It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My employee wants me to teach her a skill she doesn’t really need for her job. currently manage a team of eight people. How much additional knowledge and information should I share with my employees outside of what is needed for them to do their job? For example, one of my staff members asked me to train her on using Microsoft Excel. Everything I’ve learned about Excel I taught myself, plus I needed to know it for my position. So where do I draw the line? In other words, not a flat “no,” but a “how about this instead?”

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My coworker complained about my burping and farting. have a work situation I have no idea how to deal with. found out yesterday that my coworker who works in the cubicle next to mine is incredibly offended by the fact that my body makes sounds a lot. belch pretty constantly throughout the day, with some farts as well. I say “excuse me” frequently, and I’ve been to the doctor and it just happens. My brother and father are the same way. feel awful and I’m afraid I’m going to lose my job because of this nonsense.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My boss left my performance evaluation on the office printer. My boss was working on my annual performance evaluation and printed a copy for her records to a community printer. The problem is, she didn’t go pick it up. She printed it late Friday afternoon and it sat there all weekend until Monday morning when a fellow coworker brought it to me, thinking I had printed it. When my boss arrived at around 10:30 a.m., which is her normal time, she asked me if I “found something” on the printer. replied, “You mean my evaluation?”

Remember the letter-writer in July whose coworker stole his spicy food, got sick, and blamed him for it ? And HR was blaming him too? Here’s the (kind of amazing) update. ended up being fired by HR, as she said there was enough of a case to get rid of me before the top boss came back. consulted a lawyer who sent a letter to the company informing them that I was considering legal action. The letter contained the reasons for doing so and an account of what happened. One week later, I got a call from the guy who owns the company asking me to come back, with an apology. happy endings updates

Managers’ words carry enormous weight with employees – usually more than most managers realize. The wrong words tossed off casually can ruin someone’s day, lower their motivation and morale, or just plain miscommunicate what’s intended. For example, think about how many people get a little panicky when their manager says please come into my office” (with no explanation of why), and how many managers have no idea that that’s happening. You can read it here. phrases managers should stop using was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. good management

A reader writes: I’m a new manager who heads up a team of 12 employees, and I’m having an issue with the other groups that we work with. My problem is that the other groups have developed a nasty habit of not including my team on work to be performed, then dropping it on us demanding it be done “ASAP.” This has caused us to miss deadlines on important tasks due to our scrambling to complete work that won’t be needed for a month out. So the first thing I’d like to ask is if I’m being unreasonable. What are your thoughts? Nope, you’re not being unreasonable.

A reader writes: Today as I was arriving at work, I got to the door of the building just before the CEO. I was holding the door for him, and he reached over me–I assume to take the door and hold it open for me. I’m a woman, and I don’t know… chivalry? Anyway, my brain interpreted this as him going in for a hug. The reflex to hug back came quicker than the realization that greeting coworkers with a hug in the morning is not something people do. We both just pretended it hadn’t happened and made small talk as we walked towards the elevator. advice about your boss

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I got in trouble for helping my boss while wearing work-out clothes. leave the office every day to jog during my lunch break. wear dresses to work and change into work-out clothes for this purpose. I am required by my office to take an hour lunch, at a designated time slot specified by the office manager. And it is an unpaid hour. Subsequently, the office manager wrote me up for wearing “skin-tight short-shorts” around the office. Like, legally? Our workplace mails us donation requests. Am I crazy to think this is egregious?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Talking to a depressed coworker/friend about B.O. have a very good friend who’s also a coworker (on another team from mine). happen to know that she’s suffering from very bad depression, and I’m very proud of her for getting through it as well as she is. Here’s my dilemma–in the last few months, she’s developed a definite problem with body odor. I Should I say anything to her? And if so, what would you recommend I say? (As a side note, I don’t think this is due to cultural differences in diet.).

A reader writes: I work in HR and am somewhat new to the field, with less than 3 years experience. Part of my job is managing recruitment at my company. When I receive a promising resume, I will email the candidate to arrange a phone interview. In that first email, I ask, “What are your salary expectations?” Sometimes they are, sometimes they’re not. have read some of your posts and it seems many job-hunters are uncomfortable with revealing their salary expectations so soon in the recruitment process. Before you answer, I think it’s important to provide some context.

A reader writes: I am currently job searching and have heard that sometimes people put one fun thing on their resume that normally wouldn’t belong, which might seem to make them more interesting to a job recruiter who would want to know the rest of the story. One such suggestion was to list that you are Time Magazine’s “2006 Person of the Year.” ” Now, this wouldn’t technically be a lie. Time Magazine listed “You, yes You!” ” as their person of the year in 2006, so technically everyone can say that. gimmicks won''t get you a job resumes

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A reader writes: How can I make getting to the final round of interviews – and not getting the job – count for something? Yesterday I received the news that I did not get the job at a great charity. It was a role that I have not come across before, and it would have been an exciting career change into a new sector. I was told I was a “fantastic” candidate and I had gotten to the final two out of 200 candidates. The successful candidate “had more experience.” I completed two phone interviews and one face-to-face with two interviewers. What would your next steps be? rejections

