my boss wanted to go over my personal budget by Alison Green on July 31, 2019 A reader writes: I’ve recently returned to the teaching field. While I know there are plenty of stories about the budget woes of teachers, my prior experience wasn’t so bad. The school year is approaching and I have been trying to get my class in order. My principal asked for a list of requested supplies […] Read the full article →
my employees chat too much at work by Alison Green on July 31, 2019 A reader writes: I have a couple of employees who are using their time and company resources during work to chat with each other, like sending lots of personal emails to one another during work hours. What is the best way to address this without alienating them? It seems to be ongoing throughout the day […] Read the full article →
I’m addicted to snooping in my boss’s email by Alison Green on July 31, 2019 A reader writes: I have access to my boss’s email account so that I can send email on his behalf/search for things in his folders. It’s not a privilege that’s supposed to be used often. Unfortunately, I’m a compulsive snooper, and I find myself opening his account a few times a week to read emails. […] Read the full article →
my boss blocked me on LinkedIn, boss is giving me bad medical advice I don’t want, and more by Alison Green on July 31, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My recent boss blocked me on LinkedIn A week ago, I had it with my former manager. I was the team lead for our small team of seven, and during my 10 months on the job she was condescending, abrasive, close-minded, a huge bottleneck, and […] Read the full article →
what to do about new hires who quit after their first week by Alison Green on July 30, 2019 A reader writes: Twice recently, we’ve had new graduates accept a job at our company then quit after their first week with no notice. Should I say something about how unprofessional this is, or let them learn the hard lesson on their own? Or can we do something during the hiring profess to make it […] Read the full article →
I feel awful about giving a bad performance review by Alison Green on July 30, 2019 A reader writes: I am a fairly new manager, promoted over a peer who was upset that they were not chosen for the job. This person seems to have a total lack of respect for my role. I have had to grin and bear it, and in an effort to earn her respect, I have […] Read the full article →
our intern’s cube is covered in handwritten affirmations of her worth by Alison Green on July 30, 2019 A reader writes: We have an intern who recently started in our office who sits near me. We sit in cubes, so you can easily see everyone’s decorations and whatever they’ve put on their walls as you walk around the office. The intern has filled the most prominent cube wall with hand-written affirmations and inspirational […] Read the full article →
interviewer asked me to pick up his lunch, coworker comments on my appearance, and more by Alison Green on July 30, 2019 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Interviewer asked me to pick up his lunch I applied to a “hostess” job at a dental office and I had my first interview with them last weekend. When I asked what they were looking for in a hostess, the owner/ doctor told me calling […] Read the full article →
do I really have to use formal openings and closings in every email? by Alison Green on July 29, 2019 A reader writes: I just attended a training where I was told a professional email MUST begin with one of the following: • Hello [Name], • Good morning/afternoon/evening [Name], • Greetings [Name], • Dear [Name], • Welcome back [Name], • Thank you [Name], The trainer also said a professional email MUST end with one of […] Read the full article →
I turned down a job — and the recruiter sent me an invoice by Alison Green on July 29, 2019 A reader writes: I was in the awesome position of interviewing for two roles through recruitment agencies and receiving offers for both. Both roles were aware that I had another strong offer on the table, and negotiations started between myself and the two agencies. As I was available immediately, both roles wanted me to start […] Read the full article →