Ask a Manager

I’m on vacation today. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My coworker gave someone a tattoo at work I have a question about the ethics of telling on someone who exhibited unethical behavior at work. During an internship I was at […]

I’m on vacation today. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. I was fired after disabling my coworker’s caps-lock key I just finished my sophomore year of college. For the summer, I got a three-month internship at a company that does work […]

I’m on vacation today. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. Team member caused a drunken scene at coworker’s wedding I am a team leader in a very small company. The team I manage only has two other members. A few weeks […]

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. My new employer wouldn’t give me paid time off to recover from Covid I started a new job a few months ago and it seemed to be going alright and my supervisor seemed to be happy with my work. Well, I recently came down with […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I speak up about my grandboss’s favoritism toward a new hire? I am an entry-level employee. My boss’s boss, Jane, is a fairly recent hire who has only been with us for a few months. Jane is very senior at our company and has […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I feel guilty about applying for another job I work in a department of three — me, a coworker with the same title and responsibilities as me, and our manager. Recently my coworker was out on maternity leave and was expected to return after five […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Is it ungrateful to ask for more money when you get a promotion? My boss recently told me that you are not supposed to negotiate your salary when you are offered a promotion (that it makes you seem ungrateful). I’ve asked around at work, to […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. How do I navigate two bosses? I have worked for my organization for two years, as a manager. I technically have one director who I report to (Jane) I report to, and another (Niles) who I also report to but less officially. Jane and Niles […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Does sloppy writing indicate a lack of attention to detail? I’m working in recruiting currently, and I’m getting a lot of applicants for jobs like welders, electricians, etc. These resumes tend to have more mistakes (think grammar and spelling errors). I’m having a hard time […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My colleagues keep complimenting me on a job poorly done I recently had to present some of my work to a client, and they absolutely hated it. They were extremely passive aggressive and rolled their eyes when I tried to suggest solutions. I eventually just […]