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. haven’t told my employer I don’t have a car. I’ve been working in a new job as an assistant for a few months. Due to a few different circumstances, I don’t have a car, but recently, I found a coworker who I can carpool with. However, my employer has asked me a few times to run errands for him. In order to run these errands, I’ve been using Uber and just swallowing the cost. Today I was asked to do an errand, but was unable to do it due to my carpool situation. As a result, this drew another employee away from the office.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. New hire told me about punching out a neighbor. I am a project manager and an associate at my firm with 10+ years experience. Last week, a recently hired, recently graduated, young staff member disclosed the following story to me (for brevity, I am paraphrasing): “I was doing laundry in my building’s common laundry room. Someone else took my clothes out of the dryer and dried their clothes on my money. waited for him and then confronted him. He said something I didn’t like so I pushed him. We fought. called the police.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My coworker got a raise and promotion “to motivate him to show up to work” An coworker in my department was given a promotion and pay raise. It was puzzling because many of my colleagues — including me — were aware that he had been ignoring emails, calling out sick, and generally causing our VP a lot of headaches. Our VP had gone as far as to solicit advice from others on the team on how to get this employee to do his work. No, nothing had changed. And it resulted in only a half-step up in both areas. That is fine! Thoughts?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Getting sick your first week at a new job. I got sick during my first week of work. I was dragging on Friday, but attributed it to a long week of meeting new people and getting used to my routine. By Friday evening, I felt worse, and a trip to urgent care confirmed… I have strep throat. Luckily for me, my doctor prescribed some great meds and I was able to rest up over the weekend. I was no longer contagious and was already feeling better by the end of the weekend. since they don’t know you yet. So was I wrong then, or am I wrong now?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I was offered my boss’s job, but now she says she’s not leaving. About two months ago, senior management took me aside to let me know that my boss would be leaving the company in a few months and that they wanted me to take her position. It would be a huge bump in salary and responsibility, and a position that is rarely vacant, so I enthusiastically said yes. Since then. have been shadowing my boss, attending trainings, having regular meetings with leadership, and sitting on hiring panels in preparation for my new role. Please advise?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Can a prospective employer ask for a doctor’s note when I don’t even work there yet? I was scheduled for an interview last Friday and missed it due to a miscarriage, which I ended up going to the hospital for. later in the evening sent an apology email and explained it was due to a minor surgical emergency. Today I received an email to reschedule the interview, but the manager is requesting that I bring the hospital discharge papers for the new interview. refuse to have them see why was the reason I missed. Is this legal? Should I quit?

Not all career advice is created equal. In fact, some can actually hurt a job search or your career. For instance: “Going to grad school will make you more marketable.”. “If an interviewer asks about your weaknesses, answer with something positive.”. Following up with an employer after you apply for a job shows persistence and enthusiasm.”. Sound familiar? Over at U.S. News & World Report today, I talk about seven pieces of terrible career advice that you should ignore. You can read it here. job searching

A reader writes: I have a coworker who recently had a baby boy about six months ago. Four or five times now, she has asked her babysitter to drive her son to our workplace during lunch because she misses him and wants to spend time with him. Because of our work setting, employees’ family and friends are not technically allowed into the back areas of the facility where the break rooms are. My coworker will bring her son into the break room, meaning that he is in there with everyone else who is trying to eat lunch. However, I now feel like a terrible, cold-hearted person.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Taking two week-long vacations as a summer intern. I was recently hired as an intern in a large scale company, but small scale office. Many of the employees are at a senior level, whereas about three of them are entry level. I was chosen as an intern for the summer. recently took a one-week vacation in which I was not required to work out of the office, after only interning there for a short time. In another eight weeks, my family is going on a one-week vacation. Is it reasonable to expect that I will be able to attend this vacation?

A reader writes: Six months ago, I started a new position after leaving a very toxic work environment. One of my colleagues on my team, Mary, is responsible for the majority of my training and is essentially my counterpart. initially worked longer hours, since Mary works remotely across the country and I wasn’t able to complete training without her. Sometimes I’ll check in about half an hour before the end of the day to see if there’s anything else needed from me, she’ll say yes, and then keeps me waiting (sometimes up to an hour or more!). Any advice?

A reader writes: My friend has been put on a PIP after about eight months at his job – his manager says that he “doesn’t have the skills” to perform the job to her standards. After three months on the PIP, it came up that his manager hasn’t seen the improvement she’s been looking for and so he’s likely to be fired any day (the manager hasn’t given him a date yet). My friend would like to resign so that he can avoid having to forever check the “Have you ever been fired from a job?” firing

A reader writes: I have been interviewing for an junior level position at a nonprofit for the last two weeks. I was excited when I saw a third interview invitation this week, only to discover that the interviewer had sent a scheduling tool that showed all the interview slots available and what other candidates were already booked. Not only could I see that there are seven other candidates also getting a third interview, but I was able to see their full names and times they selected as well. Is this highly unusual for a company or organization to do? Also, eight candidates for a third interview?

