Ask a Manager

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

1. Do I have to repay my sign-on bonus if I resign after a month?

I recently accepted an administrative assistant position with a new company. A staffing agency introduced me to the position, and my new employer paid the agency for their assistance. I received a $5,000 sign-on bonus from my new employer. I started Dec. 4. I know this company is not a good fit. I would like to resign now and I did not sign a contract with my new employer. Am I obligated to pay the bonus back?

I visited the staffing agency’s website and they offer company’s a 90-day money-back guarantee.

You could wait and see if they tell you to pay it back once you resign (and I’d be prepared for that to happen), but if there’s no contract requiring it, you may not have to. (But I’m surprised that there’s no paperwork requiring it, and I’d argue that ethically you should pay it back regardless.)

2. Asking for a raise when you might get turned down

I’m not really unhappy with my actual work, but I’m unhappy with my compensation. I’ve been contemplating asking for a raise, but I just can’t bring myself to do it given the follow facts: (1) My coworker recently asked for one and was denied and (2) My oversharing boss is constantly walking around complaining about how we don’t have any money and talking about how much personal money she puts into the company. How do I ask for a raise when my boss openly says there’s no money? Do I dismiss it as a lost cause and put my job seach back in full-swing? If I do ask and get denied, then is going to be super awkward working after that?

The fact that your coworker was denied a raise shouldn’t factor into your thinking at all, since you don’t know how strong a case she made or how much your manager values her. Your situation could be completely different. However, the fact that your manager is complaining about money and putting her own personal money doesn’t exactly create the ideal conditions for a request like this … although still no reason not to ask, if you can make a case for how your work is worth more to the company than you’re currently being paid. And the worst that can happen is that you’re turned down. It shouldn’t be awkward after that — people ask for raises and are told no all the time; it’s a normal part of business.

3. Gift-giving by gender

I started working as an office coordinator/exec assistant to a CEO and SVP at a small company in the beauty industry about 3 months ago. All women in the office received accessories from the VPs before we left for the holidays, instead of monetary gifts. Is this sort of gift-giving common, given the industry or were the bosses just trying to be creative and thoughtful? The men in the office received wine and champagne. I’ve definitely heard of champagne being given as a gift, but not jewelry. Also, I verbally thanked my supervisor but should I go out and buy a thank-you card?

Giving accessories to the women and champagne to the men would be a little odd if you weren’t in the beauty industry, where this type of thing happens a lot. A verbal thank-you is fine, although a card would certainly be a gracious thing to do if you feel like it.

4. Employee parking lot is dark and dangerous

I work for a company that has designated an employee parking lot. However, it is across a very busy street (that is actually a highway!) behind a building on unpaved gravel. By the time I leave in the winter months, it is pitch black and there is very little lighting. I am worried I will fall and get hurt, or worse! I have expressed my safety concerns and I was told it would be reviewed. Parking on the city street is also against employee policy, but there is no mention of any of this in our handbook. California law gives 72 hours to park on a city street. What are my rights?

I can’t speak to California’s laws specifically, but in general, employers can direct employees not to park in certain areas (including public on-street parking) because they want those spaces to be open to provide easier access for their customers. No federal law governs lighting standards for parking lots, but some cities have their own codes that require a certain minimum amount of lighting. If you want to look into the laws in your area, I’d start by contacting your local city or county government for advice. Meanwhile, though, you might want to enlist other employees in raising this concern to your employer; that might spur them to take some action.

5. I might have been fired because I was pregnant

I am not really sure why I lost my last job, and I’m not sure how to explain it in an interview. The department was in the process of restructuring, but my position was not eliminated. I am not eligible for rehire. I asked why I was fired, and my boss said, “you’re just not a good fit for this company anymore. There’s nothing you could have done better or differently.” I have requested a letter stating the reason a few times, but cannot get ahold of anyone. I’d ask my previous coworkers, but most have called to ask me why I was let go! I was employed for over 2 years without any discipline on file, and had even received a substantial performance raise 2 months prior. The only reason I can think of is that I was pregnant, and due at a rather inconvenient time for the company.

I am now searching for a job and landing interviews left and right, but cannot get past this question. I did receive a job offer, but it was rescinded when the new employer called HR and found out that I was ineligible for rehire at my old job! Soon, my baby will arrive. I know the additional time that I will need to spend out of work to care for my infant will make an even bigger unemployment gap that will linger on my resume forever! How do I answer that inevitable question that comes up in every interview, while anticipating such a vague but negative HR reference?

