how much can I pet my cat on video calls? by Alison Green on January 31, 2024 A reader writes: I have a somewhat low-stakes question that has been puzzling me lately. I’m wondering where the line is for interactions between me and my cat on Zoom calls. What is professional and what is not? My team is informal, with no dress code, and we sometimes show off our cats on video […] Read the full article →
managing mental health at work: a round-up by Alison Green on January 31, 2024 Here’s a round-up of posts about managing mental health at work. talking to your boss should you tell your boss if you’re struggling with mental health issues? should I disclose my depression to my boss? how to talk to your boss about mental health issues should I tell my boss I’m in therapy and on […] Read the full article →
my coworker blamed me for not being offended enough by a racist comment toward me by Alison Green on January 31, 2024 A reader writes: This happened last year and though I’ve moved on, I occasionally wonder if I’m crazy so I thought I’d ask your opinion. I’m a Black woman who immigrated to Canada in my 30s. For my first job in Canada, I worked in a global organization and interacted with a wide cross-section of […] Read the full article →
our “neurodiversity awareness panel” was a letdown, coworker is stonewalling me, and more by Alison Green on January 31, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Our “neurodiversity awareness panel” was just about dyslexia I work for a large engineering firm that has an active Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee, which recently organized a Neurodiversity Awareness Panel webinar. As someone who was diagnosed with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at a young […] Read the full article →
how to work with a friend who has stopped talking to me by Alison Green on January 30, 2024 A reader writes: I could use help with handling a work friendship that is going through some ick. Lou is a remote worker (now in another country) whom I have never met in person. Shortly after he started a few years ago, we became close friends even with that distance. We’ve provided personal and professional […] Read the full article →
how can I make our on-site perks fair for our remote employees? by Alison Green on January 30, 2024 A reader writes: I manage a team that’s a mix of on-site employees and remote workers. I’m intentional about keeping my remote workers included in both regular work-related and social/sidebar conversations. However, we’ll sometimes order lunch for everyone in the office or have an occasional pizza party. What’s something related I can do for my […] Read the full article →
my new coworker is obsessed with other people’s weight by Alison Green on January 30, 2024 A reader writes: I recently started a position at an organization working on a long-term project with two others (my boss and a colleague, “Brad,” who is in the same position as I am). Given the nature of our industry, the three of us will work closely together for a long time without much work-related […] Read the full article →
expecting more from a near-retirement employee, a disruptive speakerphone, and more by Alison Green on January 30, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Is it ageist not to expect more from a near-retirement employee? I’m a 34-year-old manager with eight years of people management experience. I manage an age-diverse team at a tech company. One employee, Darcy, is in her 60s and has shared that she’s a couple […] Read the full article →
boss wants us to do early-morning and evening meetings so he can attend from his vacation by Alison Green on January 29, 2024 A reader writes: I work on a small team that has daily meetings at 10 am, usually lasting 30-60 minutes. I personally don’t think daily meetings are even necessary, but they are my boss’s way of keeping up with our work as he rarely meets with any of us individually and he likes for us […] Read the full article →
the problem with jobs that claim they’re “like a family” by Alison Green on January 29, 2024 The next time you’re interviewing for a job, there are five words your interviewer might say that should send you running in the opposite direction: “We’re like a family here.” While a family-like company might sound pleasant on the surface, that framework tends to be a flag for a strikingly dysfunctional work environment. At Slate today, […] Read the full article →