September 2017

open thread – September 15-16, 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 coworker is ruining her relationship with our boss

A reader writes: About two years ago, I was promoted to an executive role in my company – I am a department of one. Six months ago, Lisa, a former peer, was promoted to head a department that I work closely with. Lisa moved from sales to operations and is handling it well, but is […]

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update: I got caught lying about a sick day

Here’s an update from the letter-writer last month who got caught lying about being sick in order to watch the eclipse: Thanks for publishing my letter. I appreciate your response and the comments everyone left. The probationary period is standard in the industry, going back to when my father first started decades ago. It is […]

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did my employee quit or is she in a ditch somewhere?

A reader writes: My mom just called to ask for advice. She hired a new office manager, “Jane,” a few months ago. Yesterday Jane left for lunch and never came back. She had some performance issues, so my mom thinks she may have quit, but she’s also worried Jane might be in a ditch somewhere. […]

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I don’t want an intern, I’m dating my boss, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I don’t want an intern I need to find the appropriate way to tell my supervisor that I do not want to supervise another intern next year. I work for a nonprofit that contracts with schools to provide services in the schools. Last year, we […]

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my boss misunderstands emails because she only skims them

A reader writes: There are just three of us in a small branch office of a medium-sized global company: My boss (Jane), me, and a coworker (whom I shall call Daenerys). Almost all emails are addressed to all three of us, since we work very closely on all projects, but each have a different role […]

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new hire is badmouthing our business on Twitter

A reader writes: I am the manager of a small business and recently made a verbal offer of employment to someone for an entry-level/cashier position. In the last day, this hire has made several deprecating comments on Twitter about the business. My knee-jerk reaction is to rescind the job offer, but I have doubts about […]

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my boss is shirtless in his staff photo, bug bites at work, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss is shirtless in his staff photo I work for the Southern California branch of a large, multinational corporation. The company recently rolled out a new internal employee directory/intranet platform that allows us to customize our profile photos, resume information, skills and interests, etc. […]

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