Even if you’re not leading a team, you probably have opportunities on the reg to show leadership anyway – and doing that is a good way to build your reputation, increase your value, get better projects, and set yourself up for promotion. Oh, and money. At Intuit QuickBase’s Fast Track blog today, I talk about opportunities you probably have to demonstrate leadership even if you’re not actually leading people. You can read it here. how to show leadership even when you’re not the boss was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. work habits

A reader writes: I searched on your site and saw you have given examples of common questions interviewers ask. However, while a candidate can prepare for those types of questions, for situational interview questions it’s tough for them to come up with answers when I’m asking them to draw on their experience and give me examples of specific situations on the spot. For example, for people who get very nervous in interviews, it seems to me that it would help to level the playing field since they wouldn’t have the stress of having to answer on the spot. did you worry about X?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I was promoted without warning in an all-staff meeting. I’ve been promoted twice in the past 8 months. The first time it was pretty standard fare — I was promoted in a meeting with my manager and his manager, I negotiated for a raise (probably not as hard as I should have, but some) and moved on. Then I, along with another colleague, was promoted a few days ago with no warning at all, in an all-staff meeting. Any advice? What did you have in mind for the position?” So get rid of that counselor. Absolutely reasonable.

A reader writes: I am a junior staff member in an office of about 20 people. have a colleague, Felicia, who is also junior and a good friend. Felicia is smart and a great colleague, and both of us are usually the first to arrive in the morning. Felicia also openly “jokes” about having OCD. (I insert quotations because I’m not really sure if she’s just kidding with the term, has actually been diagnosed, etc.) When she is stressed , she cleans the office kitchen, and people are very thankful that she willingly does so. While I wanted to tell her to stop, Felicia is also my friend. What?!

Do you need to wear a suit to a job interview? Probably. But maybe not. But if you’re unsure, then yes. Here’s the deal with suits and job interviews: You need to know the norms for interview dress for your own field. And not just your field in general, but your field in your particular geographic area. The norms for banking jobs in California can be different from the norms for banking jobs in Chicago. So you need to know your field, and how it plays out in your particular area. But most people should be wearing a suit to an interview. Period. Plenty of hiring managers do care.

A reader writes: While I try to be understanding of job candidates who give 5-minute responses to several interview questions that should never ever take that long to answer, I just can’t get past it, and it makes me want to fidget uncomfortably. Would it be rude to phrase the first question with, “In 90 seconds or less, please tell us how your work experience relates to the teapot inspector position?” ” I’ve tried a lot of tactics to trim down excessive long-winded responses. Thank you.” Long-windedness in interviews is my pet peeve. But you know what?

A reader writes: Thanks to the great advice on your blog, I have gone from being a green, honestly unprofessional newbie to office culture to having considerably improved professional dialogue and interactions with my coworkers at the office I have been working in for over three years now. paid especially close to your tips about communication (especially for those of us who are a little shy/awkward, as it were) and it’s really helped! We both have the same boss, but I am largely responsible for supervising him and delegating what he does everyday. ” Hilarious. Please help.

A reader writes: I am the director of operations for our practice. have a daughter who is one of our employees, and I am her manager. She has a seven-month old baby and works part-time from home for our publicly traded company, doing administrative work. She brought her baby to work recently while she ran by to get some supplies and send an email. First of all, this was completely untrue – she works from home and does not work in the office. Secondly, no one here has ever experienced retribution. Is there recourse here? Where are my rights to access of this information? Yes, it’s possible.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My manager offered to take a pay cut so the rest of us can earn more. work for a small nonprofit. It is common in our industry for there to be a big pay difference between the local manager and the rest of the staff. It is what it is, but at the same time, boards constantly bemoan how difficult it is to recruit and retain skilled staff. At a recent general voter meeting, my manager said that she would be willing to take a pay cut to give some of those funds to other staff salaries. Everyone present was surprised by this statement. Ooooh.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My office is in the lunchroom. I’ve been at my current job for almost 3 years. In the first year, my office space was relocated into our small lunchroom. The staff lost their lunchroom and I’m stuck with constant interruptions of people coming in there to use the sink or fridge. There is literally nowhere to eat your lunch (or a quiet place for me to work). How should this be handled? Is there anywhere else you could sit, even squeezing into another less-than-ideal space that at least wouldn’t be the lunchroom? ” 4.

This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. This one is truly no work and no school. If you have a work question, you can email it to me or post it in the work-related open thread on Fridays.). Book Recommendation of the Week: The Fiddler in the Subway: The Story of the World-Class Violinist Who Played for Handouts. And Other Virtuoso Performances by America’s Foremost Feature Writer , by Gene Weingarten. subway for spare change, to see if anyone would notice his music. Spoiler: Few people did.) open threads

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go…. 1. feel weird about turning down jobs and interviews. have had several situations arise lately where I ended up withdrawing from the interview process after I developed concerns about the position or company. Each time, I don’t think I handled it well. The first was with a small, family-owned insurance company. interviewed with one of the family members. During the phone and in-person interviews (which lasted about three hours), I was barely able to get a word in about my qualifications. I did get to hear her life story. Like the below?

A reader writes: What is the line (if there even is one) between pretty and professional? I’m not quite a grad, but I’m trying to get part-time or temp work, and that’s included a few interviews. While I’ve felt professional enough, I’ve always wondered if it came off that way to others. For example, I wore a dress with short sleeves, a shallow neckline, but it only came down mid-thigh (I wore it with tights and flats) to an interview. Something like this ? O r this ? O r even a foofy skirt like this one. But overall, you really need to know your field.

