I’m unprofessional and not detail-oriented — but I still need to earn a living February 2, 2023 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. I am not a detail-oriented person. I’ve had jobs where I was responsible for things like making sure that a packet of materials was the correct color paper, or following a 94-step process perfectly many times. I. Just. Cannot. It’s not a question of effort. I’ve written protocols, […]
interview with a veterinary social worker January 23, 2023 Recently we had a question from a veterinary social worker, and many readers asked to hear more about the job. Bonnie Downing has generously agreed to tell us more about how that works, and here’s our conversation. Tell us about the work you do. I work in a veterinary emergency room in a dual role […]
my employee asked a colleague to help her fake a deal, I’m constantly interrupted when I need to focus, and more January 17, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employees constantly interrupt me and I can’t focus I recognize that my employees generally want to do a good job and not waste a lot of time. For them, it is easier to come and ask me something that may take five minutes, instead […]
I caught my employee in a compromising position in the parking lot, employer only gives raises for promotions months later, and more January 10, 2023 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I caught my employee in a compromising position in the parking lot One of my employees was seen in her boyfriend’s car in our workplace parking lot, supposedly having sex. When I went out to the car (because she was already late clocking in), her […]
update: working from home with a four-year-old December 21, 2022 It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember the letter-writer who was working from home with her partner’s four-year-old? […]
it’s your Friday good news September 9, 2022 It’s your Friday good news! 1. “I’ve had a full-time career for about 13 years, working different jobs in that time, and working my way up in terms of knowledge/title/pay. My most recent job wasn’t the best company or the most challenging job, but the pay was great for what I was doing, I was […]
how can I tell my boss I work better when she’s not here? September 8, 2022 A reader writes: I’m a junior level employee in a small-ish business. I only have about a year of experience in full-time work, but worked a lot throughout college. I also have ADHD and was diagnosed almost two years ago. My job is a lot of layered tasks—some things to be done ASAP, some to […]
my boss wants us to help his coach get certified in pseudoscience August 15, 2022 A reader writes: I work for a successful small business that has acquired two even smaller businesses in other states over the past several years. Our company president really wants to create a unified company culture and help the employees in all three locations feel more like a cohesive team. This has been hampered by […]
my mentor won’t acknowledge my family’s loss, a disorganized boss, and more August 12, 2022 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. My mentor won’t acknowledge my family member’s death I recently started a new job where I took over for a very high-profile and beloved person, Baxter. To help me transition, they were asked to stay on for a year in an advisory/mentor capacity. It became […]
can I ignore my coworker’s calls and only communicate by email? August 10, 2022 A reader writes: I work for a state corrections/law enforcement agency. We have state-issued laptops and cell phones. Our schedule is very flexible and self-directed: we work in the field, from home, and in the office. Our hours are set, but where we are working and what tasks we may be doing vary. I prefer […]