depend on the company. Many places won’t let you take vacation or personal days at all once you give notice, and there’s really no argument for letting him takes days off when he’s already in the red on them. But it’ll depend on the specific company and manager.

6. Can my employer overpay me and then take the difference out of my next check?

I have been working for a job agency for the last 4 weeks. I was paid more than I should have been last week. They have said they will take it from my next paycheck. Can they do that?

Yes. They overpaid you; that’s not your money. Think of it as an accidental advance on your next check.

7. How do hiring managers typically deliver rejections?

I have a question about how hiring managers typically deliver rejection calls/information. In your experience (for jobs involving more than one round of interviews), do hiring managers typically schedule a call with candidates (i.e. “Are you available tomorrow? I’d like to chat with your briefly”), do they call the candidate randomly without giving them a heads up, do they email, etc.?

Most email, some call, and some don’t get in touch at all. Calls are much less common than emails, though.

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

1. How much control does an employer have over what employees do online?

I recently had my employer bring in a lawyer to discuss Facebook pages. The lawyer stated that even having a picture posted on line of oneself drinking a beer could damage the company’s reputation and affect our jobs. I don’t post about my job, and I removed my information as to where I work. I do work for a not-for-profit organization that deals heavily with HIPPA laws, and I know I should never discuss my clients. How much control does an employer have over its employees’ web pages?

A lot. Employers can fire you for things you do online (or prohibit you from doing those things in the first place), as long as it’s not based on illegal discrimination, such as firing you for your race, religion, sex, etc., and as long as the posting in question doesn’t constitute protected discussions with your coworkers about wages and working conditions (rights that are protected under the National Labor Relations Act). So, if you posted a rant about disliking your job, they could fire you for that — but if it was an online discussion with coworkers, it might be protected speech.

2. Should I disclose a medical condition to my new staff?

I was promoted and I now supervise a staff of five professionals. I have endometriosis which, on occasion, makes me quite ill where I may need to come into work late or leave early. My supervisor and HR are well aware and amazing in their support. Do I disclose this to my supervisees and if yes, how?

People don’t need specifics; they just need to know the work-related impact. So, for instance: “I have a medical condition that is under control but which will sometimes require me to come in late or leave early without much notice. I’ll keep you informed of my schedule when that happens.”

3. Answering “why do you want to work here?”

During the last few interviews, I’ve been asked the infamous question, “Why do you want to work here?” And my response is always the same, “Because it’s not salacious.” My last job was pretty intense, to say the least. I won’t say where I worked, but over the course of my time there, I helped to put together tribute videos for more than 32 people who died in a 5-year time span (I’m a documentary video producer). I was told to do this as a way to help families heal from the sudden deaths of their deceased loved ones. While I learned a lot about being a documentary producer and a graphic designer at this job, it really got hard when people died, so any job that I apply for is something that I know that I will thoroughly enjoy better than the last one.

Is that response too harsh? Should I find another way to respond to that question? I am afraid that, not only do I put people off by my response, but that I also may scare off potential employers.

It’s not that it’s harsh; it’s that it means something other than what you intend. “Salacious” means lascivious — it’s sexual. So it’s an odd and jarring answer, and one that doesn’t quite fit in an interview.

Even if it meant what you intended, though, this wouldn’t be a good answer. An interviewer doesn’t want to hear that you want to work there because it will be better than your last job; that’s a negative spin and it’s about your old job rather than the new one. Instead, they want to hear what appeals to you about this particular job, specifically. Stop comparing it to the last job and talk about why you’d be enthusiastic about this one, and you’ll have a better answer.

4. Should I tell my manager that I don’t enjoy my work?

About a year ago, I was hired by a large company as a copy editor. Before this I spent several years as an English tutor. I love the English language and thought I would enjoy the work. Unfortunately, I was wrong. At first I thought I needed to get used to new office dynamics, protocols, etc. but almost a year later I dread going to work. My coworkers are perfectly friendly (we spend time together outside the office and get along very well) and my supervisor is very professional. The office culture is wonderful and the company works very hard to make sure we feel valued. I just don’t like the work. After some introspection, I’ve realized that I loved tutoring because of the teaching aspects.I’m not interested in editing for editing’s sake.

