February 2017

open thread – February 24-25, 2017

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 […]

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my friend tried to strong-arm her way into a promotion

A reader writes: I’m curious what you make of this situation, about a friend trying to strong-arm her way into a promotion. Sansa is an entry-level teapot inspector at a very prestigious company. This is her first real job. Sansa is young but hard working and ambitious. In her spare time she designs her own […]

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update: is this job application horribly invasive or is it just me?

Remember the letter-writer who applied for a job and was asked to fill out a lengthy form with ridiculously detailed information about every job he’d ever had? For each job, they wanted him to write out details about things like like “how my supervisor would grade my performance, why would they grade it that way, did […]

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do I really have to be on camera for my job?

A reader writes: So, I have been at my job for two weeks now, and am in the middle of training. Things have been going great and I really like the job. There is just one problem. Almost every day since I have started, my supervisor has had Skype meetings with people from corporate, our […]

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is it weird to have your spouse visit you at your office?

A reader writes: I recently got a job running a research facility at a university. A few months into the job, my soon-to-be wife mentioned she’d like to come in and see my office. I, however, find this kind of weird. I don’t see anyone else’s spouses or friends dropping by. Also, as a new […]

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how can I help an employee who suffers from anxiety?

A reader writes: How can I help an employee who is suffering from anxiety? The employee in question is a very hardworking, very conscientious employee but she suffers from excessive worry and anxiety. This isn’t my diagnosis — she told me she’s taking advantage of our employee assistance program and getting help with it. However, […]

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