Ask a Manager

It’s terse answer Thursday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go…

1. My boss is reading my emails

I’ve been having trouble at work. I went on FMLA medical leave from September to December, during which time my boss started to receive my email. When I returned to work, she decided to keep reading my email. I know this because frequently she comes to my office to ask me questions about them. Yesterday she called me in for a meeting, and pulled out a large folder with my emails printed out with notes on them. Is this a sign I’m about to be fired? And if I’m about to be fired, is preemptively quitting better than getting fired?

Why not ask her what’s going on? Say something like, “I’m getting the sense that you’re concerned about how I’m handling my email, both because you’re still monitoring it — which you didn’t do before I went on leave — and because you’ve been asking me about it. Do you have concerns about my performance that we should talk about?”

As for whether quitting is better than being fired, that’s really premature at this point (and depends on lots of factors that aren’t in your letter). First you need to find out what’s going on.

2. Can I push back against meetings that run into the evening?

I am a senior logistics manager within an automotive based company. My wife has recently returned to work and we have a baby who is in childcare on a daily basis. Recently the company has been calling meetings which can sometimes last until 7 p.m. Due to my family commitments, do I have the right to advise that I need to leave due to family commitments at a reasonable hour?

Sure, you can explain that to your manager. And with many jobs, at many companies, that will be fine and you and your manager will find a way to work around your schedule. But at other jobs and other companies, it might not be flexible. So it depends on how accommodating your employer is willing and able to be.

3. Writing pieces on behalf of someone else

In my job, I write articles and reports on behalf of my supervisor. He might review the work, but I do all the research and writing. When the pieces are published, my name usually isn’t on the byline with his. Would you please suggest an approach I could take to putting this activity on my resume? And if I were to need writing samples, could I use any of the articles that list only him as the author?

This is very common, and employers will understand it. You can refer to it on your resume as “wrote articles and reports released under CEO’s name” (or whatever), and assuming that your manager is willing to confirm that you wrote the pieces if asked in a reference check, there’s no reason you can’t use them as writing samples.

4. Thank-you gift for dining hall staff

I am a senior at a small women’s college, and I have to follow a restricted diet due to medical issues. Throughout my four years here, the dining hall staff have gone way above and beyond the call of duty in accommodating this — making me a gluten-free pancake with a candle for my birthday my first year, for example (when I was also washing dishes in the dining hall for work-study). I’d like to give them some kind of thank-you gift for everything they’ve done for me, but I don’t actually know any of them well enough to know what they’d like. Would it be appropriate to bring/send a flower arrangement or something similar for the staff as a whole?

Yes, absolutely. They’d probably also appreciate a handwritten card telling them how much their help meant to you.

5. Reaching back out to a company after withdrawing from a hiring process

I made a big mistake! I applied for a great position and even got a interview lined up. But my manager at the time presented me with a promotion, so I withdrew my resume, advising them of this new opportunity. The problem is that now my manager is abruptly no longer with my company and the position that was promised to me was put on hold. Would I be out of line if I were to write the other hiring manager an apology and ask them to consider me for any future positions?

You don’t need to apologize — you didn’t do anything wrong. But it would be fine to let them know that because your manager has left, you’re interested in moving on after all and that you’d love to talk with them if they think you’d be a good match for a role in the future.

6. Calling when a job ad lists a phone number

If a job description lists a name/number to call if you have questions, should you always call, even if you “think” you know enough to proceed with the application?

No, absolutely not! If you have no burning reason to call, don’t call. They’re going to have hundreds of applicants for that position, if they’re like most places, and if all that applicants felt they should call (with or without good cause), they’d be hugely inconvenienced. Moreover, you won’t make a good impression if it’s clear that you don’t have a compelling reason to call them.

7. My temp position was posted online yesterday

I am a temp and have worked here for 2 months. When I was being hired, I was told that there was a high chance that I would become full-time, but I saw that my position was posted online yesterday. Should I go to my boss and ask him, “Are you hiring someone for my position?” I think if I don’t ask, I will drive myself crazy/paranoid, plus I was laid off before starting here as a temp! At this company there are a total of three people in this same position (includes me) but the other two are full-time.

