boss wants us to do early-morning and evening meetings so he can attend from his vacation by Alison Green on January 29, 2024 A reader writes: I work on a small team that has daily meetings at 10 am, usually lasting 30-60 minutes. I personally don’t think daily meetings are even necessary, but they are my boss’s way of keeping up with our work as he rarely meets with any of us individually and he likes for us […] Read the full article →
the problem with jobs that claim they’re “like a family” by Alison Green on January 29, 2024 The next time you’re interviewing for a job, there are five words your interviewer might say that should send you running in the opposite direction: “We’re like a family here.” While a family-like company might sound pleasant on the surface, that framework tends to be a flag for a strikingly dysfunctional work environment. At Slate today, […] Read the full article →
I have to go to an awkward Valentine’s Day work dinner right after a breakup by Alison Green on January 29, 2024 A reader writes: I am a 53-year-old woman. I have just gone through a surprising, disappointing, and painful breakup, and so far I’m coping and keeping my turmoil out of the workplace. As a single woman in years past, I’ve taken to traveling the few days surrounding my Valentine’s Day and my birthday (which is […] Read the full article →
new coworker with my exact experience got hired at a higher level than me — how upset should I be? by Alison Green on January 23, 2024 A reader writes: My new coworker starts today with a more senior title to me, and I’m struggling to not be upset. Here’s the timeline, with identifying details changed: I graduated college in 2020, and immediately got a job building healthcare software at a small company. I did that for two years and joined the […] Read the full article →
my company’s top exec is crowdfunding for their kid’s school project by Alison Green on January 22, 2024 A reader writes: While scrolling through notifications on LinkedIn, I found one from the CIO of the multinational firm I work for in an hourly, entry-level position. When I opened the post, I was stunned to see that the CIO was asking their professional network to donate money to their kid’s crowdfunding campaign. The kid […] Read the full article →
how to deal with a stomach attack in the middle of a meeting by Alison Green on January 18, 2024 A reader writes: This is an embarrassing (but probably more common than I think) question. I just got a new role at my company. The company is great, with a pro-employee balance and we’re only in the office about one day/week. The new role is one which has far more meetings than my current role […] Read the full article →
can I take care of my baby during the workday if my job is undemanding? by Alison Green on January 16, 2024 A reader writes: I work for a large company with strong union protections. Because of our union protections, it’s very hard to get fired or even to get a low performance rating, but it’s also very hard to get merit raises or promotions. Compensation is explicitly tied to how long you’ve been with the company. […] Read the full article →
I had to share a bed with a coworker on a business trip by Alison Green on January 15, 2024 I’m off for the holiday, so here’s an older post from the archives. This was originally published in 2016. A reader writes: Some coworkers and I recently went on overnight travel, and the plan was to have us split two hotel rooms. Sharing a room with people I work with is less than my favorite […] Read the full article →
everything you need to know about how to take vacation time by Alison Green on January 10, 2024 Here’s a round-up of everything you need to know about taking vacation time. the basics everything you need to know about taking vacation time from work what’s the etiquette for taking vacation time? everything you need to know about time off when you start a new job how far in advance can you request time […] Read the full article →
our employee was the victim of a sextortion scam — did we mishandle it? by Alison Green on January 10, 2024 A reader writes: I volunteer on a staffing committee in my mainline Protestant church. Our employee in a role focused on young people self-disclosed that he had taken and electronically sent an inappropriate picture to someone who he believed to be a 27-year-old woman, but who he only knew online. He became a sextortion victim […] Read the full article →