update from the manager who didn’t want to eat lunch with her employee every day by Alison Green on December 27, 2013 Remember the manager who wanted to stop feeling obligated to eat lunch with her employee every day? Here’s her update. First and foremost, I had a great experience with you and the community on your site. Your insight, as well as comments from others, put a lot of things in perspective. The major takeaway: I […] Read the full article →
vote for the worst boss of 2013 by Alison Green on December 27, 2013 We’ve read about plenty of bad bosses this year, and now it’s time to vote on the worst one of the whole year. In fact, we’ve had so many that in selecting these finalists, I was forced to pick managers who aren’t just bad managers but also terrible humans (which sadly excluded the water cooler […] Read the full article →
my coworker is angry that I complained about her many personal calls by Alison Green on December 27, 2013 This was originally published on December 6, 2010. (I’m reprinting some posts this week while I’m busy doing nothing.) A reader writes: I sit directly behind a co-worker in my office who spends a good part of the day on personal phone calls. How does she get away with this? She slinks down in her desk, holds […] Read the full article →
happiest endings of 2013 by Alison Green on December 26, 2013 We hear a lot of bad workplace stories here, but we also hear some great ones. Here are the 10 happiest endings of 2013. 10. The reader whose employee didn’t want to take on a new task 9. The reader whose stalkerish ex-boyfriend was applying for a job at her company 8. The reader who […] Read the full article →
update: business expenses are cutting into our receptionist’s pay by Alison Green on December 26, 2013 This one is not a happy ending. Do you remember the letter from the reader who was concerned that the receptionist in her office wasn’t being reimbursed for mileage while running business errands? It was adding up to about $60 a month, which was effectively cutting her pay below minimum wage. I advised her to […] Read the full article →
cleaning the office microwave: hidden duties when job-searching by Alison Green on December 26, 2013 This was originally published on November 12, 2010. (I’m reprinting some posts this week while I’m recovering from the effects of too many rum balls and sparkly beverages.) A reader writes: I recently went on a job interview for a position of HR assistant. During the interview, the HR manager explained the duties required for the position. Just […] Read the full article →
the best “ask the readers” posts in 2013 by Alison Green on December 25, 2013 We have an inexplicably awesome community of commenters at Ask a Manager — and that’s especially evident in the response to “ask the readers” posts. Here are some of the most popular “ask the readers” posts in 2013: 10. how do you start feeling more like an adult when you’re still pretty young? 9. I’m […] Read the full article →
Christmas open thread by Alison Green on December 25, 2013 It’s a special Christmas open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything you want to talk about. If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. Read the full article →
4 more reader updates: blue hair at a job interview, subversive wellness committee, and more by Alison Green on December 24, 2013 Here are four more updates from readers who had their questions answered here this year. 1. Should I become a subversive wellness committee member? I wrote asking about being a “subversive” wellness committee member. I want to thank you and your commenters for being so helpful and supportive! I did end up joining the wellness […] Read the full article →
how to make your team’s operations less complex by Alison Green on December 24, 2013 Ask anyone who has ever worked on a team of people (i.e., most of us) whether they’ve ever felt that the team’s processes and operations were overly complex and you’re likely to hear a resounding “yes.” After all, if you’re doing work yourself, it’s generally pretty straightforward. But add more people to the mix, and […] Read the full article →