is it worth making an issue over this employee’s lateness? by Alison Green on April 28, 2015 A reader writes: I manage an exempt employee who is frequently late: 15-20 minutes late at least once a week. He has a long commute that can be unpredictable when it comes to traffic, but after a year working here I don’t consider traffic a valid excuse. When I mentioned the lateness, he said in […] Read the full article →
people are stealing my tea, do I have to respond to recruiters on LinkedIn, and more by Alison Green on April 28, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. People are stealing my tea I have a cute tea display in my cube. A few weeks ago, I noticed two boxes were gone from my display. I later found them in a kitchen cupboard. Then an few weeks later, I saw an empty tea […] Read the full article →
my coworker follows up on emails in person if he doesn’t get an instant response by Alison Green on April 27, 2015 A reader writes: I have a coworker (mostly a peer, but depending on the project, I’m sometimes his supervisor) who always follows up electronic communication verbally (coming over to my office to ask me if I’ve seen it, or something like that) or through interoffice messaging if I don’t acknowledge it within like 15 minutes. […] Read the full article →
how to know what salary to ask for by Alison Green on April 27, 2015 At some point in your job search, you’re going to be asked what salary range you’re looking for. You’ve probably read that you should try to avoid naming a number at first, but the reality is that employers are going to ask, and you’ll usually have to answer. In fact, many online applications these days […] Read the full article →
asking a prospective client to pay travel expenses by Alison Green on April 27, 2015 A reader writes: We are a small company that offers a unique and valuable product. We have a very tight travel budget and have relied on teleconferencing for many cross country and overseas initial conversations. Though we believe in face-to-face connections, we have to be mindful of the cost vs. benefit of the travel. Sometimes […] Read the full article →
who can managers talk to, my boss only gives gifts to women, and more by Alison Green on April 27, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Who can managers talk to? One of the things I haven’t see much written about is who managers _can_ talk to about management-specific issues. Like all other humans, they need to bounce ideas off of others, discuss challenges and problems, feel connected and heard, and […] Read the full article →
weekend free-for-all – April 25-26, 2015 by Alison Green on April 25, 2015 This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. (This one is truly non-work only; if you have a work question, you can email it to me or post it in the work-related open thread on Fridays.) Book Recommendation of the Week: The Amazing Adventures […] Read the full article →
should I share my resume, should I call out a rude hiring manager, and more by Alison Green on April 25, 2015 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I share my resume with people who might want to base theirs on it? I am starting to get requests for informational interviews about my current position and the path I took to get here. As we’re ending, I’ve had people ask both A) […] Read the full article →
update: my client constantly pesters me and micromanages my every move by Alison Green on April 24, 2015 Remember the letter-writer in February whose freelance client was constantly pestering her and micromanaging her every move — and treating her very much like an employee rather than a contractor? Here’s her update. I have a follow-up to a question you answered about a client who was treating me like an employee rather than a contractor, […] Read the full article →
open thread – April 24, 2015 by Alison Green on April 24, 2015 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything work-related that 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. * If you submitted […] Read the full article →