A reader writes: My manager, “Trish,” believes face-time = productivity. Last year, she started allowing people to work from home one day a week based on pressure from upper management because our group was not working remotely during weather-related closings. Most of us did not have the VPN required to do so and because she generally did not work from home at all. Trish’s solution was to allow everyone to work from home one day a week and she would control the schedule. If you have off another day during the week for a scheduled day off or a holiday, your work-from-home day is cancelled.

A reader writes: I work at a small media organization with a very casual environment. great example of this: My boss doesn’t really “believe in” org charts. began as a writer belonging to a very small team, but was promoted to co-manager of that team six months ago. The problem, however, is that no one in the company actually knows this. My promotion was never announced — no staffwide email, no mention in any kind of staff meeting. This has created some really awkward situations for me. And so I have to keep telling people about my new role — “Hi! No dice.

A reader writes: This morning, I came to work to find an email that had been time-stamped at 12 a.m. from someone in our department who was disgruntled that other people were leaving our office a mess and taking each other’s office supplies. While I agree that this behavior is annoying, the email that followed was the single most unprofessional thing I have ever seen. It was 12 paragraphs, first of all. TWELVE. printed it out and it totaled two full pages of printer paper. It was also replete with grammatical errors. I had contact embarrassment from reading it. and I mean MONTHS. Oh my.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My office smells like a corpse. My office is an older building and half of it is up on a small crawl space. Every winter around this time (late February to early March) is what we call the dead animal season. Something (rat, feral cat, mouse) ends up finding its way into the crawl space and perishing – for whatever reason. And then the smell begins to permeate the office. The smell will last for 2-3 weeks. And nothing is done about this. What are our options? And we can’t always take vacation then! What?! Are one-page resumes the new trend?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. have a crush on a manager at work. I’m a happily married woman, but I have a crush on a male supervisor at work. The nature of my work requires that I advise management staff on various issues, so I often meet with several managers multiple times during the week. There’s a younger (close to my age) but established high-level male supervisor who I find myself attracted to. have no intentions of having an affair and even if I were single, dating someone at work comes with too many risks. Oh no, no, no, no! Do What do I do?

A reader writes: What is your opinion about direct reports training a new manager? I’ve experienced this twice now, where I have taken on a management job where my direct reports (usually less than a year in their own position) were appointed to train me. When I first experienced this, I wasn’t a complete career changer, but this time around I was hired more for my managerial skills rather than my product knowledge. I’m not completely without that knowledge, but it’s different when it’s not something you have worked with directly. What do you think?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I was laid off and now my manager wants my help. I was recently laid off on a Thursday morning with no notice and was basically perp walked to HR. wasn’t even allowed to return to my desk to gather my personal belongings either. I was given a small severance and one weeks pay for each year I’d been there (5 years). Today I was contacted by my former manager/supervisor requesting that I help him out with data gathering/location for a monthly report. Would it be best to just not reply? Ooooh, your company really mishandled this.

A reader writes: I would love your input on a job interview process I have recently experienced. little backstory – my wife and I are expecting child #2 in the next few months. We have decided to try to move closer to my family (about three hours away) so they can assist with child care while we work, which will greatly alleviate the expense of paying for child care. applied for a job in the city where my parents live that I would be perfect for. I had a phone interview and was subsequently invited to come in for a face to face interview. Don’t write back to complain. interviewing

Nervous about year-end performance evaluations? Worried that you won’t get the recognition that your work deserves? Instead of staying anxious, why not take proactive steps right now to increase the chances that your evaluation will line up with your own assessment of your work? At Intuit QuickBase’s Fast Track blog today, I talk about how you can ensure that your work gets recognized when year-end reviews are done. You can read it here. how to get the recognition you deserve in year-end reviews was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. work habits

Because today is Thanksgiving, in lieu of a post today, I instead present five crazy holiday stories from years past. And speaking of things to be thankful for, crazy letters are on my list.). 1. my office Secret Santa gave me a sex toy. 2. my office wants us to chip in to send our CEO’s family on a ski trip. 3. punched a coworker at the company Christmas party. 4. my office hid the Christmas party from us. 5.  former boss sent large gift baskets to some of us, but not others. You can read the whole thing here.

A reader writes: I graduated in May 2015 and accepted an internship position in December. work for a very large corporation and am part of a two-person team (me and my manager). After two weeks, our full-time, permanent recruitment coordinator (RC) gave her notice and officially left at the end of the year. My manager decided to just “give” me this role, while still expecting me to do my internship tasks. Of course I was excited about the opportunity. To clarify, my internship role and the RC role have completely different responsibilities – literally no overlap. Daily.

A reader writes: I was told recently by a recruiter that not having a LinkedIn profile in the modern age of job applications is like being invisible, as that’s the first place recruiters and HR managers look to research interesting applicants beyond their cover letters and resumes. While I admit that I somewhat resent the notion that it’s a “must have,” I’ll also admit that my current job searches sans profile have proven to be somewhat less than fruitful. Though that could be for any number of other reasons as well. Is there any legitimacy to her claim?

