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Wellness Related Topics
I was fired from my internship for writing a proposal for a more flexible dress code
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JUNE 28, 2016
Our proposal requested that we also be allowed to wear running shoes and non leather flats, as well as sandals (not flip-flops though) and other non-dress shoes that would fit under a more business casual dress code. The proposal was written professionally like examples I have learned about in school, and our arguments were thought out and well-reasoned. petition is … well, it’s not something you typically see at work. A reader writes: I was able to get a summer internship at a company that does work in the industry I want to work in after I graduate. We were shocked.
I got into a fight with my husband’s coworker over their affair, stressed out over a volunteer group at work, and more
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OCTOBER 10, 2016
We got into an argument outside and she pulled my hair and I pulled hers as well. He does his work well, although there is room for improvement. gave him a raise, well above the average, and he countered with an even higher number. You might as well see it as an opportunity to educate him about something he’s clearly wondering about, which is ultimately better than having the disparity gnawing away at him without him having any context for it. 3. I’m stressed out over a volunteer group at work. Does she take feedback well? It’s five answers to five questions.
loose cannons, interviews from the toilet, and other stories of ridiculous job candidates
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AUGUST 2, 2016
Well after about 15 minutes I figured it out when I hear the loud woosh of a toilet as he’s explaining the outcome of a project he worked on. Me: “Well, given that this is a short-term fellowship, you’re generally shielded from this because of the nature of the position. Me: “OK, well, thanks for your time. A couple of weeks ago, I asked readers to share the weirdest or worst behavior they’ve ever seen from job candidates. The entire thing ended up being hilarious, but here are 12 of my favorites: 1. The The winner of them all. Loose cannon. Blame my wife. ” 7.
we’re not allowed to bring coffee to work, my coworker is faking his expertise, and more
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OCTOBER 30, 2016
John is well liked and already in a comparable level job. Mary is not well liked (some for good reason, a lot just because HR doesn’t like her) and is in a lower level position that reports to me. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My coworker is faking his expertise for the promotion he’s applying for. Our director of IT gave notice this week. Two internal people have expressed interest in the job. We are a small company, and the director of IT is the only IT professional on staff. We are a financial institution, so IT security is super important.
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my company wants me to return a gift from a client, interviewer said I need a better answer, and more
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FEBRUARY 18, 2016
work for a large, well-known organization in the United States. It went very well overall, but at one point the hiring manager asked me how I’ve spent the nine months since earning my masters last spring. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My company wants me to return part of a gift from a client. recently finished up a job with a client who I’ve worked closely with for the last two years. My company has a compliance plan that requires us to disclose gifts received in excess of $250, which the total face value of the tickets does. Come on now.
can I just send employers my LinkedIn page rather than a resume?
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APRIL 4, 2016
Well, because they’re not asking for that. Many employers still print paper copies of candidates they’re phone-screening or interviewing, and LinkedIn doesn’t print well. * You can tailor a resume for a particular job posting, which you can’t do with LinkedIn. A reader writes: When applying for a job, why can’t we send a link to our LinkedIn page rather than a traditional resume? There’s more information on my page than I could ever fit on a one-page resume, and it looks great. resume gives the amount of information they want at this stage. resumes
is employee taking too much sick leave, I keep getting surprise raises, and more
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MAY 10, 2016
enjoy my job a lot, but the pay is well under market value. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Is my employee taking too much sick leave? I’m a relatively new manager and I’m struggling a little with how to handle one of my employee’s use of sick leave. work in an industry that has a public-facing desk that needs to be covered when we are open. If somebody calls out sick, I have to pay an additional person to cover that desk. My budget for that is quite limited. One of my employees, I’ll call her Jane, is an exemplary employee. Thank you!
I was fired for taking initiative (and undermining my manager)
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APRIL 11, 2016
The people I interviewed with – my future manager and her boss/the COO – were upfront with me that I didn’t possess the exact qualifications that they were looking for, but I interviewed well and they decided to give me a few (paid) one-off assignments to see if I would be able to learn what I needed to do the job. Well, Betty returned from her vacation on a Friday a few weeks later. A reader writes: Last summer, I decided to re-enter the workforce after five years of raising my kids. proved myself and they brought me on full-time. . What should I do? .
