weekend open thread — June 29-30, 2024 by Alison Green on June 28, 2024 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: Same As It Ever Was, by Claire Lombardo. A woman with a rocky history with her mom tries to navigate a life very different […] Read the full article →
open thread – June 28, 2024 by Alison Green on June 28, 2024 It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions 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 take your questions to […] Read the full article →
I don’t see the point of taking time off, explaining a black eye on Zoom calls, and more by Alison Green on June 28, 2024 It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. I don’t see the point of taking PTO I work a customer-service-heavy role, and my manager has been wonderful about encouraging us to take PTO if we’re feeling burnt out. Except … I don’t see the point. Yes, I’m burnt out from work, but taking […] Read the full article →
I think my new job’s salary offer is a mistake by Alison Green on June 27, 2024 A reader writes: I work for a toxic organization, and I’ve been looking for opportunities elsewhere. A job opened up in my home city that would be a lateral move for me so I applied and was offered the job. Hooray! However, the salary included in the offer email was WAY more than I was […] Read the full article →
update: is this HR process for accommodations as bananas as it feels? by Alison Green on June 27, 2024 Remember the letter-writer who encountered an utterly bananas HR process for accommodations after requesting one WFH day a week? Here’s the update. As a recap: my firm rolled out an update to our hybrid work policy that allowed for up to two WFH days per week, but the requirement to work three days in office […] Read the full article →
let’s hear your weird summer intern stories by Alison Green on June 27, 2024 Over the years, we’ve heard about an an intern who gave another intern a tattoo in the office conference room; an intern who set up a cot for himself in a large open work space, complete with pillow shams; an intern who was blown away by an electric stapler; an intern who desperately wanted to work […] Read the full article →
coworker constantly changes her schedule, interviewer refused to let me meet the job’s manager, and more by Alison Green on June 27, 2024 It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker constantly changes her schedule I am member of a small team with four core staff, including my manager and me. One of my core colleagues is part-time, three days a week. My manager gives her flexibility on this, so she changes her hours […] Read the full article →
do I have to refuse to use first names because my manager won’t? by Alison Green on June 26, 2024 A reader writes: I just started with a new organization three months ago. I was hired to lead a newly-formed team. In case it matters, I am the team leader but not the supervisor — there is a vacant supervisor position, and my boss has made it clear she would like me to fill that […] Read the full article →
when a job candidate reschedules their interview at the last minute by Alison Green on June 26, 2024 A reader writes: What’s the best way to ask a job applicant why they need to cancel or reschedule their interview at the last minute if they don’t offer an explanation? My company hires a good number of people who are fresh out of school and may not have much professional experience, so I don’t […] Read the full article →
was it unprofessional to say I was angry? by Alison Green on June 26, 2024 A reader writes: This year, I was put in a difficult position by my HR representative. My work requires a licensing process with the state, and I’ve moved to a new role whose laws regarding those licenses have recently been updated. Despite having conversations with my HR about these changes and working to navigate them, […] Read the full article →