workplace practices

Is your office normal? Workplace practices can be wildly different from office to office. Here’s a reality check on yours.

my new boss told me not to take all my PTO each year

A reader writes: I recently landed a job offer at a large global company after taking a year off. The job search was a tough one, but after some bumps in the road I was pretty excited about this company and accepted their offer. I ended up negotiating for additional vacation time (four weeks) to […]

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should employees use sick time for doctor’s appointments?

A reader writes: As a relatively new manager, I’m wondering about how to navigate sick time. Background: We’re 100% remote. I have weekly standing meetings with employees; apart from that, I don’t require details on what they’re doing through the day. When I know someone is at a doctor’s appointment for a few hours, is […]

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how to survive your office holiday party

It’s December, which means it’s the season of office holiday parties, and all the etiquette landmines that come along with them: should you bring a date or go solo? Can you drink or should you stick to seltzer? Can you huddle by the cookie table with your work BFF or do you have to socialize […]

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I have no idea what to get for the office gift exchange

A reader writes: I’ve signed up to participate in my office’s gift swap, where everyone is supposed to bring a wrapped gift and we’ll each pick one to open. I think it’s a Yankee Swap, where people will pick one at a time and then can either keep what they opened or “steal” someone else’s […]

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we’re supposed to buy liquor and ski passes for our bosses

A reader writes: Last year, soon after I’d started a new job as a mid-level manager at a 30-person firm, I was surprised to get an email before the holidays requesting a donation for a surprise group gift from all the employees to the three partners who head my firm. Those partners are lovely people, […]

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how much socializing at work is too much?

A reader writes: I am a manager at an office of 35 employees and everyone is fairly autonomous in managing their workload. We’re a pretty social and casual group, so it’s no big deal for people to socialize with one another to a certain extent. However, I’ve recently noticed that there seem to be more […]

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