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an employer asked me the lowest salary I’d accept, rejected me, and then refused to keep talking
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OCTOBER 19, 2016
And even though they found out I had interviewed previously, they still phone screened me and had me come in for another face to face, and I believe and felt it went well. A reader writes: This is a puzzler for me: I recently had a third party recruiter get me in touch again with the hiring manager of a position I had applied and interviewed for but got passed over for earlier this year. I was excited for the second chance since this was my dream company, albeit this time it was gonna be contract to start. But of course, by that point, they’d been told it was the lowest you’d go. Other
are mandatory happy hours just part of working in an office?
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NOVEMBER 17, 2015
It’s a great job, one I’m good at and pays well, so I try not to complain. When it’s done well, it’s low-key and doesn’t violate people’s privacy or dignity (nothing like horrifying team-building events here ), is held during work hours or is truly optional, and happens fairly occasional rather than constantly. A reader writes: I’m still pretty young (25) and, personally, don’t enjoy really corporate/professional office settings and the formalities that come with them. My coworkers, on the other hand, love them and drink like fish.
I have an awful summer intern, and I can’t fire him
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JUNE 20, 2016
He’s not smarter or more well-versed on any topic than she is.) He seems to believe that because he has been here for an additional week, and because he is older, he is the other student’s boss. A reader writes: I’m reaching out to request advice on an intern problem. As background, I’m a young-looking woman with a professional degree who works in the charitable arm of a prestigious, for-profit teapot firm. Two of my interns are wonderful – thoughtful, considerate, hard-working and a good cultural fit. My third is the problem. Repeatedly.
I had to share a bed with a coworker on a business trip
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JUNE 29, 2016
As for the room-sharing, separate from the bed-sharing … It is indeed true that there are some industries where sharing hotel rooms is the norm, like academia and some nonprofits, but frankly I think there are times when it’s reasonable to push back on that as well. A reader writes: Some coworkers and I recently went on overnight travel, and the plan was to have us split two hotel rooms. expected this trip would follow the standard room sharing format, and that I would probably be the one who ended up sharing a room with my boss. My stomach dropped when I saw the beds. Good lord.
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how can I avoid talking about my wedding at work, asking employers to speed up their hiring process, and more
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JULY 17, 2016
This is especially true when it comes to my love life. I get along rather well with my coworkers but I do not consider them friends, and as such I have not ever mentioned to them that I got engaged over a year ago. Well … you can do that, but it may come at the price of your coworkers viewing you as pretty chilly. They don’t fit me well and I kind of just hate wearing them. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Can I ask employers to interview me faster because of my money situation? Is this appropriate? No, definitely don’t do that. It’s great!
how to tell if you’re managing your career well … or not
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OCTOBER 17, 2016
my new boss hates me how to tell if you’re managing your career well … or not was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager. The way you manage your career has an enormous impact on your day-to-day quality of life, your earning potential, and your overall happiness when it comes to work. But how can you know if you’re managing your career effectively? At U.S. News & World Report today, I talk about the signs that will help you figure it out. For example: If you were laid off tomorrow, do you know who you’d call to talk about a job?) You can read it here.
are patterned stockings unprofessional, how to list freelance work on a resume, and more
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MARCH 9, 2016
Well, first, that guy was way out of line. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Are patterned stockings unprofessional? I am at my first professional job after college and have been in this position for about a year and a half. Today when I walked in the lunch room to get some hot water for tea, I heard a guy say “ohhhh, sexy stockings” as I walked through the door he was facing. I’ve never seen him before, but we’re a corporate office and regularly have field employees visiting, so I think that’s who he was. Are they unprofessional?
5 questions about names and work
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SEPTEMBER 29, 2016
have noticed over the past few months that he is in the habit of referring to all women (including his boss, who I know well and am friendly with) as Ms. I’ve gotten a bunch of questions about names recently. Here are five short name-related questions and answers. 1. People keep shortening my name. The challenge is that many people automatically switch to the shortened version, without asking if it’s okay and even if I’ve never, ever referred to myself with that nickname. How do I handle this? Thanks! Thanks!”. Colleague refers to women as Ms. FirstName. FirstName.