A reader writes: I’m a recent college graduate in my first professional job (at a nonprofit and it involves both customer service and web design). This job has a probationary period lasting six months. However, at my six-month review, my manager said that she was extending my probationary period an extra six months, without much explanation. I was rated as “meets expectations” in all but one area in my evaluation: I was rated as “needs improvement” in communication. However, the “communication problems” my manager described seem rather petty.

A reader writes: I have always asked job candidates what their compensation requirements are, either before they come in to meet with me or after they have come in. Most candidates do not have any issues disclosing what they’re looking for, although some get a little uncomfortable. Recently, I had a candidate who I spoke to over the phone, and I thought he was great. He came in to meet with us, and again, we thought he was great. asked him to disclose his compensation requirements because we wanted to move forward with an offer and he didn’t want to disclose. Eeeeekkkk. hiring

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My new coworker is my childhood bully. recently started a new job. colleague, who has an unusual name, was a childhood playmate turned middle school bully of mine. Until now, I have not had contact with this individual since that time and have worked hard to sever ties with a painful past. He introduced himself and seemed friendly enough, as one does with a new coworker – no direct indication of recognition but I think my name gave him pause. So am I. This is 100% up to you and what you would feel most comfortable with. Is this normal?

A reader writes: I have a question regarding applicants who, after being interviewed and rejected more than once, apply over and over again. have one applicant who has been interviewed twice, rejected twice, and keeps sending new applications. The first time she was interviewed was two years ago by our previous recruitment coordinator, and a second time by me a few months ago. This applicant seems emotionally unstable, and the position I am hiring for is home care for vulnerable adults. When I rejected this applicant a few months ago, I sent her the standard form rejection letter email.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Should my company have more men’s bathrooms than women’s bathrooms? I am a woman working at a software company of about 10,000 people. Like many software companies, we have about twice as many male employees as female employees. As our hiring increases, there started to be an occasional wait for the men’s restrooms. One solution that has been thrown out to fix this is to convert some of the women’s restrooms to men’s restrooms. That would solve the whole issue, although I understand some people are squeamish about them. 2.

A reader writes: After many years as an individual contributor and lead, I’ve been stretching into leadership for the last year and find I enjoy it. also find I seem to be doing very well in this arena (thanks to your blog, no doubt) and I’ve been asked to step up to a higher role. One of my struggles is with recognition – but oddly, not the usual problems of under-recognizing effort. I’m afraid I may occasionally get too effusive with my thanks for my team’s comfort, or thank someone one time too many. How would you suggest I broach this topic – if even bringing it up? good management

A reader writes: I’m a department director; my department is on a different floor than the main part of our office. have a friendly relationship with my staff and the people who work for me are generally great. really enjoy my job. When I do have complaints, my personal philosophy is that my staff shouldn’t be my sounding board. For example, I don’t complain about my boss to my staff. figure I don’t need to transfer my stress to them, and I don’t want to spread negativity around the office. This person reports to another department director. So talk to her boss.

A reader writes: My employer moved our office over the summer. Our former location was very central and convenient (there was a subway stop literally in our building). The new location, while only a mile and a half away from the old location, is much less convenient because public transportation in the area is very limited. The move was entirely motivated by money; although I don’t know the exact figures, our bookkeeper is less than discreet and has intimated that they will be saving hundreds of thousands in rent each year. Looking at the big picture though, it’s still an extra 3.5

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My boss keeps asking how much I paid for things. My boss is very friendly with all of us who work under her. Boundaries don’t really get crossed — none of us socialize with her — but we have “water cooler” chit-chats about personal things, like our apartment buildings, travels, shopping, movies, lunch. She has started this habit of asking me what I paid for, well, just about everything. How much was that salad, how much did your condo cost, how much were those new shoes, what does your dentist charge you for a filling. Any advice? Sorry!”

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My new employee lied on his resume. joined my current company last year and was recently promoted from my former position (more IT-related) to managing another department. One of the team members in my new department expressed an interest in the role I was vacating. In the process of both interviewing him for my old position and having a general “get to know you” session, I discovered glaring errors on his resume. Do I address these lies on his resume? What’s the best way to go about this? thank you!) Every day. Confront?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. How to tell an employee to stop cc’ing my boss. I’m a new manager and I have an employee who consistently copies other people on emails I’ve directed specifically to her. Do I just cc my boss every time I think her judgement may have been off to get ahead of the problem? The good news here is that you’re her boss so you can just direct her to stop doing this. I’d start, though, by asking what her thought process is when she does it. How come?” Your employees will make mistakes. Exclamation points in cover letters. Yes or no?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. The person I helped hire confessed to me that she lied about her skills. received a full capital sponsorship to start my own business. When I resigned from my job, my boss was very upset, as it is hard to find people with my skill set. suggested to my former boss that they could outsource to me, which they are now doing. One day, my former boss called me up and asked me to sit into an interview with a potential replacement for my position. told him it would be a conflict of interest as I would lose them as a client. Nothing. short answers

Your job interview went great, and the employer said you’d hear something soon. But it’s been a week, your phone hasn’t rung, and you’re getting antsy to hear something. But as anxious as you are to hear something, make sure that your anxiety doesn’t drive you to actions that will actually harm your chances. At U.S. News & World Report today, I talk about five things that you might be tempted to do while waiting to hear about a job – but which you should never, ever do. You can read it here. interviewing job search: following up

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Managing someone who doesn’t aspire to move up. I’m a fairly new department head with two direct reports. This is my first experience managing full-time staff (I’ve previously managed numerous short-term interns), and I’m curious if you have any advice for how to lead these two employees with very different career goals. One very much reminds me of myself and is very ambitious and interested in advancing in her career. Any suggestions? Is she great at what she does? Is your company okay with that? ” 3.

