it’s your Friday good news by Alison Green on April 30, 2021 It’s your Friday good news, with more accounts of success even in this weird time. 1. I wanted to share some good news! I work in a fairly niche industry. For the first five years out of college, I worked in the for-profit side of my industry. I enjoyed it for the most part, but it […] Read the full article →
open thread – April 30-May 1, 2021 by Alison Green on April 30, 2021 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on anything work-related that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to talk to other readers. * […] Read the full article →
my neighbor plays loud adult content while I’m on work calls, letting candidates know my boss is a micromanager, and more by Alison Green on April 30, 2021 It’s six answers to six questions. Here we go… 1. My neighbor plays loud porn while I’m on work calls While all my colleagues and I are working from home, I can sometimes hear what’s going on in other people’s environments: things like traffic noise, roadworks or their partner on a call nearby. That’s totally […] Read the full article →
was my “probably not, but maybe” response to a recruiter appropriate? by Alison Green on April 29, 2021 A reader writes: What’s the line between when it’s appropriate to completely ignore a message from a recruiter vs. when it’s reasonable to respond with a description of concerns that would need to be addressed? I recently ended up writing a missive in response to a job I probably won’t take (located in my neighborhood, […] Read the full article →
update: HR treats my autistic employee like he’s an incompetent child by Alison Green on April 29, 2021 Remember the letter-writer whose HR rep, Danielle, was treating her autistic employee, David, like an incompetent child? Here’s the update. I originally wrote you because I had inadvertedly triggered David, and he had a meltdown at work. I had to disclose the information to HR since the situation required different accommodations, but I had his […] Read the full article →
my boss is having an affair with our assistant — and I’m friends with his wife by Alison Green on April 29, 2021 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I work as a project manager at a small business (~25 employees) and have been in this role for more than six years. I was referred to the position through Katie, a friend from a hobby club I belong to. She learned I’d been laid […] Read the full article →
how to fire a jerk, is it OK to drink with the team I manage, and more by Alison Green on April 29, 2021 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How to fire a jerk One piece of your advice I’ve made use of many times is to think of a person struggling in their role as “miscast.” It’s not like they’re a terrible person or failing on purpose, they’re just in the wrong role […] Read the full article →
how do I respond to employees asking if they should be worried about an upcoming bad-news meeting? by Alison Green on April 28, 2021 A reader writes: I recently had to schedule a meeting in which I had to tell my team some bad news, that their contracts would be ending in a few months (a decision that was out of my hands but still mine to announce). I tried not to send the meeting invitation too far in […] Read the full article →
what to do when your coworkers keep coming back from lunch drunk by Alison Green on April 28, 2021 A reader writes: I am writing to help a friend who is in a tough predicament at work. She and her colleagues work in an office environment in the same department. The manager works out of state and is hardly in the office. The newest employee is an alcoholic, and the other employee has battled […] Read the full article →
interview with an employee at an employee assistance program (EAP) by Alison Green on April 28, 2021 We sometimes talk here about EAP (Employee Assistance Programs) but have never explored how they work. A reader, Em, who works for one, left an incredibly interesting comment about her work on a post last week, and generously agreed to talk with me more about what she does. Here’s our conversation. How would you describe an […] Read the full article →