August 2016

I think my on-call coworker was high when I contacted him

A reader writes: I’ve got a bit of a very modern doozy here. I work in a position where I regularly call on-call personnel after hours to investigate technical issues, often states away. I had to call our on-call person and, well, I’ll be honest here, I’m pretty sure he was high: he was laughing […]

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when employees complain about favoritism

A reader writes: We’re in tourism/hospitality and gearing up for our busy season. Before we get there, I’d like to have a meeting with all the direct reports to go over policy issues, answer questions, and blow off a little steam. We have three people on staff who were all hired at the same time […]

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I said “EEOC” and things got weird

A reader writes: I received a dinner invitation from my “big boss,” Niles. The invitation list included my supervisor, a colleague (who is junior to me in both experience and title), and that colleague’s supervisor, who I’d never met before. The colleague, Fergus, while in the same department, supports a different line of business and […]

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my boss helped my girlfriend’s mom ambush her at our house, what does “polished” mean in job postings, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. What does “polished” mean in job postings? I’m office temping and looking for a full-time job. I was at first focusing on nonprofits, but after some great experiences temping in the corporate world, I’m expanding my search. Every now and then I see in a […]

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my junior employee’s expectations are out of whack

A reader writes: I have a relatively new staff member who is in his first professional job after grad school. He’s a great employee and is always eager to take on more, but I’m starting to see a problem that I need some help with — he’s getting dissatisfied because there isn’t always more for […]

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should we fire an intern for extending her vacation without permission, coworker makes rude remarks about my quietness, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should we fire an intern for extending her vacation without permission? I’m a mid-level manager at a medium-sized startup. We recently hired a very young intern who just graduated from college. She took a three-day trip to New York, and had asked for the time […]

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6 things you should unlearn to succeed at work

Life has a way of instilling lessons in us that don’t always apply in every context. That’s especially true when it comes to work: You may have habits or ways of thinking that served you well in school or beyond, but which will actually hold you back in your professional life. Here are six of […]

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