You may or may not be right that your former company fired you because you were pregnant, but they’re not giving you any other reason to explain it, so it’s reasonable to assume that might be the case. If your employer has 15 or more employees, firing you because you were pregnant is illegal. You might want to enlist a lawyer in handling this for you — not necessarily to sue (although you could explore that option as well), but to reach an agreement with the company about what they’ll tell people who call for a reference for you. I’d be very surprised if a lawyer couldn’t get you a good outcome here, possibly including a monetary settlement as well — especially now that you’ve lost a job offer over it. (And I don’t recommend that kind of thing lightly, but this sounds egregious.)

6. Verbal warnings, sharing resumes, and unprofessionalism

I was recently hired at a facility and the manager passed out my resume to the coworkers that participated in the interview. The coworkers get a say so in who’s hired at this facility. I am worried that since these two people are no longer with the company that they may still have my resume that this is not a professional thing to do!

Also, when you get a verbal warning, shouldn’t this be identified as such? Also, how much do managers get in regards to training as the assistant director would talk about people at the lunch table and I felt this was very unprofessional?

I doubt that your coworkers had any interest in taking your resume with them when they left the company, but regardless, it’s normal for anyone interviewing a candidate to be given a copy of the person’s resume. (And it’s not unusual to have coworkers participate in interviews.)

Different employers and managers define “verbal warning” differently — for some it involves an explicit statement that this is a warning, and for others it might simply be a statement that something needs to be done differently. Either way, the assumption is that if you’re told to do something differently, you’ll take that seriously.

Most managers get little to no training, and you’re right that managers shouldn’t be talking about people at the lunch table. That said, I would let all of this stuff go, because I don’t think you’re hearing how adversarial toward your employer you’re sounding, as if you’re looking for problems wherever you can find them. If you’re unhappy there and it’s not the right fit, I’d deal with that head-on, rather than getting focused on multiple little things that are irking you.

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

1. What does this email from an interviewer mean?

What should I make of this email, which I received as a response to my own email: “Thank you for your mail. Happy to have met up with you and have placed you for consideration for a suitable vacancy that may arise. It is imperative that we have the right job that matches your experience and skill set.”

I had interviewed 45 days back for a mid-senior role. This is from the person who I met with; she heads consumer banking for south Asia for them. She had mentioned in the interview that they have multiple roles available.

It’s not especially direct, but I’d take it as meaning that you’re not currently under active consideration for the role you interviewed for, but that they might consider you for openings in the future. I’m interpreting it that way because she didn’t reference the job you talked about earlier, and instead referred to potential vacancies that apparently “may arise” but don’t currently exist.

2. Asking for more work

I love my job, best in the world. I work at the cinemas in my town, and in between movies, we have to find jobs to do. I usually have the problem of worrying before work about what I will do. If everyone else has found jobs to do, is it bad to ask my boss for what I should do? My boss is an amazing woman but sometimes the supervisors are a bit bossy.

Yes, if you’re supposed to find work to do in between movies and you’re not able to find any, ask your boss if there’s anything you should be working on. If it’s an ongoing issue, then you might address it as an on-going issue: “I’m not always able to find things to work on in between movies. Are there specific jobs you’d like me to regularly take on?”

3. Including travel on your resume

I plan to apply for a job titled “education abroad program specialist” at a local university. I have studied abroad in the countries that they indicate are their priority, and I have also completed my masters thesis in this area. Should I also include any personal travel that supports my continued interest in learning about these particular countries post-college?

Normally no, but given the nature of this particular job, sure. Include a travel section on your resume, or mention it in your cover letter.

4. Mentioning to a prospective employer that I’ve been laid off since our interview

I was laid off last week from company A. I was on a H1B (non-immigrant visa) and it is valid until 2014. I am getting an offer from company B soon. Company B does not know that I have been laid off because I was still employed during the interview. Now I have to transfer my H1B to company B. Company B will come to know that I am laid off during the transfer (when they ask for my latest pay stubs). Should I inform them or not prior to my H1B transfer? (I prefer not to, thinking it might adversely affect my job offer). How to proceed further?

