manager leaves to get her hair done during the workday, should I sing a song at my interview, and more May 2, 2016 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My manager leaves to get her hair done during the workday I work for a small firm with a fairly laid-back environment. One of my bosses regularly schedules her multi-hour hair appointments for workday afternoons. Every other month or so, she leaves work at 3 […]
update: my part-time job wants me to work more days — am I being unreasonable in saying no? March 24, 2016 Remember the letter-writer last year whose part-time job kept pressuring her to work more hours? Here’s the update. I have an update for you! The job ended up being very sketchy. As some commenters guessed, it was a indeed a chain of tutoring centers. The commenters made me realize just how bad of a workplace that […]
2014 Posts February 24, 2015 Return to main archives January February March April May June July August September October November December December 2014 most popular posts of 2014 update: my creative role has turned into drudgery for the foreseeable future my interviewer was a distant cousin, telling my staff I’m job-searching, and more my favorite posts of 2014 update: how […]
my boss told me “sorry isn’t good enough anymore,” wearing see-through blouses to work, and more November 28, 2014 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss told me “sorry isn’t good enough anymore” I have been at my job for about 14 months, and I was a temp here for six months before that. I feel like in the last few months, I have had a major screw-up like […]
how can I ask whether I’m doing well enough at my new job? October 15, 2014 A reader writes: Is there an appropriate, non-annoying way to ask whether you are making sufficient progress during training? At a previous job, I was given strictly positive feedback until about a week before my 90-day training/probation period was scheduled to end, at which point I was told that there were major concerns with my […]
mini answer Monday — 7 short answers to 7 short questions February 18, 2013 It’s mini answer Monday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go… 1. Is my company handling a coworker’s outburst correctly? I am new to the professional world and am wondering if my employer is handling an unprofessional coworker appropriately. Recently, in a meeting, one of my coworkers openly chastised another coworker […]
wee answer Wednesday — 7 short answers to 7 short questions January 16, 2013 It’s wee answer Wednesday — seven short answers to seven short questions. Here we go… 1. Did I schedule this interview for too far out? I just had a second-round interview with a place I’d love to work. I interviewed with one of the hiring managers (first round was a phone interview). She said she […]
how can I help my struggling coworker, who’s possibly learning-disabled? October 11, 2011 A reader writes: I’m in a creative, non-managerial position and I’ve recently been given the task of managing the work of one of my colleagues. I’m not his formal manager; he and I have the same job title, and we both report to the same manager. I’m more of his editor or lead (we’re both copywriters at […]
eating at work October 16, 2008 A reader writes: My question is an odd one. It is about a habit of hard-working and busy people: eating at work. I have a sensitivity to low level irregular noise, especially people chewing, crunching, and rattling cellophane bags. (In fact, I am wearing ear plugs right now to drown out the sound of a […]