interviewer asked how I would connect with coworkers outside of work by Alison Green on June 23, 2020 A reader writes: Back in February, I had an interview where the last question they asked me was, “How would you go about connecting with coworkers outside of work?” It took me completely aback, because while I had prepared by studying several lists of popular interview questions, both in and outside of my field, I […] Read the full article →
my boss insists on knowing everywhere I’m interviewing by Alison Green on June 23, 2020 A reader writes: I’ve been working as an assistant/coordinator at a small company (about four people) for a little over a year now. I like it fine and my boss values me, but after over a year here, I feel like it’s time for me to move on. There’s not a ton of work to […] Read the full article →
what to do if your company is making you return to your office before it feels safe by Alison Green on June 23, 2020 A reader writes: I work for a 500-person company that has had all but 10 employees working from home since mid-March. They have decided for reasons they have not shared that the office has to reopen this week. Employees will go in one week and work from home three weeks so that only 25% of the […] Read the full article →
I want to return to the office but we’re still working from home, a computer-illiterate coworker, and more by Alison Green on June 23, 2020 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I want to return to the office but we’re still working from home My organization has been working from home since mid-March. Luckily, the work we do can be done remotely so we have adapted pretty well to the change. My state has gradually re-opened […] Read the full article →
my job offer got delayed because of COVID-19 — will it ever come back? by Alison Green on June 22, 2020 A reader writes: I just graduated with my bachelor’s in May. Way back in January, I accepted a full-time job offer that was supposed to start on June 15. When the COVID-19 pandemic started, however, my employer informed me on April 8 that they are “delaying all start dates until it is clear that the […] Read the full article →
what to do when an employee’s spouse calls you by Alison Green on June 22, 2020 A reader writes: I had to reject an employee’s request for specific dates for vacation leave. Then her husband phoned me to tell me that she will not be at work and she will take the leave! What can I do from here to prevent her husband from doing the negotiations on her behalf? I […] Read the full article →
my employee was upset when I told him drive, not fly, to a conference five hours away by Alison Green on June 22, 2020 A reader writes: This question is from an incident that happened last year, but I’ve been thinking about it. I manage a team of four people. We work closely with two other teams, all within a larger department of a college. In pre-COVID times, staff from our department often went to conferences hosted by various […] Read the full article →
HR in private Slack channels, being forced to work a late shift, and more by Alison Green on June 22, 2020 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. As HR, should I stay out of private Slack channels? I’m the head of HR for my small(ish) international company. I’m a mixed-race woman and a mom. We have a variety of private Slack channels, including channels for parents, women, people of color, etc. Our […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – June 20-21, 2020 by Alison Green on June 20, 2020 This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: The Vanishing Half, by Brit Bennett. Twin sisters run away together from their small town founded by and for light-skinned black people. One returns later with […] Read the full article →
it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on June 19, 2020 It’s your Friday good news, with more accounts of success even in this weird time. 1. Prior to the pandemic, my husband and I were planning a move abroad in the fall of 2020. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to move to a country we really love, but it was complicated before bringing COVID into […] Read the full article →