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my manager said the wrong number when giving me a raise, director sent around a photo of my messy desk, and more
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OCTOBER 17, 2016
Well … yeah, it’s possible that hearing about what happened is making them write you off. think it might look bad — either like I’m not good with money (not true, I just know from experience that I would just have a hard time maintaining the level of health, energy, and focus required for my work if I lived in chronic want and self-denial), or that my very well known employer doesn’t take proper care of its employees (also not true). It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. recently had my one-year evaluation with my manager. ”). ” episode.
dating site drama, employee resigned but now isn’t leaving, and more
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SEPTEMBER 21, 2016
Should I tell this employer that their offer is well below industry standard? My question is, should I point this out to them? I’ve worked in this industry for almost 10 years, so I know it well and have done my research and know what the position is worth and what the range should be. What if I just said, “This offer is well below industry standard. I’ve done some research and the salary range for this position, with this amount of experience, in our state is $X. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. They live together. What do I do next?
how do you get experience if all the jobs require you to already have experience?
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SEPTEMBER 20, 2016
Sometimes it’s even less well-thought-out than that; sometimes it’s “we’re supposed to quantify how much experience we’re looking for, so throw a three in there.” And sure, sometimes they are both well thought-out and firm, but more often than not, there’s some flexibility. A reader writes: I’ve been working on applying for jobs in a different career track. My educational background is in English and writing (including technical writing). used to teach writing at the college level, and now I want to be a technical writer. That counts. job searching
coworkers think I left a bad Glassdoor review, negative feedback in an open office, and more
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NOVEMBER 1, 2016
Well, that bit at the end says something pretty significant about your management’s thinking around privacy and discretion (it says that they are loons). This gives her some control over the situation rather than you deciding for her and is more likely to leaving her feeling like she was treated reasonably well, despite the circumstances. Well, I had no idea for the longest time if I was off training, so I asked after two months. I was told I had to do training in another location, so I did. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Just my paranoia.)
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how long can it take to hear back after a job interview?
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JULY 27, 2015
finally had the experience to apply and have done so and I also was referred highly by a current employee. I was contacted fairly quickly for a phone interview and then a few days later for a face to face interview. I had my interview on July 1 and felt it went really well. I met with all managers and the lead. I was told that they may have an extended interview process of a few weeks, but they would let me know either way. responded with how it went and my interest in the position, as well as how I felt I was an excellent fit based on what I learned during my interview.
I walked in on employees having sex — and I think there’s a sex club in my office
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APRIL 22, 2015
Well, a couple of months ago, I noticed something odd that my team (and other employees in the building) started doing. A reader writes: I am the manager of a customer service team of about 10-12 members. Most of the team members are right out of school and this is their first professional job and their ages range from 22-24. I am about 10 years older than all of my employees. We have a great team and great working relationships. They all do great work and we have established a great team culture. Fast forward a few months. immediately closed the door and left. have no idea what to do.
how can I ask my coworkers to stop talking about politics, interview shoes when it’s snowy, and more
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JANUARY 19, 2016
And that this number will be adjustable/negotiable following how well the on-site interview goes. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. How can I ask my manager and coworkers to stop talking about politics at work? Do you have advice on how to suggest a rule of no talking about politics at work? My managers and coworkers have taken to discussing politics while we are in meetings, usually towards the end or while we’re waiting for other parties to enter a conference call. Some of them are HUGE fans of a certain politician who I find repellent. just gave my notice.
my boss treats me like I’m incompetent, firing a difficult long-time employee, and more
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SEPTEMBER 7, 2016
Everyone else seems to get on well with her. Even most bad bosses will understand this, and if for some reason yours doesn’t, your HR department should handle it well. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My boss praises me but treats me like I’m incompetent. My boss will praise me on paper but seems to treat me as incompetent on a daily basis. Part of what I do involves training other employees, and she will crash meetings uninvited. Even for meetings she’s invited to, she stands right next to me and repeats everything I say. During reviews, all praise.
is my sick coworker really on vacation, increasing my freelance rates, and more
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AUGUST 11, 2016
applied to a company and was granted a phone interview that I thought went really well. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. I’ve been covering for my sick coworker, but he’s been posting about vacations on social media. One of the employees at the firm I currently work for has been supposedly been “sick” with strep throat/mono for three months now. He has made little effort to contact my bosses, and has told us numerous times that he would return to work. Two months ago, he said he was hoping to make it in for Thursday. ” 2. It was devastating.
