my coworker is changing her appearance to match mine and rips my work off the walls when she’s mad by Alison Green on January 20, 2021 A reader writes: I’m an elementary school employee and relatively new to the job. I get along well with most of my coworkers, with the exception of “Therese.” Therese is in her 60s and works next door to me, and when I first started this job, I thought she was a friendly (if eccentric) coworker. […] Read the full article →
should I tell a candidate her goals are unrealistic, I don’t want to lead all our meetings, and more by Alison Green on January 20, 2021 It’s four answers to four questions, plus a story. Here we go… 1. Should I tell a candidate her career aspirations are unrealistic? I am currently in the process of hiring for a position that I would consider just above entry level. It is a role in an operations department that supports an organization in […] Read the full article →
am I being a dress code snob? by Alison Green on January 19, 2021 A reader writes: About five months ago, I started a new job as a manager in a nonprofit with approximately 30 full-time employees and over 100 part-time employees. In my department, I inherited one full-time assistant and 15 part-time direct reports. We are a public-facing department with a large social media presence. The organization’s employee […] Read the full article →
my coworker hijacks our meetings with endless questions by Alison Green on January 19, 2021 A reader writes: I have a question about a coworker, Sam, who has LOTS of questions in our weekly team meetings. Because of the busy nature of our job and our small team, we have lots of situations where we have guidelines to follow but are free to make judgment calls as needed since there’s […] Read the full article →
my boss wants me to help him jump the line for the Covid vaccine by Alison Green on January 19, 2021 A reader writes: I work in a medium-sized office in HR. My company’s CEO, a man in his early 40’s, has requested that my boss (the VP of human resources) help him get on a list for a Covid vaccine within the next few days. This task has been passed down to me. However, my […] Read the full article →
should I apologize if my fly is down, telling my bosses they need to work more, and more by Alison Green on January 19, 2021 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I tell my bosses they need to work more? I work at a small real estate brokerage in a major U.S. city. I was brought in to help organize their systems and to increase productivity. The owners are a married couple and I’m their […] Read the full article →
I pushed back on my coworker’s bigotry: a success story by Alison Green on January 18, 2021 A reader writes: This isn’t a question, I just wanted to reach out and let you know how much your blog has helped me get through this situation at work! I work in healthcare, specifically pediatrics. I’ve worked in healthcare for over a decade, and I’ve been in some truly toxic workplaces, but the clinic […] Read the full article →
what to do (even now) if you’re stuck in a job you hate by Alison Green on January 18, 2021 I’ve always received a lot of letters from people who hate their jobs and want to leave, but since the pandemic started, a sizable portion of those people feel they have no way out. The job market makes them pessimistic about their chances of landing a new position, and with so many layoffs, they worry […] Read the full article →
my boss complains constantly, mending things with a job I ghosted, and more by Alison Green on January 18, 2021 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My manager complains constantly My manager complains … a LOT. Their voice is very loud in a small office, so pretty much every one can hear. Our team consists of only three people on site — me, my coworker, and our manager. My manager has […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – January 16-17, 2021 by Alison Green on January 16, 2021 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: Dear Mrs. Bird, by AJ Pearce. Set in London during World War II, it’s about a young woman who hopes to become a journalist but accidentally ends […] Read the full article →