I don’t have any expertise in visa issues, but if the core question is whether you should disclose up-front that you’ve been laid off since you interviewed with them, I don’t see any need to disclose it. As long as you didn’t mislead them or give them inaccurate information (such as saying on your resume or in your interview that you were currently employed when you actually weren’t — which isn’t the case here), you’re under no obligation to keep them informed of your every move.

However, I don’t know enough about the visa transfer process to know if it’ll be in some way relevant to them in that context. If your being currently unemployed will impact what they have to do to transfer the visa or make that more onerous, you should mention it once you get an offer.

5. Talking about your current salary when it includes housing

I’m currently working as a nanny but plan to begin looking for work in my field soon. I’ve heard from friends that I should expect to be asked about my previous salaries, and I’ve got some special circumstances which make that a rather difficult question to answer.

My current nanny position is live-in. I took a $2-3/hour pay cut in exchange for the (very nice, mostly private) housing for myself and my husband. When listing my current salary, do I list the amount I actually see on my paycheck (which is what shows up on my W-2s) or do I include the extra $2-3/hour?

Ideally you wouldn’t answer that question at all because it’s no one’s business but yours, and if you’re directly asked, you could explain that your current compensation includes housing for both you and your husband, which obviously makes it impossible to compare apples to apples when it comes to salary. However, if you’re asked on an online application form that makes it impossible to proceed without answering the question, I’d factor in the housing and explain later that that’s how you calculated it.

6. Jerky manager in possibly unsafe workspace

I work for the call center in a casino, and things seem to be getting worse and worse every week there, but I desperately need this job. I have brought up multiple concerns with my manager and have seen no difference or change over the last few weeks.

Our manager says some things that really bother me. If I have to change my schedule or ask to go home early because of my schooling (which I don’t do very often), he asks me what specifically it is that I need to do. It makes me uncomfortable that I have to tell him exactly which class it is, when it is, and where it is for him to comply with my school schedule. He will also do things like roll his eyes or sigh heavily if you ask anything from him, so none of us like to ask him questions. He will also say things that really offend some people. For instance, one woman had a sweater that he didn’t like, so he told her to “Just go out and buy a new one from Wal-Mart.” Or another woman had to take time off work for medical reasons, and after she came back, he told her, “Oh I cut your hours, because I thought you could use more time to lie on the couch and do nothing.” He doesn’t seem to have any sort of filter on what is appropriate to say to an employee. Many of us have gone to human resources about him, but nothing has been done about his behavior.

Also, I’ve tried to talk to my manager about our working conditions, but he laughed them off. Our call center is in an older portion of the building, and it’s disgusting. There’s an air filter that’s on the ceiling above some of our computers that is pitch black, covered in dust and who knows what else, and I really am terrified that it hasn’t been cleaned since the 90’s, at least. The walls are a soundproof carpet material and have black spots all over them, mostly around the air vent and they haven’t been cleaned in ages. The fire sprinklers are rusted over, there’s electrical outlets duct taped to the legs of tables, all of the computers have layers of dust on the inside and outside of them, the list goes on and on. Is there anything I can do about that? Or do I need to just deal with it and ignore the filth since I work in a casino?

I know this job isn’t a permanent thing for me, but it is for many of the people there. I don’t think it’s unfair to want a manager that has some people skills and a clean workplace, right?

There are two different issues here: your potentially hazardous working conditions, and the fact that your manager is a jerk. You’ve tried to address the jerkiness, both with him and by escalating it, and it doesn’t look like that’s going to change — so you need to decide whether it’s something you’re willing to put up with as part of this job or not. It’s not illegal to be a jerk or a bad manager, so it’s a question of whether you’re willing to deal with it or not.

However, on the working conditions, you could certainly look into whether they violate federal OSHA regulations on safe workplaces and alert OSHA if they don’t. (Dust probably isn’t a violation, but fire sprinklers that don’t work almost certainly are.)

Read an update to this letter here.

7. Applying with an employer after being rejected

After 3 long months of waiting, I was rejected for yet another job. I did send a thank-you note afterward. This was only a few weeks ago. I see that the job has been reposted. Can I ask about it? How would I do so? There’s also another job that I would like to apply to but don’t know if it’s even worth me doing so. Do you have any advice about this?

