employee stole a coworker’s food delivery, drinking non-alcoholic beer at work, and more by Alison Green on September 14, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I teach my employee critical thinking? One of my direct reports, “Phoebe,” who is just out of school, has a great attitude about the work we do. However, she has zero ability to problem solve on her own. Every time something is not exactly […] Read the full article →
the flasher, the scathing tirade, and other stories of magnificent rage-quits by Alison Green on September 13, 2022 The recent post revisiting the employee who quit by spelling out “I QUIT” in fish inspired me to round up some more epic quitting stories that have been shared here over the years. Here are 10 more good ones. 1. The flasher “I was hired by a daycare to run their two classroom state-funded Head Start program. […] Read the full article →
should I let a struggling employee work from home? by Alison Green on September 13, 2022 A reader writes: One of my employee is wonderful, but struggles in her role. She also has substantial personal life responsibilities, with an ailing parent who needs substantial care. She’s recently asked me if she can start working from home one day a week to allow her to take care of her father. The problem […] Read the full article →
my remote coworkers refuse to chat or make social pleasantries with me by Alison Green on September 13, 2022 A reader writes: I’m having an ongoing, anxiety inducing problem at work I’m hoping you can help me with: Remote work is now the permanent state at my company, and I’m happy about that. However, when I try to ask my coworkers about their weekend, their opinion on something non-work related, or other “small talk” […] Read the full article →
my coworker is high on pain pills, mentor gets credit for my work, and more by Alison Green on September 13, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker is high on pain pills I work in a lab. We have a chemical engineer on our team who is the only one who knows how to make our chemical solutions and fix certain machines. Dude’s brilliant and I like him as a […] Read the full article →
what’s up with the term “work wife”? by Alison Green on September 12, 2022 A reader writes: I’m wondering what your (or your readers’) thoughts are on the term “work wife.” Recently a coworker referred to me (a woman) as another (male) coworker’s work wife, and it totally bugged me out. I brushed it off at the time but internally felt VERY icky about it. Personally, I feel like […] Read the full article →
how should I handle friends who apply for jobs with me? by Alison Green on September 12, 2022 A reader writes: What’s the best way to handle a friend who applies for a job not just at your company, but working with you? This has come up a couple of times now. In both cases, the friend in question would work with me, so I was involved in the application process, but they […] Read the full article →
I quit my horrible job but they’re pressuring me to stay and I feel like a villain by Alison Green on September 12, 2022 A reader writes: I work in the office of a small family business. I just hit my one-year anniversary here. I’m probably up there as one of the longest-tenured employees in here. We are severely understaffed on a good day. One coworker just finished up her two-weeks notice after being here for two months, and […] Read the full article →
will I be implicated in my coworker leaving early, stopping a nickname, and more by Alison Green on September 12, 2022 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Coworker is leaving early and clocking out from home, and I don’t want to be implicated I recently heard from a trusted coworker that our other coworker, Terry, has been leaving early very frequently and clocking out from home (we have the ability to clock […] Read the full article →
weekend open thread – September 10-11, 2022 by Alison Green on September 9, 2022 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 Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches, by Sangu Mandanna, about a nanny to three young witches who must question the witching rules she grew up […] Read the full article →