my employee resigned but now isn’t leaving by Alison Green on September 23, 2020 A reader writes: I recently took over as manager for a small team. One of the employees on the team, Jane, announced that she was leaving and had a new job lined up. Jane’s replacement was hired but before she could start, there were some problems with Jane’s new job. This is no fault of […] Read the full article →
my employee’s clothes accentuate her chest — how do I talk to her about it? by Alison Green on September 23, 2020 A reader writes: I am a fairly new manager and I recently got a new, young subordinate. We work in a nonprofit and the dress code is very relaxed. We often only wear t-shirts and jeans, and even shorts won’t raise eyebrows if it’s very hot. However, I have come across an issue with the […] Read the full article →
coworker got angry at my minor prank, recruiter called non-stop all day, and more by Alison Green on September 23, 2020 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker got angry at my minor prank I am a man and I had a strange incident with a female coworker. We both have had a very playful, joking relationship. We constantly make jokes, playful insults, and talk about a variety of topics, especially […] Read the full article →
dealing with recruiters when phone calls make you anxious by Alison Green on September 22, 2020 A reader writes: I am a recent college grad on the job hunt. About two weeks ago, I posted my resume and number under a job board profile and got swarmed with recruiter calls and voicemails. The job hunt has brought out the worst side of my anxiety disorder and some things, like phone calls, […] Read the full article →
my boss wants us to stay on Zoom all day by Alison Green on September 22, 2020 A reader writes: My boss has announced that now that we’re all working from home, the entire company will now be spending the work day on a Zoom call with video. He framed it as being for our benefit and useful for “establishing a work life balance” and so we can “see our coworkers and […] Read the full article →
my coworker screams awful things at her kids during video calls by Alison Green on September 22, 2020 A reader writes: I have been with my organization for a few years, but I recently switched to a new department about four months ago. Every morning we have a Zoom call to discuss upcoming tasks and current status on projects and sometimes our supervisor will assign tasks. The meeting can only be 30 minutes […] Read the full article →
my voice makes callers think I’m a kid, former coworker keeps trying to contact me, and more by Alison Green on September 22, 2020 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My voice sounds so young that callers think I’m a kid I have to answer external phone calls in my job, but I have a really young-sounding voice and often customers ask if they can speak to my mum. When I say I’m an employee […] Read the full article →
how do I let go of my previous role? by Alison Green on September 21, 2020 A reader writes: I work in a large department (50+ people) and was recently promoted to a separate role that is still within my department. While I still have contact with the same upper management, I have entirely separate responsibilities with almost no overlap from my previous role. They brought someone new in to take […] Read the full article →
my older employee keeps talking about my age by Alison Green on September 21, 2020 A reader writes: I recently started a brand new position. They hired me as the department manager and also hired a project coordinator (my direct report). We have just completed our first week together. I am in the awkward learning curve of trying to figure out my role along company policies, procedures and culture while […] Read the full article →
should you create a fake workload to test how much pressure an employee can take? by Alison Green on September 21, 2020 A reader writes: My husband works for a small firm founded by veterans. Last week, his supervisor assigned him an extreme amount of work, including some tasks that weren’t fully feasible. He ended up working back-to-back, 11-hour, stress-filled days, including starting the second day at 6 am. At some point on the second day, he […] Read the full article →