Should I directly ask my boss, my boss’s boss, or call HR? I feel like unless I directly ask my immediate supervisor I will only create “gossip.” Please advise.

You are way over-thinking this. You’re not going to create gossip by enquiring about this. It’s also completely normal and reasonable that they want to consider multiple candidates rather than simply offering you the position (and “high chance” that you’d get the job is not a certainty). Just ask your manager: “I saw that this role was posted online yesterday. I’d love to be considered for it if you think I’d be a strong candidate.”

It’s wee answer Wednesday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go…

1. My boss told my coworker and me to decide which of us will get a promotion

I’ve been working at a county government job for just about 10 years, and I’m 30 years old. We maintain roads and bridges for our county. My boss called me and another employee to the side and let us know that a master operator position will be available soon due to an employee retiring. The thing that I feel is strange is what he said next, which was that it was up to me and this other employee to come to an agreement about which one of us should get the promotion, because he wasn’t going to decide. He gave reasons why we both have what it takes to be a master operator, and he said he didn’t want to make the decision. I’m aggressive and other employees listen to me and respect me, which the other guy lacks, but the other guy is a better operator, which I feel I can improve with time. How am I and this other employee going to come to a decision of which one of us should get the promotion?

Your boss is a complete and utter ass. Telling the two of you to decide which of you will get a promotion, like it’s Hunger Games or something? Agree between the two of you to go back to him and tell him that neither of you is comfortable making that decision — or that you can’t reach an agreement — and that it’s something he should decide.

2. Contracting with a company that turned down my employer for the same work

I have been approached by a company to do some work for them on a contract basis. This company previously contacted my employer to get a quote on the company doing the contract work. The hourly rate was too high and they did not go with our company. (We work with this company quite a bit. They have many different departments, and this happens to be a new one. The person that contacted me is a colleague of my husband, who said they wanted to hire a person for this position, but there is a hiring freeze. My name had come up a few times as someone to talk to about doing the job on a contract basis.)

I would like to accept this job, in addition to keeping my regular job. I am paid very poorly and could use the extra money. What is the best way to approach my boss with this arrangement? I currently work 37 hours per week, and this job would be an additional 20 hours per week.

You can certainly tell your boss that you were approached about this and are interested in doing the work, but I’d be prepared for your boss to be less than thrilled about you essentially undercutting the company and moonlighting for a client. So approach it as “would this be okay to do?” attitude, not “I am doing this.”

3. Is it weird that I didn’t tell my boss my father is dead?

I graduated from college last May and have been interning for a company since my last year of school. My boss is really easy to get along with and we have casual conversations from time to time, which I enjoy. On more than one occasion, he has referenced my father in passing, such as saying something like, “Your dad probably knows what I’m talking about” after an anecdote from before my time or “Make sure your dad likes him” after I mention that my boyfriend is coming to town. Actually, my father died when I was a toddler. I have no problem whatsoever talking about it, but I’ve always gone along with/simply ignored comments like these while chatting with my boss because I know mentioning such a thing would stop a conversation with someone I don’t have a personal relationship with dead in its tracks and I don’t want to make things awkward for anyone.

However, this week, my boss asked my what my father did for a living, so then, of course, I finally told him my father passed away when I was child. His reaction was perfectly kind and somewhat embarrassed. The moment has passed and I’m not really worried about any lingering effects on our work relationship, but I feel bad because I’m afraid I may have caused some of that embarrassment by not mentioning this earlier. I’d simply like your perspective and what you would think if this happened with an employee of yours. Is it odd that I didn’t just mention it the first time?

Yeah, it’s a little odd but not a disaster. Your boss might feel a little weird that he’s been referencing your dad this whole time, but I wouldn’t worry too much about it.

For what it’s worth, though, I wouldn’t assume that simply explaining, “My dad died when I was young” will stop a conversation in its tracks or cause so much awkwardness that you should avoid it. It’s perfectly appropriate to mention it if you want to.