A reader writes: My job offer was rescinded after I sent an email attempting to negotiate the base salary to $3,000 plus what was originally offered. I was horrified after receiving the employer’s initial response withdrawing the offer. Such a situation is rarely talked about in internet job articles (I read yours on this matter but like I said — not too many others) and I was not expecting it. have been job searching for almost a year now and I just cannot seem to get past the interview stage. have had many interviews and no offers — until now. salary

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My manager is on maternity leave and I’m overwhelmed. My boss just went on maternity leave and I took over her duties in addition to my own. I’m excited for the opportunities this will present me when she gets back (promotion, raise, etc.), but I’m extremely overwhelmed for right now. Not only has my work load doubled, but people are treating me like I’m in a leadership position (I’m entry level). In our department, EVERYTHING is a priority and there is currently zero way for me to prioritize my work because of it.

When you call in sick, is your boss allowed to ask exactly what’s wrong with you and make you feel like you need to prove you’re sick enough to justify the day off? Most people are unclear on what their employer has the right to ask when they call out sick. And many employers aren’t sure either! At U.S. News & World Report today, I give you the rundown of what is and isn’t okay for your boss to ask. You can read it here. what’s your boss allowed to ask when you call in sick? was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. law + order

A reader writes: We have a fridge at work. Up to this point, nothing I had in it was stolen (I am quite new, and others have told me that this was a problem). My food is always really, really spicy. just love it that way. Anyway, I was sitting at my desk when my coworker came running out, having a hard time breathing. He then ran into the bathroom and started being sick. Turns out he ate my clearly labeled lunch. (It also was in a cooler lunch box to keeps it cold from work to home, as it’s a long drive.) There was nothing different about my lunch that day. thought the issue was over. What?!

A reader writes: I have a situation that is so out there I almost wouldn’t believe it if it wasn’t happening to me. The company I work at has three branches and around 100 employees. The owner of the company has a brother who needs a liver transplant. Two weeks ago, a company-wide memo went out that all employees would be required to undergo testing to see if they were a suitable liver donor for the owners brother. No exceptions. Last week at the branch the owner works out of most of the time, his assistant went around to schedule days off for everyone so they could go get tested.

A reader writes: I have had a number of members on my team come to me lately with concerns about one particular employee. They say that she takes long breaks, leaves early (she’s got a job where she needs to be in the office at set times), and spends too much time socializing. This came as a surprise to me as her output is within the normal range for my team. I’m not in my office enough to observe the exact times she is at her desk, but I was concerned that I was hearing this from so many people so I brought it forward to her for discussion. good management

A reader writes: I started job searching in earnest last year for a number of reasons — mainly, no raises despite glowing performance reviews over the past several years, no chance of a title change despite increased responsibilities, and no opportunity to move into a better position. (It’s a small organization.) I recently interviewed for a position I’m really excited about, and last week I found out that the employer was calling my references. Hooray! I’ve kept my boss in the loop on my job search, so he was a reference as well. Am I right to be really annoyed about this?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I’m worried I’m in the wrong career. I am working in a public accounting firm right now and I thought this was “the dream.” ” In high school, I decided not to pursue my dream of medicine and instead go for business because it was the safe route, and medicine seemed intimidating while math was easy. After three years, I graduated at the top of my class and immediately started working as a bookkeeper. The work is interesting and the pay is low but keeps me afloat. also have the burning urge to drop my university business classes.

A reader writes: What should one do when they find a nasty blog written about a coworker, but the horrible statements are true? There’s a certain head of a department who I have to work with occasionally who is rude, dismissive, and just does not seem competent enough to do her job. I’ve spoken with other coworkers and they think the same of her. And she writes her emails in Comic Sans, so clearly not a person worthy of respect (I kid! Sort of…). found a blog written about her. She’s a recruiter, and it sounds like it’s written by a candidate she worked with.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Asking employees to say I’m out when my abusive mother calls. Is it ever okay to ask an employee to “cover” for you? I am the director of a small, nonprofit county agency. have two staff and three volunteers. The problem is my 74-year-old mentally ill mother. Long story short, she is very abusive, calls me and my husband vile names, and uses vile language in front of our teenage daughter. Sometimes it becomes so overwhelming that I have to disconnect (until she can get herself together) to protect my daughter. to no avail. ” 5.

