the special notepads, the staggered departures, and other stories of ridiculous policies at work by Alison Green on March 4, 2024 Last week I asked about ridiculous policies you’ve encountered at work. Here are 18 of the most ridiculous you shared. 1. The notepads I had a boss who insisted that only her notes could be on yellow legal pads (8.5 by 14), and her sales staff all had to take notes on white paper at […] Read the full article →
how should we handle a dog-phobic employee in a dog-friendly office? by Alison Green on March 4, 2024 A reader writes: We’ve recently moved into a new office space which is dog-friendly. This is great news for many of our employees, who are able to avoid costly sitters and walkers. However, one employee, Jane, is really dog-phobic. Today another colleague (Lucille) brought her dog in for the first time. I warned her that […] Read the full article →
it’s Leap Day! let’s discuss ridiculous workplace policies by Alison Green on February 29, 2024 It’s Leap Day and so in honor of the Leap Year employee who finally gets her birthday off this year, we must talk about bizarre, nonsensical policies your employers have had. Did they ban humor? Refuse to let you say “how are you?” to customers? Tell you that you couldn’t wear your wedding ring because […] Read the full article →
I’m in charge of our disgusting office kitchen by Alison Green on February 27, 2024 A reader writes: I am an administrative assistant for a small company (about 50 people). My problem, especially now that folks are fully returned to office, is the cleanliness of the kitchen. As any admin in charge of the office kitchen will tell you, it is a NIGHTMARE. Food left on counters, molding fruit in […] Read the full article →
our company has an annual golf trip … but the women don’t play by Alison Green on February 27, 2024 A reader writes: Our smallish family-owned business has been taking our sales team on a long weekend golf trip on and off for many years. It is intended to be a reward, and little if any business is discussed when we are there. It’s mostly beer drinking, side betting golf, in a beach town with […] Read the full article →
is it safe to share at my company’s “courageous conversation” on menopause? by Alison Green on February 21, 2024 A reader writes: My company is proposing a workshop to have “courageous conversations” with colleagues about menopause. There is no professional facilitating this; it is an open discussion. The message about it says it will be “a safe space that is inclusive and supportive” and “an informal discussion among peers.” My company is heavily promoting […] Read the full article →
I’m supposed to share a bed with a coworker on a business trip by Alison Green on February 20, 2024 A reader writes: I started a new job recently and was told that there was a department-wide meeting coming up in another city in March. In total, they are flying around 45 people in for two days/one night. As I’m leading one of the sessions, I was in the organizer’s spreadsheet and found a list […] Read the full article →
my new employer made me take a personality test and my results were horrible by Alison Green on February 14, 2024 A reader writes: Before I signed on for my new job, I agreed to do a couple of personality tests. My new employer said it was to get a sense of how to work with me and my strengths and weaknesses. They stressed that my hiring wouldn’t depend on the result and did not send […] Read the full article →
is it normal to cancel days off for a resigning employee? by Alison Green on February 13, 2024 A reader writes: I am a new manager, though I’ve led individual contributors on project-based work for a large part of my career. My direct manager, “Sam,” said something puzzling to me last week and I’ve been chewing on it all weekend. One of my direct reports, “Drew,” put in their two-week notice on Monday. […] Read the full article →
our admins hate all the coffee I buy the office, but they insist I have to keep trying by Alison Green on February 7, 2024 A reader writes: I … have a problem at my new-ish attorney job at a tiny law firm. There are five people in the office total and we have one communal coffee pot. I was told at the beginning that the office does not supply coffee because the two partners do not drink it and […] Read the full article →