should I disclose my depression to my boss? by Alison Green on January 5, 2021 A reader writes: Does it ever make sense to let an employer know that you suffer from depression? I take an antidepressant daily. I’m not seeing a therapist. I would call it more of a functional depression, where I can live with it, but at times it can feel worse and I have to force […] Read the full article →
the law requiring paid sick leave for Covid ends next week — and won’t be extended by Alison Green on December 22, 2020 Remember that new law Congress passed in March requiring paid sick leave for workers with Covid or suspected Covid, as well as paid family leave to care for someone with Covid or suspected Covid? That’s ending. In nine days. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) only applied to employers with fewer than 500 employees […] Read the full article →
is it right to fire someone for being arrested for a (horrible) crime? by Alison Green on November 30, 2020 A reader writes: Recently a coworker of mine failed to show up for his shift a few days in a row, and his supervisors were unable to reach him on his phone. Eventually, someone went to his home, where they were informed of the reason he hadn’t been at work — he was in jail. […] Read the full article →
my new team is taunting me because I have a nut allergy by Alison Green on October 26, 2020 A reader writes: I have a nut allergy and carry an epipen. It’s never been an issue in the 12 years I’ve worked for my company. I have recently been promoted to a new department. As usual, I explained to the manager I have a nut allergy but it doesn’t effect anything (i.e., it’s not […] Read the full article →
employee keeps missing work because of possible Covid exposures in their social life by Alison Green on October 7, 2020 A reader writes: Is there ever a point where it becomes acceptable to comment on an employee’s personal life/choices during COVID times? To start, our policy is if you have symptoms or have had a possible exposure you have to notify the company and stay home until you have negative test results. While a handful […] Read the full article →
no one knows their legal rights at work by Alison Green on September 14, 2020 When I started Ask a Manager 13 years ago, I didn’t realize how often the questions I’d receive would be rooted in a widespread lack of knowledge about the legal rights Americans do and don’t have at work. Every week — probably every day — I receive questions from people who don’t realize something their […] Read the full article →
can my husband’s employer constantly record all the conversation in our house? by Alison Green on August 24, 2020 A reader writes: I am a stay-at-home mom living a work life vicariously through your blog. My husband is still working at home due to corona. His company has been very cautious. All of their on-site campuses have been closed, with all employees working from home. They were given company computers and phones to use, […] Read the full article →
my new boss is an elder in a sexist church by Alison Green on July 29, 2020 A reader writes: My new boss is an elder in his church which has very old-fashioned beliefs about women. They believe that the role of women is to obey their husbands unquestioningly and more or less only speak when spoken to, at least when there is a man present. I don’t have a problem with […] Read the full article →
my boss is discriminating against my pregnant employee by Alison Green on July 15, 2020 A reader writes: We have a colleague who has just left to spend a year working remotely (well, we’re all working remotely now!) so he and his wife can live near her family for a year. We needed to split his role into two anyway, so we hired someone, “Jane,” to take over his day-to-day […] Read the full article →
we’re supposed to forfeit all our vacation days if we’ve worked from home by Alison Green on June 16, 2020 A reader writes: As an HR person for a small employer, I take to heart a lot of your advice and work hard to push the management here to do better. They had plenty of issues before all this, but I truly believed they were trying to change. But with COVID-19, things went downhill fast […] Read the full article →