August 2020

how is your company supporting employees with kids right now?

It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: In this time of Covid and virtual school, what are your readers’ companies doing, if anything, to help with childcare issues? I work in HR at a manufacturing facility and our production workers are essential. We are trying to come up with creative ways to […]

Read the full article →

I’ve found your new personal shopper

And now a word from a sponsor… I like to buy clothes for myself, but I find myself buying the same type of thing over and over (my closet is a sea of navy tops), so I was intrigued by thredUP’s Goody Boxes — a try-before-you-buy service that acts as your own personal shopper. They […]

Read the full article →

are people judging me for looking scruffy at work?

A reader writes: I have two bachelor degrees, am in my mid-50s, and work in the public sector. The money isn’t great but I enjoy what I do. I recently heard someone mention that their boss dressed “poorly” and had grey hair, while they themselves “dressed like a professional woman who made X amount should.” […]

Read the full article →

update: our employer wants to cut our pay — retroactively

Remember the letter-writer in April whose company was planning to cut their pay retroactively? Here’s the update. Thank you again for answering my question. The feedback from you and the commenters was both helpful and insightful! As expected, layoffs happened the day before you published my letter. We lost almost a quarter of our workforce, […]

Read the full article →

how do I negotiate my start date at a new job?

A reader writes: I’ve been a seasonal employee in my field for about 10 years, in jobs that always had pre-determined seasons with non-negotiable start and end dates. I’m hoping/expecting to get an offer for a permanent job next week, and I don’t have a clue how to negotiate a start date. What’s a reasonable […]

Read the full article →

should I tell my boss about my slacker coworker?

A reader writes: My coworker, Gary, started at my company five months ago in my same role. We sit 10 feet across from each other and can see each other’s every move without even trying, and I’m definitely not trying. Since his first week, he has had punctuality issues, and I’m not talking being five […]

Read the full article →