A reader writes: I graduated in May and started my first professional, full-time job in September. I’m a receptionist at a pet resort and, after working in retail (which I’d worked for over three years), I was really happy to work in a job that just seemed so much better. love the clients, I love my coworkers and, even with all of the strangeness that comes with the resort, I love my job. My coworkers and my supervisors have been amazing, but I just feel like I’m dragging everyone down and being more of a burden than a help. Well, first, mistakes are normal in a new job.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Asking a coworker to stop talking about his gun hobby. have a coworker who loves guns. We all know this (when you walk by his desk, he is likely on a gun message board) but chalk it up to a quirk. Today he and another co-worker spent the better part of an hour talking about guns. The other coworker is becoming interested in guns, so there have been some conversations like this lately. But this was the most extensive (involving white board drawings). But it did make me uncomfortable. What’s the protocol here? Is it ok to say something?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. The company I interviewed with stole my ideas. What do you think of a company that interviews you, asks you to list specific ways to improve things, but doesn’t hire you — yet implements your suggestions anyway? interviewed with a publication several months ago and suggested posting its covers on Instagram. Now they’re doing it. Also, they’re posting tweets in the publication, something else I suggested. suppose it’s possible that they came up with this on their own. Seems pretty crappy if they do. Some companies do.

A reader writes: I supervise someone whose phone makes a lot of odd noises for texts, e-mail, etc. — not obnoxious ringtones — but still annoying and distracting, and he seems to feel compelled to look at the phone each time it makes a noise. Is it unusual to ask someone to turn their phone off while at work? Between lunch and two breaks, it seems there’s plenty of time for catching up on these things. Nope, it’s totally reasonable. People People should not allow their personal technology to disrupt coworkers, and they shouldn’t allow it to disrupt themselves.

It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go…. 1. Should recruiters disclose salary range when they reach out to you? How common is it for recruiters to disclose salary range for positions when they reach out to you? I’ve heard colleagues who have professions that are highly technical and in demand talk about how recruiters have disclosed salary ranges to them for the openings they are recruiting for. This has helped my colleagues ask for more money. One even told his boss, “I have recruiters on LinkedIn offering me $XX more.” Hooray! Nope, not at all. Did I sabotage myself? short answers

If you feel like you don’t have enough control over your time, the problem might not be your calendar – it might be the way you’re looking at the situation. After all, even with an overscheduled calendar, you’re still making decisions about how to spend your time and how not to spend it. At Intuit QuickBase’s Fast Track blog today, I talk about how to make better decisions about how you do and don’t spend your time. You can read it here. how to regain control of your time and get more done was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. work habits

A reader writes: I’ve been without a job description for more than two years now. sent the following email to my boss at the beginning of the week: “I was hoping to check in on the job description – I know you’ve been slammed and I don’t want to be a nudge. But I’m mindful that my job has been changing subtly over the last year and without a description, I’ve been worried that I haven’t been doing what’s expected of me. And there’s nobody else to go to – she runs the company. advice about your boss

A reader writes: I’ve been working in an administrative role for the past two years and have found your blog very helpful. There are a lot of things that I wish someone would have told me about at the very beginning – especially email etiquette. would like to give some of that advice to the current staff that I manage. admit that I have a visceral reaction to the use of the words “please advise” (and ALL CAPS and soft reminders and read receipts). In most cases, I find that the person writing this at the end of an email already asked me a question in the email.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My boss is furious after my coworker pranked her. Today our boss came to my desk to talk to me, in an open office area of about 40 cubicles. Her back was turned to my coworker. As she was talking to me, my coworker pulled out a fake spider and put it in my boss’s shoulder. My boss turned around, yelled, was in shock, and told her, “How dare you! I am afraid of spiders! If you do that again, I will seriously quit!” Our team sits pretty close to each other and we all just looked at each other in shock. What are your thoughts? short answers

A reader writes: I’m back from meeting HR for my very first job, and something so absurd happened I had to share it with you. I’m working for city government so there were 100 pages of paperwork for me to fill out before this meeting, and I had to bring originals of certain documents, i.e. social security card, passport, etc. I had the option to bring either my diploma or transcript as proof of education. hate my school’s registrar’s office, and my diploma hasn’t left its packing tube left so I opted to bring that along. For my diploma! In case I forged it!

A reader writes: I’m a PhD student (worked for a couple years before returning for grad school) and am now looking for full time employment. You mentioned in a recent post that you don’t advertise on “big job banks” because of how many unqualified candidates you get. I’m trying to find fairly specific positions, and the big job sites are pretty bare of positions that are a good match. For example, look at DICE, TechCrunch, or GitHub for I.T., What other suggestions do people have? where should you look for jobs? job searching

A reader writes: I am a part-time employee in community recreation. One of the places I work only operates in the winter. I am an assistant supervisor in my department. Every year, at the end of the season, a tradition is the Employee of the Year awards. The person who is selected has their name added to the plaque of the respective department. Last year, people expressed that they were unhappy with the way the person was chosen (the head of our department chose the person in conjunction with the full time staff). Personally, I am not a fan of the Employee of the Year awards.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Recommending someone I laid off without revealing our financial troubles. We have recently let an employee go. I’d like to help her find a new position by reaching out in my network. How do I word the email that says “yep, we fired her” but not “we are downsizing because we didn’t have enough money to pay her” without either blowing back on us as a nonprofit? want to help, but I also don’t want people to know our crappy financial situation that we’ve had to downsize. This is where it becomes really weird.