my office is being overrun by misbehaving dogs
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MARCH 23, 2016
When I was interviewed, they mentioned to me that the boss sometimes brings his dog to the office and I said I was fine with that, as I assumed it was an occasional thing and the dog was well behaved. also don’t know him all that well. Well, you could develop a dog allergy. A reader writes: I’ve been at my new company, a 15-person firm a little over a year old, for about six months now. generally enjoy the work and my colleagues but find myself increasing stressed and agitated at work because of the presence of a misbehaved puppy who is there every day.
asking for time off when coworkers don’t, odd bathroom restrictions, and more
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FEBRUARY 8, 2016
Then he said, “Well, don’t go to the bathroom between 8:00 a.m. will adhere to this silliness as I cannot afford and refuse to be fired over something like this. I’m a very hard worker, top sales person, and well liked by all, I guess with the exception of this manager now. Well, actually, now that that’s out of my system, I’m going to backtrack a bit. If the business is so small that this means that the owner needs to cover for people who are out, well, then the owner needs to cover for people who are out. It’s five answers to five questions. Yo Alison!
why am I not getting promoted into a management job?
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APRIL 21, 2016
Is there something I am not doing well? Well, being a strong candidate for a management role isn’t really about putting in more hours and networking (or at least it’s not in well-run organizations). It’s about showing that you’re good at the very specific things that managers need to be good at — things like being assertive without being a jerk, identifying problems and figuring out solutions, handling mistakes well, looking at the big picture and not just at how something affects you or your team, picking your battles, being inclusive, and helping other people.
employees complained about the reward I gave them, getting my job back after being fired for pushing a coworker, and more
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APRIL 28, 2016
Well, it keeps getting worse now. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. My employees complained about the reward I gave them. work as a manager of a division that recently underwent a huge system change. As a result, all of our employees had to work two hours of overtime per day for three weeks. They were all paid triple their hourly rate for their overtime hours and were given two weeks extra PTO for their efforts. In addition, all meals were catered during that time, and every imaginable beverage was served to them (think baristas, fresh smoothies, etc). open threads
can I bring a crib sheet into interviews to help me answer questions?
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DECEMBER 21, 2015
could honestly answer any competency question with “well, speaking as a senior X, my first move would be to look up current practice in that area,” and I assure you I and my colleagues are never far from a reference manual in the real world! A reader writes: I work in a sector where it is common to ask competency questions in interviews (apologies for being vague, but if I stated my work area you’d probably respond with “oh yeah, those guys probably DO get a lot of competency questions”). These range from informal “how would you handle this situation?”
coworker keeps bringing her baby to work because she misses him
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OCTOBER 17, 2016
It’s crossing over into clear “too much” territory, as well as self-centered parent territory, and I think it’s understandable to be annoyed. 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. Am I being totally unreasonable?
I racked up $20,000 in personal charges on my company credit card
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JUNE 4, 2015
” The response: Well, there’s a bit more to it. That was also ok until one day while at a red light a semi-truck smashed it up , and that second car was nearly paid off but then it got writen off as well. A reader writes: The short version of the story is that I genuinely misunderstood the way my corporate credit card was to be used. have been using it over the last few years regularly for personal reasons, including medical, car payments (a car is required for my job, but not covered under expenses), and general personal shopping. Ooooh. And please be kind.
how managers should communicate decisions they don’t agree with
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AUGUST 25, 2015
In this case, it would have been better for your boss to have said something like, “I’m going to stress our concerns about X and Y and will especially emphasize Z, but there are other factors that the agency will have to consider as well, and it’s possible that those could end up trumping our concerns. A reader writes: I’m a unit head at a government agency that is having some serious financial and managerial turmoil. The powers that be are contemplating a decision that could have a very negative impact on my area, and our manager called all his units to discuss the issue.
boss asked me to be “brutally honest,” manager ignores my emails, and more
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JUNE 20, 2016
She is well aware of the assistant’s management style, as several people in the organization refuse to work with her. Do you know her to be a reasonable and sensible person who handles bad news well and doesn’t shoot the messenger? It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…. 1. Boss asked me to be “brutally honest” during an exit interview. resigned earlier this week with my department head. would have liked to have done so with her assistant, who more closely manages me, but she is on vacation. At this point, I am happy to just move on and chalk it up. short answers
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