my employees eavesdropped on my private conversation and gossiped about it by Alison Green on June 27, 2018 A reader writes: I am the general manager of a large healthcare company. I share my office with the HR manager, Jenny. We have many important, difficult, and, most importantly, confidential conversations in our office. The walls are not very thick, and we have placed sound machines everywhere to try to prevent conversations from being […] Read the full article →
my mom is my HR manager and it’s not good, I walked in on my boss crying, and more by Alison Green on June 27, 2018 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My mom is my HR manager and it’s not good Our company is small enough that we contract out our IT work. One of those contractors, Billy, is good friends with my ex-husband. Five years ago, during my divorce, I requested Billy not work on […] Read the full article →
I like talking crap about my coworkers on chat at work — will my manager find out? by Alison Green on June 26, 2018 A reader writes: I enjoy gossiping and talking crap about all my coworkers on chat at work. Should I assume my manager has access to these chats? Are managers able to read their employees chats and/or emails? I should probably just stop talking so much crap, but you know … it’s fun. Yes, assume your […] Read the full article →
how to write a thank-you note after a job interview by Alison Green on June 26, 2018 If you’re like most job seekers, you either don’t send thank-you notes after your interviews at all, or you do but you’re confused about the purpose of them, and maybe a little annoyed. It’s a weird convention, after all, since job interviews are business meetings. Why, then, are you supposed to kowtow to your interviewer […] Read the full article →
how can I stop my office’s “I’m sorry” culture? by Alison Green on June 26, 2018 A reader writes: Do you have any advice on how to stop the “I’m sorry” culture in the workplace? I’m finding my colleagues and even my manager have created an extreme case of this culture, saying they’re sorry for being out sick, sorry for asking a question, sorry for needing to leave early to pick […] Read the full article →
coworker is picky about restaurants when we eat out, can I bring coffee to a job interview, and more by Alison Green on June 26, 2018 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How much do we need to accommodate a very picky coworker when we eat out? I work on a small team (15ish people). Due to the nature of our work, we go to restaurants together often — two to four times a month when we’re […] Read the full article →
my mom wants to come with me to a professional conference and isn’t taking no for an answer by Alison Green on June 25, 2018 A reader writes: I have been in a job that I love for the past four years. It’s a government job that has the possibility to expire within the next four years. I’m scheduled to attend a conference that is not technically for my job but it is the same industry and it’s a fantastic […] Read the full article →
why do so many adults want to leave anonymous notes for their coworkers? by Alison Green on June 25, 2018 If there’s one thing I’ve learned from a decade of writing Ask a Manager, it’s that people really, really don’t want to have awkward conversations. But what still takes me by surprise is how often people want to anonymous notes as a substitute for face-to-face conversation. Fans of the anonymous note clearly think they’ve found a […] Read the full article →
my employee gets stressed and frustrated and snaps at me by Alison Green on June 25, 2018 A reader writes: I work at a small company; we have around 35 employees, and the office is very laid back. We don’t have HR; we have great hands-on leaders who are accessible, and there are no real structures around management. One of the people I manage is recently graduated; this is his first full-time […] Read the full article →
problem employee or youthful hijinks, music in a shared hotel room, and more by Alison Green on June 25, 2018 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Is this new hire a problem employee, or is it just youthful hijinks? This isn’t the most important question, but it’s turned into the Yanny/Laurel of a networking group. We love your site and we’d be honored to hear your thoughts! We’re divided in opinion […] Read the full article →