A reader writes: I had a strange interaction with a coworker that I didn’t know how to respond to, and I’m wondering what your take on the situation would be. I’m in an hourly position as an intern. work in a large office, but the group I’m working with is just three people and a manager. The manager is fairly casual in an otherwise formal office, particularly when it comes to work hours. took a short lunch in order to make up the time. My manager was out of the office, and it was just me and a junior employee, a woman who is only a few years older than me.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Manager told me not to check messages on vacation, then tried to reach me anyway. I am wondering if I am wrong to be annoyed by something my boss did. Background: I work in a tough field, one that is very psychologically draining, due to witnessing terrible things on a regular basis. My workplace pays lip service to taking time off to recharge and says not to check messages while on vacation. Recently, I took one week off for my first wedding anniversary. Silly me. Am I wrong to feel annoyed and put in a double bind? Nope, you’re not.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My coworker is being weirdly aggressive at the conference we’re attending. Over my professional career, I’ve had the opportunity to attend a few conferences but if I went with multiple colleagues from my office, I’ve always been the most junior. Recently, I went to a conference with a colleague where the tone of his behavior struck me as inappropriate and I wasn’t sure exactly how to address it. While I have seniority, we’re at the same level and in different departments with different managers. Eh, maybe, maybe not.

A reader writes: I’m hoping for your insight on a strange job interview experience I recently had. I’m applying for an IT role at a small company with five people on staff. The position is a new one, and this will be their first hire outside of family and personal connections. Here’s how the application process has gone so far: • A recruiter I’ve been working with sent this company my resume. (No cover letter, no additional information.). They arranged for a 30-minute in-person interview with me. This seems really weird to me. This is weird, right? interviewing

As a former hiring manager who now helps clients with their own hiring, I look at a lot of resumes. Day after day, I see job candidates severely harming their own chances by submitting resumes that do a terrible job of making it easy for employers to spot why they might be the right person for the job. Frustratingly, most people are making the same small number of easily fixable mistakes. I can’t write back to these candidates to tell them to clean up their resumes if they want a better shot at a job, but I can tell you! At U.S. You can read it here. resumes

Sleeping at work is usually something you’re supposed to avoid. But what if your company officially sanctioned naps during the day? If this sounds utterly impossible to you, you may be surprised to learn that naps at work are being encouraged by major players like Nike, Google, and even the accounting giant PricewaterhouseCoopers. There’s even something called a nap desk! At QuickBase’s Fast Track blog today, I take a look at the trend, and why companies think this is a good thing. You can read it here. was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager.

A reader writes: I work at a retail job with mostly hourly positions and low wages. This is more or less my first “real job.” ” On the day I received my first paycheck, I had a question related to tax exemptions, so I asked a coworker, showing her my pay stub. Seeing this, my manager told me to put it away and that it was company policy not to share pay information. Predictably, my manager stopped me. This time, I told her that preventing employees from sharing their pay information was against the law. But I have no idea how to go about it. Should I put up a poster?

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Employee’s long bathroom breaks are tying up the customer bathroom. We own and operate a retail hardware store that has been in business for 35 years. My brother and I grew up in the business and a few years ago bought the store from our parents. We employ 8-10 staff and operate in a little under 6,000 square feet. We have an employee who has been with us for over five years. He is vital to out small operation. However, he routinely takes extended bathroom breaks. We have one bathroom downstairs that we all use, including customers.

Life has a way of instilling lessons in us that don’t always apply in every context. That’s especially true when it comes to work: You may have habits or ways of thinking that served you well in school or beyond, but which will actually hold you back in your professional life — like thinking that being thorough is always better or thinking that appearing impartial will make you more credible. At U.S. News & World Report today, I talk about six of the most common things you may to need to unlearn in order to succeed at work. You can read it here. work habits

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My boss wants me reachable by phone and email on the weekends. recently joined a new company as a middle manager, and I manage a team that works seven days a week. On arrival, I was given a work mobile and laptop. couple of weeks later, my manager texted me with a work question on a Sunday morning (on my weekend off). However, my manager pulled me into his office the next day to ask me about it. It’s early days so maybe I just need to get used to it? No, this is not reasonable or normal. It’s an honor-based system executed in Excel.

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My boss sent around photos of my coworker in body paint. My boss and a coworker became Facebook friends. My manager was snooping around on her Facebook profile and saw some pictures of her without clothes on but with her privates covered in body paint, and then sent them to me and several other coworkers via text message, from his work cell phone. For this and many other reasons, I consider him a despicable human being without integrity or honor. guess I am stuck in a legal and moral pickle here. Your manager is an ass. and 5 p.m., and 3 p.m.

A reader writes: I recently was turned down for a job offer even though I was the employer’s top candidate, because my current salary was out of their salary range for the position. first had a phone interview where I disclosed my current salary and was told it was high. made it to a second, in-person interview and was told that their only concern with me was the salary. After that interview, I sent thank-you emails and mentioned that I was very interested in the position, thinking that would keep me in the running since I wasn’t scared off about the salary. Probably. salary

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My coworkers think I left a bad Glassdoor review, but I didn’t. work at gossipy, small, family-owned, white collar business. We have about 40 employees, many of whom have been here for decades. have been with the company for about a year and a half in an entry-level position (this is my first job out of college). recently put in my two weeks’ notice as I got a job elsewhere with a higher title and salary. A few days after I put in my notice, a negative Glassdoor review appeared online for my current company. Just my paranoia.)