A few days ago I received notice that my one-year review is coming up. My supervisor and his supervisor are going to be present to talk about my progress and how I feel about the company. My question is this: If they ask, is it appropriate for me to tell them that I don’t enjoy the work? I’m afraid that they are going to ask or realize that I am dissembling or something. Our department went through massive restructuring around the time I was hired and all of my coworkers and I were hired at the same time. There isn’t anyone in the company that I trust enough to ask. Also, if it matters, this is my first office job after I graduated from college.

I don’t want them to be surprised when I leave after such a short time. They are very careful to tell the truth about what the job entails in the interviews and subsequent conversations. I misjudged myself and the kind of work I want to do for the rest of my life and I guess I want them to know that the mistake was mine not theirs. Is that naïve? Or does this happen all the time?

What outcome would you want from that conversation? Candor is good, but you want to know where it’s going to take you … and in this case it seems a bit too likely to take you to a place where they’re looking for your replacement before you’re ready to go. Find another job first, and then explain the situation when you give notice.

5. Is this rate of pay different than the one I agreed to?

I was recently hired to be the executive assistant to the president of a great company. I first interviewed with the director of recruitment, and she was the one to tell me that they wanted to offer me the position. After I accepted the offer, she went on to tell me that they were looking to start me off at $57,000 a year, but upon reviewing my employment confirmation letter, they had the hourly pay of $27.41. After doing a little research, I found that $28.50 is the per hour equivalent of $57,000 a year, and $27.41 rounds off to about $55,000 a year.

Should I contact the recruiter or the HR rep who emailed me the new hire forms and speak with them about this? I don’t want to come across as money hungry (which I’m definitely not), I just want some clarifications as to why I was told I’d be receiving $57,000 per year, when in actuality it’s more or less $55,000. Is this an inappropriate thing to ask? If not, how should I properly word the question?

Well, first, it’s more than appropriate to enquire if your salary appears to be less than what you agreed to; it’s absolutely necessary. However, in this case, that might not be what’s going on — it’s going to depend on how many working hours per year they’re putting in their calculation. Many employers, including the federal government, divide annual salaries by 2,087 hours to come up with an hourly rate of pay — and that would mean that your hourly pay works out to an annual salary of $57,204. Many others use 2,080 hours, which would still put you at $57,012. So I don’t see any reason to assume that the pay rate in your offer letter is different than the one you agreed to — it sounds like the two match.

6. Will my manager begrudge me this webinar fee if I resign?

I’ve been at my current job for four years, and for a number of reasons, I’ve been looking for a new job for the last 6-8 months. I got a phone interview, felt like it went badly, and assumed I’d never hear back. In the meantime, one of my professional organizations put up an announcement that they’re offering a series of four, once-a-week webinars that I was interested in. After the phone interview, I submitted a request to my supervisor asking if my office could pay for the webinar cost (which is only about $125). The request was approved while I was on vacation.

Also while I was on vacation, the people I phone interviewed with asked me for an in-person interview. Surprise! The in-person interview went really, really well, and I think there’s a good chance that I might get this new job. The problem, of course, is that my current office agreed to pay for the webinars with the understanding that they’d benefit from me having the additional skills. Maybe I shouldn’t have asked for them to pay for it while I was looking elsewhere, but I didn’t think I had a shot at getting a new job so soon. Do you think my manager will bring this up? What should I do if he does?

It’s very, very unlikely that your manager is even going to think about the fact that she approved a $125 webinar — that cost is really low in the scheme of things. And if she does think about it, it’s highly unlikely that she’d bring it up — it’s just too small of an amount to care about in this context. It would be like her begrudging you for resigning right after the company bought you a new mousepad and some file folders. This stuff is a cost of doing business, it’s de minimis, and you shouldn’t worry about it.

7. Interviewer asked me whether I own a home or rent

Taking your advice on resumes and cover letters has gotten me to the point of phone screens in a short amount of time. I just finished with one and I thought it went really well, thanks to your advice on how to prep. The only thing that threw me during the phone interview was when I was asked whether I am a homeowner or if I rent. I was hoping you could shed some light on this question, since the interviewer did not elaborate further after I told him I’m a renter. Does it have something to do with relocation? (I would be moving from one state to another.)

Yes, I’d assume that was related to how easy it would be for you to relocate — whether you’d have to sell a house, break a lease, etc. It’s a bizarre question to ask without providing you with context, though.