employee cries when she’s frustrated, my boss felt “personally disrespected” by me, and more by Alison Green on June 26, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employee cries when she’s frustrated I have an employee who’s response when frustrated by a problem is to cry. It started to happen last summer when we were working through her visa renewal process. It was extremely stressful for her and she was worried […] Read the full article →
how do I tell an employee he doesn’t have what it takes to do the job he wants? by Alison Green on June 25, 2019 A reader writes: I’m in a tricky spot with a long-time employee of mine, “Bob,” and I need advice on how to deliver a potentially devastating piece of feedback: “You just don’t have what it takes to succeed in this role.” Back story: Bob is interested in growing from his current position (let’s say teapot […] Read the full article →
how to write the perfect out-of-office message by Alison Green on June 25, 2019 When you’re out sick or on vacation, crafting a perfect out-of-office email message probably isn’t something you’re terribly stressed out by. It’s a simple message – how tricky could it be? Well, to that I say, have you ever paid attention to other people’s out-of-office messages? There are some weird ones out there. Some out-of-office […] Read the full article →
my boss makes me wear her clothes, eat her food, and say I’m grateful for my job by Alison Green on June 25, 2019 A reader writes: I was hired about six months ago at a small business. I’m in my mid-20s and this my first professional job after completing grad school. It’s just me, the owner/director, and a part-time assistant. Because we’re such a small office, I spend a lot of time one-on-one with my boss. Sometimes she’s […] Read the full article →
my dad says I should offer to work for free to prove myself, hiding my dating life as a teacher, and more by Alison Green on June 25, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My dad says I should offer to work for free to prove myself I was wondering about a piece of interview advice my father and I recently disagreed about (for context, I am a college student who most recently interviewed for internships, and my dad […] Read the full article →
our boss’s wife camps out in our office for hours at a time by Alison Green on June 24, 2019 A reader writes: I work for an accounting firm with about 40 employees. I’ve been there for about nine months now and generally enjoy it. However, the culture has been a bit difficult for me to adjust to. We sometimes have clients visit for meetings and because there is limited space at the office and […] Read the full article →
kids at work doesn’t always end well by Alison Green on June 24, 2019 I’m not sure there’s any work topic I write about that’s more divisive than people bringing their kids to work with them. (Well, maybe dogs at work, but it’s close.) It’s a rare parent who wants to bring their kid to work, but some try to make it work when daycare falls through, a child […] Read the full article →
I joked about a coworker’s slowness — and he overheard by Alison Green on June 24, 2019 A reader writes: I am the first-level manager of a small group of about half a dozen people. I sometimes work with non-management-level staff outside my group, one of whom is an exceedingly capable, but highly idiosyncratic, person, “Karl.” He is very focused on any work that he does, and will go far above and […] Read the full article →
how do I get out of a mandatory lip sync battle, employee can’t touch-type, and more by Alison Green on June 24, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How do I get out of a mandatory lip sync battle? My employer is having a mandatory spirit week with a summer camp theme next week. Each day we are to participate in “voluntary” camp activities with our assigned “cabin mates” for the week. The […] Read the full article →
weekend free-for-all – June 22-23, 2019 by Alison Green on June 22, 2019 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: The Body in Question, by Jill Ciment, about two sequestered jurors drawn to each other during the trial they’re on. * I make a commission […] Read the full article →