Ask a Manager

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My boss wants me to hire his daughter I am the manager of a small group of administrative assistants, and we rarely have job openings. A long-term employee just resigned, and now the boss wants me to hire his daughter. This is the first time […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employer sent me software for my personal laptop that blocks adult sites I have recently taken on an almost full-time job with a client I used to freelance for. I work remotely, so up until now I’ve been working on my personal computer, which […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My contentious ex is now my coworker Today, my ex (mom of our two kids) showed up for orientation at the hospital were I work (without any heads-up). She’s contentious (especially lately since my new wife and I just had a baby) and she loves […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I think I’m about to become a receptionist against my will A few months ago, I started a new job in an administrative but non-reception role. Part of my offer letter included that I’d provide “assistance” with reception, which I’ve been more than happy to […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My employee misdirected an email criticizing her problem coworker — who saw it and quit I have two direct reports who can’t stand each other but they’ve managed to be civil and professional. Sansa is a mid-top performer with a consistently good work product. She’s […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should you mention an employee’s smell during a reference check? A few years back, I managed an employee who was on a performance plan and was on the verge of being let go. A new position opened in a different department and much to my […]

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. I just started a new job — and then got a PhD offer from my dream school I started a new job six weeks ago. It’s at my alma mater and it’s an incredible place to work. The culture is awesome and I love my colleagues. Yesterday, […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Who should clean the disgusting office fridge? I work at a small company with offices spread out through town and in my office there is just me and my coworker. Our boss works remotely from another state and comes in every few months. Our office […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Is this company trip really a reward? Every few years, my company rewards employees ith a vacation that everybody goes on together. Which sounds great, but here are the issues: 1. Married employees can bring their spouses; single employees can’t bring anybody. 2. The trips […]

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should I hire an ex? My company is starting a massive and complex two-year project, which I am managing, and I’ve been given approval to hire a small support staff. We advertised publicly but after interviews we haven’t found a suitable candidate for the position […]