I’d focus more on the other job that you’re interested in, and not on the job that you were just rejected for. Employers generally keep jobs posted until they’re filled (which often includes reposting them on some sites, so that they don’t get old or expire). But if they rejected you, they rejected you, and they’re unlikely to reconsider you just a few weeks alter.

As for how to inquire about the new job, if you got to the interview stage for the first job, reach out to your contact and let them know that you’ve just applied for Job B and would love to be considered for it. If you hadn’t reached the interview stage for the first job, then just go ahead and apply for this one now, just like you normally would.

It’s short answer Christmas — six short answers to six short questions! Here we go…

1. Fired for being too attractive

I was wondering if you’d heard about this case in which a dentist fired an employee for being “too attractive.” The Iowa Supreme Court upheld the firing as legal because she wasn’t fired because she was a woman, she was fired because she was a beautiful woman. I was curious about your opinion of this case and how people can best move on when they’re fired for what they feel are petty reasons (not to do with layoffs or performance).

It seems to me that she has a pretty strong case for sexual harassment and I don’t understand the court’s ruling that it’s not sex discrimination (since he presumably wouldn’t have fired her if she was an attractive man). But if nothing else, it’s a good reminder not to work for asses.

As for how to move on, you’ve got to move on just as you would with any other job loss — by putting it behind you, not getting bitter over it, and focusing on what comes next and why someone sane would be glad to have you.

2. Conveying frustration over benefit changes

Four days before Christmas, all employees at my company were given a new employee package saying that the company will no longer be paying 100% of our benefits. We now have to pay for all our disability, accidental death, life insurance, etc. (which is mandatory). Plus we will be paying a portion of our health and dental benefits. The letter goes on to say that $125 (more for some employees) will be deducted from our pay each month as of January 1 in light of these changes.

To say we are all pissed off is an understatement. 100% benefits was a big bonus of working here. We were told a couple of weeks ago that we would be getting a new benefits plan to sign but not to worry as it’s not any different and will be for the better. They tried to frame the change as a good thing, as now if we need to access disability, we won’t be taxed on it. But really, as one of the lower wage earners here, it feels more like getting a 4-5% pay cut.

We were given until January 3 to sign and were told to read it over and come back with any questions. I’m looking for help on what to say to my manager to show that I’m unhappy about how this was communicated. I want to say that it should have been communicated to us better and not pretended it was “for our own good.” It came so suddenly and warning would have been great — I would have taken up more of my benefits these last few months because I will probably opt out in the new year. I know the company is struggling with cash flow, but that’s not publicly known and it still feels like a punch in the gut so close to Christmas!

Be pleasant but direct: “I understand the need for these changes, but I wanted to express some concern with how they were communicated. Saying that the change is for our own good felt disingenuous, especially when it amounts to a 4-5% pay cut for someone at my salary level. I also wish we’d had more advance notice of it so that we could plan accordingly, rather than having it sprung on us only days before it would take effect.”

At that point, your boss will probably say something apologetic, at which point you should say, “I understand there’s nothing that can be done now, but if you can convey this to whoever is in a position to factor it into decision-making in the future, I’d really appreciate it.”

Read an update to this letter here.

3. I didn’t get a job because of an anti-nepotism policy

I’ve been doing some temp work on and off over the six months for the same company. Initially, I was recommended for it by a member of my family who works there but have since been asked back several times because the work I did then was so highly complimented.

I applied for a permanent position there in a different department and was asked to interview. The day after my interview, the human resources rep who interviewed me asked if she could put my CV forward for a position in the department I’d been working in over the last six months. I said yes, had an interview, and settled down to wait. I did not get the first job — I didn’t have much experience in one of its duties, which I knew.

Today the HR person called me to her office about the second job and said, extremely apologetically, that as of the new year, their nepotism policy had changed and so, despite my good interview and experience with the job, I would not be allowed to work in the same department as my family member. As today is Friday, my interview was Thursday and I was asked to apply on Wednesday, I am feeling a bit like they’ve played a sick joke on me. One of the managers who interviewed me said he would make a formal complaint, but I don’t think this will achieve anything. The new policy was emailed to our HR people today, by the overall HR director in head office.

What is your feeling on this sort of extremely broad nepotism policy?

