my boss and I share an office with a volatile jerk by Alison Green on August 23, 2022 A reader writes: My boss, Ned, shares office space with his partner, Peter, in another business. It was made clear to me in the interview and repeatedly since then that I do not work for Peter, but to help Ned focus on our work I sometimes step in and assist with technology assistance and personal […] Read the full article →
I flashed my entire team during a video call by Alison Green on August 17, 2022 A reader writes: I would love any and all advice on this because I’m sincerely lost on what to do. To preface this, I do have a privacy camera cover which makes this mistake even more avoidable. I work remotely and during a morning meeting with our entire team, I noticed an incessant knocking at […] Read the full article →
my constantly available coworkers keep commenting on my healthier work-life balance by Alison Green on August 11, 2022 A reader writes: I work in an organization with a culture of constant availability. It’s sort of prestigious to work outrageous hours or join calls en route to a vacation. My manager was sending emails from his wedding, for example. This isn’t for me so I don’t do it. I’m not sure if I’m unusually […] Read the full article →
can I ignore my coworker’s calls and only communicate by email? by Alison Green on August 10, 2022 A reader writes: I work for a state corrections/law enforcement agency. We have state-issued laptops and cell phones. Our schedule is very flexible and self-directed: we work in the field, from home, and in the office. Our hours are set, but where we are working and what tasks we may be doing vary. I prefer […] Read the full article →
how do I ask the CEO if I can “borrow” his assistant for my projects? by Alison Green on August 9, 2022 I’m off today. This was originally published in 2012. A reader writes: I am eight days into a new job. It is a rather large corporation. When I was hired, I inquired about an assistant to answer my calls, emails, etc., because I had one at my previous job. My boss, the CEO, mentioned they […] Read the full article →
my overpaid coworker is rude, rarely here, and calls us “uptight” and “slaves” for caring about our jobs by Alison Green on August 2, 2022 A reader writes: I have a coworker, Cersei, who is “politely” condescending. Her demeanor and tone sound nice, but her words are unprofessional and, quite frankly, rude. She is viewed very poorly by everyone in the department, which has led to multiple venting and complaining sessions, some with me included and others I’ve overheard. Some […] Read the full article →
my younger employee doesn’t know professional norms by Alison Green on August 1, 2022 A reader writes: I’m a 30-year-old female manager. We recently hired a new employee who is 25 who came highly recommended and will be building out a role that we haven’t had filled in years. Despite the fact that our age difference isn’t large, I am kind of amazed by the generational difference between us […] Read the full article →
a dispute about customer skills is tearing apart my agrotourism business by Alison Green on July 26, 2022 A reader writes: My two business partners (and their spouses) and I operate a successful agrotourism business, including an inn where guests come to enjoy delicious food, luxury accommodations, and the chance to do light agricultural work while being outside in the sunshine and fresh air. I own 70% of the company and they split […] Read the full article →
should I tell my boss my coworker is working a second job? by Alison Green on July 13, 2022 A reader writes: I am in a very weird spot with a coworker, I’ll call her Bella. We both work the same job, the only two who do it at a very large corporation. I like adding coworkers to LinkedIn as I work in HR and have kept in touch with many people over the […] Read the full article →
dealing with domestic abuse in the workplace by Alison Green on July 11, 2022 This is a reprint of a post from 2012. Someone recently suggested reprinting it annually and I think it’s a good idea. In a post about what to do if an employee is being abused at home, commenter Marie left the following comment, which I thought was so powerful that I wanted to post it here […] Read the full article →