4. Can I waive my right to overtime pay?

I have been working at two different jobs for the past few years. One that I really like is a full-time job, and I would like to get more hours there. I have asked my boss to give me more hours so that I could quit my part-time gob. He told me he can not afford to pay me overtime and has refused my request several times. I have mentioned to him I do not want overtime pay, I just love working there, and am happy to get paid regular pay, not overtime. He told me it might be against the law. Even if I request to not be paid overtime, is this true? I just do not like my part-time job, plus this one pays more per hour and I like it.

Yes, it’s true. The law does not allow you to waive your right to overtime pay, and your employer would be breaking the law by not paying it, even if you ask them not to. (Assuming that you’re non-exempt, that is.)

5. Is this rejection letter rude?

I received the following rejection letter after phone interview and three-and-a-half-hour in-person interview (with no break; first with three people at once and then each person separately along with a fourth person): “Thank you for spending your time with us last Wednesday, interviewing for the ___ position. We enjoyed meeting you and appreciated your professionalism throughout the process. At this time, we have decided that you will not be a fit for this position and our recruitment process will continue. We wish you success with your job search. Thank you, again, for your interest in our company.”

I thought it was very cold to say I was not a fit for the position. Maybe something like, “We are looking for difference skill sets, etc.” Is it me, or was this a rather rude, standard email after four hours worth of interviews?

It’s a pretty standard rejection letter and not particularly rude. It’s not the best wording I’ve ever seen, but it’s hardly a slap in the face either. Don’t read too much into it.

6. Answering “when can you start?” on job applications

I am currently employed, but applying to new opportunities as they arise. A lot of electronic applications I encounter ask me to choose my available start date from a calendar (no option to write in text for “2 weeks after accepted offer”). What is the norm here? My instinct is to always choose a month out to allow for the interview process (which would likely be longer) and a two week notice period. I am hesitant to choose today’s date, as that may look like I am not currently employed (which I am). What should I put in this situation where they’re only allowing a date as an entry?

This is a prime example of job applications designed by someone who hasn’t stopped to consider whether the question makes sense or not. When you can start depends on when you get and accept an offer; for nearly everyone, that’s what it will be based on. Even if you use your idea of choosing a date a month away, you have no way of knowing how long their interview process will take; plenty of them takes months and months.

If you’d start two weeks after accepting an offer, I’d just put something between two and four weeks. You’re not going to be rigidly held to it (i.e., if you write “May 24” today and you’re offered a job on May 20, they’re not going to point to your application and say, “But you said you could start May 24.” Or, if they do, they’re being ridiculous.

7. What should I charge as a freelancer?

I’m in a bit of a pickle and hope you may have some advice for me. In a nutshell, I was approached by someone I don’t know via LinkedIn with a freelance proposal. After checking into his background and exchanging several emails, I’m very eager to work with him in a freelance capacity. However, I’ve never had to negotiate as a freelancer and am not sure how to continue. In our latest correspondence he pitched his proposal to me and said: “This is an investment on my part, so I need to know what rate you’d be willing to work if you were pretty much full-time for 3-4 months.”

I have no idea how to answer this question. As far as experience in the field he’d be hiring me for, I have about 3-4 years of professional experience. I’m also horrendous at math, so the thought of calculating rates for myself seems incredibly daunting and scary.

I guess my biggest concern is not wanting to low-ball myself, but also not wanting to suggest a rate that’s absolutely ridiculous and makes me seem foolish and unprofessional.

Typically people earn a higher hourly rate when they’re freelancing than when they’re doing the same work as a full-time employee. This is because as a freelancer, you’re responsible for your own payroll taxes (and they’re more than you think!), don’t get benefits like health care or paid time off, don’t have the stability of a regular job, etc.

A common rule of thumb is to figure out what a salary for this work would break down to hourly (you can use your past salary if it’s a pretty good match for the work), and then double it. If you’re like most new freelancers, you’ll feel anxious asking for that amount, but it’s really what people do, and if this guy has benchmarked freelancers at all, he shouldn’t be put off. You can also try searching for online forums for people who freelance in your field and seeing if you can find info on typical rates that way — but if you can’t, this is a pretty reliable way to go.