That timing sucks, but I’d consider it a case of bad timing and nothing else — certainly not a sick joke. Companies don’t spend time interviewing people for the hell of it. It sounds like the people involved in hiring for this position weren’t aware of the new policy yet.

As for nepotism policies in general, they’re often smart to have. There are lots of reasons not to want family members or significant others working closely together (see here for details). It’s frustrating when you don’t get a job because of one, but believe me, it’s nothing compared to the frustration of the coworkers of people who don’t handle personal relationships appropriately. (Not saying that you’d be one of them — but the risk is too high for many companies to want to take.)

4. Pushing to turn an unpaid internship into paid work

I’m a part-time graduate student, again… but since masters degrees are so expensive, I’m working part-time (with benefits) at full-time hours for a popular coffee shop. It was through this coffee shop I made a connection for an internship that I was hired for as a student researcher in a major medical hospital affiliated with an Ivy league university/medical school.

Unfortunately, it is an unpaid internship, for now. The talk of transitioning to a paid position came about during an informal interview with the research director, but I do not have it in writing. Right now, I’m liked by my lab director and he’s happy to have me work with him. I mentioned the thought (although it’s only been 2 weeks with him) about a paid position to be around more (even volunteered to go in to lab on Christmas Eve). I am hopeful for pursuing a career in medicine one day, but right now I want to work and make some money and save up. I have a good life, but having significant experience and higher post-grad education, working for my local coffee shop while I go to school part-time, volunteer, AND have this internship feels draining and my demeanor is taking a hit.

My girlfriend and family are very supportive, but I was wondering if you had any advice on how to play it safe in bringing up to my lab director and the research director who brought me onboard I was hired through HR, not volunteer services) about monetary compensation and benefits?

Uh oh. You should never accept an unpaid internship if you’re going to resent being unpaid, or if you’re going to be bitter if it doesn’t turn into a paid job. They didn’t trick you into it; they told you exactly what you were signing up for, and you accepted it.

You can certainly mention to your manager that you’re interested in being considered for a paid position if one becomes available, but you need to remain very aware that what you were hired for — and what you accepted — is an unpaid internship. There are no promises beyond that (and talk of it becoming something else is just talk — not promises).

If you’re becoming disgruntled at doing the work that you agreed to do, and only two weeks into it, I would think long and hard about whether this is the job for you. If you push for paid work, or if you allow yourself to become resentful, you’ll harm your reputation with the very people you’d like to impress. (And you do want to impress them even if there’s no possibility of getting paid — because they’ll be references and connections to other jobs, and because your reputation matters.)

5. Will I ever get a better job?

In September, I started working at a full-time position. It’s a low-paying job (I can’t afford to live on my own) that has nothing to do with my two degrees (Bachelor and Masters) and there are aspects of the job that I struggle with on a regular basis because they are contrary to my personality/natural abilities(I often have to be assertive/aggressive, and I have a hard time doing that). On the plus side, I have a job — a regular, full-time, 8-5 (with an hour for lunch) office job that pays insurance. Also, it’s in a nice, clean, safe location that is really close to my home. And, for the most part, I like the people I work with.

Considering the economy and my level of experience (not a lot), how good of a chance do I really have to find a better (better paying, better fitting) job in these times? I hate the fact that at the age of 27, after 2 degrees, I am still living at home, but I also want to be realistic and not get my hopes up.

The bad job market doesn’t mean that you’ll never find a better job. It just means that it’s going to take longer and be harder than in a good economy. You should continue trying to find a better fit, and put a lot of emphasis on laying the groundwork for that to happen: keeping up your skills in your field, doing volunteer work related to what you want to do, joining professional societies in your field and being active in them (it doesn’t help much if you just join and sit on the sidelines), networking your ass off, and making sure that you have an awesome resume and cover letter (and since 95% of people don’t, assume you don’t and work on making them better).

Eventually you’ll get a better job. It’s just going to take more time and work than it ideally would.

6. Connecting with your interviewer on LinkedIn

I’ve been starting to job search and have had several interviews. Almost immediately after an interview, somebody from HR will connect with me on LinkedIn. I’m wondering if it is too pushy to also connect with the hiring manager (or other panel interviewers) after being interviewed?

It’s not too pushy, but keep in mind that some hiring managers won’t connect on LinkedIn unless they know you better, so don’t be offended if that happens. There’s more on this in this very old post from 2008.