the bad acid deal, the abusive boyfriend, and the threatening coworker by Alison Green on September 18, 2018 A reader writes: I’m in a bit of a moral dilemma here and was hoping you and the commenters could help out. I’ve been working at my current restaurant job for about a year now. Unlike most restaurants I’ve worked at, there have been very few HR problems — everyone got along with each other […] Read the full article →
how to ask for more vacation time by Alison Green on September 18, 2018 If you’re like most Americans, you don’t get nearly enough vacation time from your employer. The average American worker gets only ten paid vacation days after a year of employment (plus, generally, federal holidays and paid sick leave). That’s pretty paltry, especially compared with time-off norms in other industrialized countries. What you may not realize, […] Read the full article →
my coworker gives everyone the silent treatment for weeks by Alison Green on September 18, 2018 A reader writes: I have a coworker, Jane, who deals with conflict in strange and alienating ways. Recently, she’s been giving people the silent treatment on and off. It makes meetings tense, and she tends to keep it up for days or weeks at a time before spontaneously deciding she’s speaking to her coworkers again. […] Read the full article →
mandatory flu shots at work, helping a coworker through an international flight, and more by Alison Green on September 18, 2018 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can our employer require us to get an in-office flu shot? In years past, my office has offered an in-office flu clinic for employees who were interested. As flu season is upon us, our office reached out about the flu clinic again, but this time […] Read the full article →
how can I brace myself for my toxic new job? by Alison Green on September 17, 2018 A reader writes: After searching for over three months, I finally received a job offer. I accepted and will start in a week. While I am happy to have the offer and will take the job, I am a little wary. Since accepting the offer and letting a few friends and family members know I […] Read the full article →
the office that became a circus of barking dogs and other tales of dogs at work by Alison Green on September 17, 2018 Of all the perks some employers offer to entice employees to stay at the office longer – free food and drinks, foosball tables, nap rooms, even laundry service – there’s one that brings out stronger emotions than all the rest: dogs at work. At Slate today, I wrote about why some people love having dogs […] Read the full article →
I accidentally embarrassed my friend’s boss — but I was right about what I said by Alison Green on September 17, 2018 A reader writes: I’m having trouble dealing with fallout from an awkward interaction that took place at work a few days ago. I work in a large organization on an open floor plan. One of my neighbors is Sam, a nice, chatty, younger guy in a different department. We spend a lot of time taking […] Read the full article →
I don’t want to be the office baker, interviewer was put off by how often I called in sick, and more by Alison Green on September 17, 2018 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I make delicious baked goods and my office knows it I was a baker for 10 years before I started my current corporate job. I would bring cookies or cupcakes for my team members’ birthdays or other office events. It got around that I made […] Read the full article →
weekend free-for-all – September 15-16, 2018 by Alison Green on September 15, 2018 This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. (This one is truly no work and no school.) Book recommendation of the week: Goodbye, Vitamin, by Rachel Khong. It’s about family and memory and home, and it’s quiet and lovely. * I make a commission […] Read the full article →
open thread – September 14-15, 2018 by Alison Green on September 14, 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 →