January 2014

everything you need to know about snow days at work

With the snow storm that hit much of the eastern part of the U.S. yesterday, you might be wondering whether you get paid when your office is closed, if your employer can require you to work despite the storm, and other questions that arise when weather intersects with work. Can my employer require me to […]

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should you refuse to sign a performance improvement plan?

A reader writes: A peer and I both are HR managers, and we were discussing whether, if we weren’t in HR, we would sign a PIP (performance improvement plan). I said that if I was the average employee, I would not sign a PIP, because the verbiage (in most PIPs) basically states that you agree […]

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5 qualities you really need in your coworkers

When you’re hiring for an open role on your team, you have a list of qualifications that you’re screening candidates against. But in addition to whatever job-specific requirements you’re looking for, there are some other qualities that you want in any new hire, no matter what their position is. Here are five key qualities that […]

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I was told not to attend a former coworker’s retirement party

A reader writes: I used to work for a health care organization that managed several hospitals and research institutes. I left the organization in 2012 to pursue another opportunity in another field. This month, a senior director in this organization is retiring. I will call her Sally. I heard from a current employee at the […]

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does the admin in my new office have boundary issues?

A reader writes: My company last year acquired another company in the same industry, and we’ve finally merged offices. As it happens, the acquired companies offices were larger and less expensive, so we moved in with them. As a senior team member in our old place, I had my own office. But we went from […]

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