Ask a Manager
can I use a wedding photo as my work avatar, I sneeze constantly, and more
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Can I use a wedding photo — with a veil — as my work avatar? My company is fully remote, so they really encourage us to upload a headshot to our company chat service so people can put a face to the name. Would it […]
14 hours 55 minutes ago
Checkout newsmore on the federal government’s “deferred resignation” offer (spoiler: it’s definitely a trap)
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
Just sharing this tweet from Washington Post reporter Jeff Stein about Elon Musk’s “deferred resignation” offer for federal government workers. (Don’t take it! It’s still a trap.) Also, if you remember the letter-writer who worked at Twitter when Elon Musk took over, that same person has sent in this note: I just wanted to thank […]
23 hours 25 minutes ago
Checkout newsthe luxury cabin, the clueless Christmas card, and other stories of wildly out-of-touch company executives
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
Last week we talked about out-of-touch executives. Here are 12 of the most outrageous stories you shared. (Also, if you’ve never wanted to eat the rich before, warning that you might after reading these stories.) 1. The renovation The head of the org I work for has been complaining about his home renovations for months. […]
1 day ago
Checkout newsdo job titles matter?
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
A reader asks: I work for a small company of 25 employees. We still call ourselves a start-up (with all of the cultural elements that brings), but we’ve been around almost 10 years now. The founder believes “titles don’t matter” and it’s more important to focus on the responsibilities each person has. So most people […]
1 day 2 hours ago
Checkout newsmy job wants me to hit up everyone I know for money and other help
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
A reader writes: I work for a small-ish (100 people) British nonprofit. The work we do is similar to helping disabled people find homes and jobs, coaching them in social and life skills. We have developed a network of connections with local businesses who help us make this all happen. All good so far. I […]
1 day 4 hours ago
Checkout newsshould we get the day after the Super Bowl off, asked out on LinkedIn, and more
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Should we give everyone the day after the Super Bowl off? I live in Chiefs territory and run a small business. My colleagues have requested that I close the office the day after the Super Bowl. I’m not inclined to grant this request, as our […]
1 day 14 hours ago
Checkout newsis it a terrible offense to include profanity in a resume?
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
A reader writes: My husband is a blue collar worker, and he’s very experienced in his field. A little less than a year ago, he decided to switch jobs. He went from doing residential work in people’s homes to commercial work on big buildings. He had over two decades of experience doing the residential side […]
2 days 1 hour ago
Checkout newsmy job offer was rescinded after I tried to negotiate
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
A reader writes: I’ve been applying to new jobs for about six months and finally got an offer for a job that I was genuinely excited about; it’s for a position that would be a step up in both title and responsibility, would let me work on interesting projects, and even would let me use […]
2 days 2 hours ago
Checkout newsis my boss being too open about menopause?
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
A reader writes: I (a woman in my early 30s) work in a traditionally male environment, although there are a decent amount of women working there too. Recently my work has started focusing more on menopause support/awareness — there’s a menopause support group, “recognizing signs and symptoms” posters in the women’s toilets, etc. I think […]
2 days 4 hours ago
Checkout newsour head of DEI outed me to 800 people, do clients think I’m a nepo baby, and more
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My company’s head of DEI outed me to 800 people I’m a nonbinary trans person working in sales for a multinational company. I’m out-ish at work. I’ve told my direct team I’m nonbinary, I have they/them pronouns in my email signature, and I wear a […]
2 days 14 hours ago
Checkout newsupdate: I don’t want to babysit my brother in my office
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
Remember the letter-writer whose mother was pressuring her to babysit their brother in their office after school? Here’s the update — and some more advice from me. Thank you for answering my letter! It was too late to reply to the comments after work, but I’ll address some of them here: For those asking if […]
3 days ago
Checkout newsmy employee is in obvious pain, but won’t get medical treatment
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
A reader writes: One of my employees, “Pam,” has been having pains that I won’t specify for the sake of anonymity. Her condition is degenerative but can be managed quite successfully through physical therapy and occasional steroid injections. I happily made several doctor-recommended accommodations and alterations to Pam’s workspace, at the expense of the company, […]
3 days 2 hours ago
Checkout newsboss says it’s unacceptable not to meet all deadlines, no matter how unreasonable
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
A reader writes: I started a job eight months ago that I was very excited about. I was looking to get out of a highly stressful position and got this offer (same pay, somewhat worse benefits but growth potential) and what I thought would be a solid work-life balance. The first day, my boss mentioned […]
3 days 3 hours ago
Checkout newsI accidentally peed on a fabric chair at work, why have policies that aren’t enforced, and more
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I accidentally peed on a fabric chair at work I’m close to tears writing this. I was drinking some water at my desk and some of it went down the wrong tube, which led to a coughing fit. I coughed so hard that I peed. […]
3 days 14 hours ago
Checkout newsweekend open thread – February 1-2, 2025
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: Case Histories, by Kate Atkinson. After loving Liz Moore’s Long Bright River, I wanted more literary fiction mysteries where the character development gets […]
5 days 14 hours ago
Checkout newsopen thread – January 31, 2025
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
It’s the Friday open thread! The comment section on this post is open for discussion with other readers on any work-related questions that you want to talk about (that includes school). If you want an answer from me, emailing me is still your best bet*, but this is a chance to take your questions to […]
6 days 3 hours ago
Checkout newsmy new boss coughs all over me, my coworker sucks at managing his team, and more
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
It’s four answers to four questions. Here we go… 1. My new boss coughs all over me I’ve just begun a new position and as a result, have been working closely with my new boss as she trains me. Things are mostly going well — except she is constantly coughing on me! Directly on me! […]
6 days 14 hours ago
Checkout newsshould you have a bunch of people send the hiring manager unsolicited letters of praise for you?
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
A reader writes: I just saw the below post on LinkedIn, and I thought I’d send it along and get your thoughts on this strategy. After years of reading your blog, it makes me cringe so much. (Why would you write someone a reference if you weren’t their manager? Why would you pester every person […]
1 week ago
Checkout newsmy office is overrun with corporate buzzwords
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
A reader writes: Recently in my office, corporate buzzwords have picked up like crazy among my colleagues. Sometimes it feels like senior management’s entirely vocabulary is only buzzwords. In a presentation last week, for example, a director said that a “new piece of work is a runway to manifest our brand value proposition.” What does […]
1 week ago
Checkout newslet’s talk about out-of-touch company executives
This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.
Earlier this month, we heard from someone whose CEO shared photos of his recent family vacation at a town hall after announcing budget cuts, no bonuses, and increased health insurance costs. And we’ve heard about plenty of other out-of-touch executives before — like the company that quizzed employees on the new boss’s horses, family, and […]
1 week ago
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