open thread – August 31-September 1, 2018 by Alison Green on August 31, 2018 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 →
coworker brings food to every meeting, pushing back on daily morning meetings, and more by Alison Green on August 31, 2018 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I ask my coworker to stop bringing food to every meeting? I work in an open office environment with about 75-100 people on my floor. We have no set lunch period, and many folks eat lunch at desks or bring food to meetings. I […] Read the full article →
our group member has a fragrance sensitivity – and we’re supposed to be hugged to check for any scents by Alison Green on August 30, 2018 A reader writes: I belong to a local chapter of a fee-for-service interest/hobby-based group for over 100 women. It is a private business, but very community oriented. When I first joined, I was advised it is a scent-free group and environment due to the extreme sensitivity of one member. I, and I expect all the […] Read the full article →
I don’t want to hire my former employee by Alison Green on August 30, 2018 A reader writes: Our office employed a person in the same role for about a decade. Last year, he moved to a less demanding and technical job in the company. This was at a busy time for us and left us in a crunch, but we managed. Now, the person we got to replace him […] Read the full article →
ask the readers: how do you balance your job demands with kids, marriage, and other commitments? by Alison Green on August 30, 2018 A while back (er, a year ago — apparently I sat on this for a long time), a commenter on a post about how to balance kids, marriage, and a job wrote, “I wonder if there wouldn’t be some value in a How To Baby open thread for people to discuss various experiences and strategies […] Read the full article →
our company is teaching us about a new coworker’s (possible) religion, I got drunk on a work trip, and more by Alison Green on August 30, 2018 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I get an educational lesson on a new employee’s religion? I work in a small (less than 20 employee) company. We are in a moderate sized city, but a very conservative town and our company generally reflects that. They just hired a new employee […] Read the full article →
our CEO challenged someone to eat dead bugs by Alison Green on August 29, 2018 A reader writes: I work for a medium-sized company that has had some morale difficulties recently, for reasons that are too long to get into. As a result, the higher-level executives have been making more of an effort to be a “fun” place to work. Most of these efforts are pretty normal, such as a […] Read the full article →
my out-of-control emotions are getting me in trouble at work by Alison Green on August 29, 2018 Emotions and work are a weird thing. Part of being professional is keeping your emotions in check – but that doesn’t mean that you magically stop having them. This week on the Ask a Manager podcast, I talked to a guest who’s worried that she has a habit of emotional outbursts at work — and […] Read the full article →
how much is it my responsibility to remind coworkers of deadlines? by Alison Green on August 29, 2018 A reader writes: In my current position, I do a lot of writing for my department and for my organization. I’m relatively new (I’ve been here a few months) and I’ve been adjusting to working for a larger organization with processes for review before work is published. My problem is that my work must get […] Read the full article →
can I ask my husband’s boss not to renew someone’s contract, keeping personal files at work by Alison Green on August 29, 2018 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I ask my husband’s boss not to renew someone’s contract? My husband told me that he and a contractor had an affair while on a company trip. This contractor’s contract is due to expire in a few months. Can I ask my husband’s boss […] Read the full article →