October 2010

should I accept a job without a manager in place?

A reader writes: I have been interviewing exclusively with one company, and they finally offered me a sales position. On paper, everything looks fine, compensation, territory, requirements, responsibilities, etc. The negative is there is no Sales Manager in place. They are being very selective in hiring for that position so I don’t know who my […]

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manager borrowed money, refused to repay it, then fired me

This is long but really outrageous. A reader writes: I was fired from my job 3 months ago. The reason I was given was “due to personality conflicts with your supervisor,” which was shocking, considering that we were actually were pretty close in the office. I had been there longer then her and anyone else, […]

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coworker won’t wash her hands after using the bathroom

A reader writes: We have a very distasteful problem at work that I just don’t know how to handle, and it’s really disgusting. We have a co-worker who absolutely refuses to wash her hands after she uses the rest room, and she refuses the alternative of using gel sanitizer. She has fecal bacteria, ecoli, and […]

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8 ways to get what you want from your boss

Thinking about asking your boss for a raise, flex time, or permission to telecommute? Wishing you had eight tips from me to maximize your chances of getting what you want? Then you’ll want to check out the guest post that I wrote for NPR’s Marketplace website, which, for a huge public radio fan, was — […]

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how to explain you were fired, when interviewing

If you were fired from a recent job, you’re probably dreading being asked about it in an interview. Is there any way to tell the truth without killing your chances of getting the job? Fortunately, yes. There are five keys to handling this well: 1. First, before you can formulate a good answer for why […]

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angry boss writing angry memos

A reader sent me a link to these fantastic memos from a Tiger Oil CEO in the 1970s. They are awesome. Some excerpts: “I swear, but since I am the owner of this company, that is my privilege, and this privilege is not to be interpreted as the same for any employee. That differentiates me […]

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should you have to buy office supplies with your own money?

A reader writes: This past week, my boss’s boss paid a visit to our branch. He was telling me that he wants to see beverages, candy and snack-type foods available for when clients visit. He reminded me that corporate does not provide petty cash, and so I would be expected to pay out of pocket […]

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