my employee keeps falling asleep in meetings by Alison Green on May 18, 2022 A reader writes: I have noticed that one employee tends to doze off at our weekly departmental meeting. I don’t believe she has any medical condition that would cause this, and I don’t see her dozing off at other times. But I’ve noticed the dozing off many times during these weekly meetings (usually held after […] Read the full article →
my employee can’t accept that his work is bad by Alison Green on May 16, 2022 A reader writes: I’ve put a staff member on to a formal performance improvement plan, but despite me providing feedback and taking multiple approaches to get through to him, he doesn’t seem to be able to grasp just how poorly he is doing. I want him to succeed and have supported many conversations, participation in […] Read the full article →
is it unfair to give my best employee more work than everyone else? by Alison Green on May 16, 2022 A reader writes: I manage a small team of 6-8. Let’s say our work is auditing the use of office supplies — every single one that comes in the door. Not only are we auditing the upcoming shipment of pencils, but also going back and looking at copy machines, paper reams, desk chairs, and every […] Read the full article →
my employee is bad at taking feedback by Alison Green on May 10, 2022 A reader writes: I have a new employee who’s very organized and ambitious and generally competent, but she is terrible at receiving feedback. After reading your column for a while, I’ve tried to incorporate your advice. I’ll say things like “I’ve noticed you’ve been doing this X way, but we actually do it Y way […] Read the full article →
a parent called me to ask about their adult kid’s work travel by Alison Green on May 9, 2022 A reader writes: I just had a very strange phone call. An employee’s father emailed me, asking me to call him. Since the employee (who I’ll call George) is currently out of the country on business, I was worried that something had happened to him, so I called back right away. George’s father was very […] Read the full article →
an acquaintance blabbed when I sent him a confidential email … and now I might become his boss by Alison Green on May 5, 2022 A reader writes: I have been approached by a mid-size private company, Company X, for what would be my first IT executive role. As part of my due diligence on the company, I have been quietly reaching out to my network where I know people who work there or used to work there or have […] Read the full article →
what kind of leave policy should a small business offer? by Alison Green on May 5, 2022 It’s the Thursday “ask the readers” question. A reader writes: I’ve only ever worked at small businesses with less than 25 people. During my time as a manager, and now as a small company owner (consulting/professional services type firms), I have struggled to come up with fair policies on things like PTO and family leave that […] Read the full article →
should I hire family members for my new business? by Alison Green on May 4, 2022 A reader writes: I run a popular website and have decided to expand my business by getting office space and taking on two employees. I have never managed anyone in my career, so I know this is going to be a challenge. I am looking to hire someone in a digital marketing role, full-time, and […] Read the full article →
my rock star employee needs time off for health … and her coworkers are complaining by Alison Green on May 4, 2022 A reader writes: I directly manage a team of eight entry-level job employees, who are part of a 175-employee company. My eight employees are the only ones who truly work with every single other employee we have — the rest are separated by departments and don’t mix with other departments very often. I am the […] Read the full article →
is my employee lying about needing sick time? by Alison Green on May 2, 2022 A reader writes: I just took over job duties for a departing manager and inherited a new employee. He does a generally good job, although I have had some concerns about his work ethic (that’s a different story entirely that I plan to address). This employee is a huge sports fan, and his favorite team […] Read the full article →