Ask a Manager

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: All Fours, by Miranda July. What to say about this book! It’s about marriage and parenthood and sex and perimenopause and obsession and trauma […]

• all of my 2022 and 2023 book recommendations
• all of my book recommendations from 2015-2021
• the cats of AAM

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are four updates from past letter-writers. 1. My CEO is furious about a joke I made Thanks for publishing my letter. I wasn’t able to respond to […]

• my CEO is furious about a joke I made
• my coworker keeps joking that I'm having sex with my husband in the office
• my manager named Joseph Stalin employee of the month

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

A reader writes: This may be cheating as an “update” since I am not the original person who wrote in about AI attending meetings, but I still thought it might be interesting/useful to you and your readers! Today I was in a Zoom meeting: a regular small meeting to publish a paper. I noticed an […]

• boss wants us to do early-morning and evening meetings so he can attend from his vacation
• have your kids take notes at your meetings, and other weirdly out-of-touch advice for the quarantine
• my boss called a mysterious meeting with me and I'm afraid I'm going to be fired

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 […]

• a DNA test revealed the CEO is my half brother ... and he's freaking out
• coworker keeps interrupting my work and told me it's "good practice" to keep myself focused
• need help finding a job? start here

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. Our company asked if we’d donate a kidney to a board member My previous workplace sent a company-wide email (via the COO) asking if staff would donate a kidney to a 70-year-old […]

• my client won't pay my cancellation fee, company asked us to donate a kidney to a board member, and more
• my boss wants to give me his kidney -- but I don't want it
• my favorite posts of 2018

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are four updates from past letter-writers. 1. Employer rejected me, then sent a list of everything I did wrong Three or so years ago, I emailed you […]

• employer rejected me, then sent a list of everything I did wrong
• is it rude to read in the car on work trips?
• what to say if an interviewer asks about your favorite books or movies

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are three updates from past letter-writers. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. 1. Working from a one-bedroom […]

• working from a one-bedroom apartment with a baby and nanny, people keep quitting, and more
• I can't afford to keep paying for work I'm not receiving from our nanny
• my employee keeps criticizing my food

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are four updates from past letter-writers. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. 1. An employee showed up […]

• an employee showed up for a video training while lounging in bed and smoking
• is working from an armchair hurting my credibility?
• what's up with unannounced video calls?

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember the letter-writer wondering whether she could bring a friend-with-benefits back to […]

• can I bring a friend-with-benefits back to my hotel on a work trip?
• my coworker brought sex workers back to our hotel on a business trip
• I had to stay in a horrible hotel on a team-building trip

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember the letter-writer whose boss wouldn’t do anything about their terrible (mean, […]

• my boss called a mysterious meeting with me and I'm afraid I'm going to be fired
• remember the manager who wouldn't let her best employee attend her own graduation?
• I resent my employee for being richer and more qualified than me

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

We have once again entered the season of forced workplace merriment, holiday party disasters, and other seasonal delights! Thus it is time to hear about your office holiday debacles, past or current. Did you pass out naked in the break room? Did your manager provide you with a three-page document of “party procedures”? Were you given a […]

• my boss was furious that I went to a work party after calling out sick
• our polyamorous employee wants to bring their 3 partners to the holiday party
• we can only bring our spouses to the holiday party if we have kids

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My sister abused my employee discount I get a discount at a popular amusement park because I work for its parent company. There are no explicit policies regarding the use of the […]

• my company secretly gives parents thousands of extra dollars in benefits
• my employer gives extra perks to thin people
• rejection turned into an ad for a resume-writing company

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Remember the letter-writer asking if it would look unprofessional to have stickers on their wheelchair at work (#3 at the link)? Here’s the update. Now that I have […]

• manager came to work with Covid, can I have stickers on my wheelchair, and more
• my employee uses a wheelchair ... but I found out he doesn't really need one
• my coworkers keep trying to find out what my chronic illness is

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are four updates from past letter-writers. 1. My younger coworker thinks I don’t know anything about computers (#2 at the link) I followed your advice and sat […]

• my company won't pay us if we don't install spy software on our personal computers
• I took a job with less responsibility -- and my coworkers treat me like I have no experience
• coworkers message me “hi” with nothing else, younger coworker thinks I'm tech-illiterate, and more

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are five updates from past letter-writers. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. 1. My 2 dating employees […]

• my 2 dating employees are cuddling in staff meetings
• unvaccinated employees are complaining about a $100 bonus for getting vaccinated
• I desperately need breaks between my back-to-back meetings

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember the letter-writer who organized orgies and wanted to know if they […]

• I organize orgies -- can I talk about it in my job hunt?
• friend drama may collide with job hunt
• I wrote a Glassdoor review and the employer is losing their minds

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

A reader writes: My team recently hired a part-time assistant, Jane, to help with my work. The problem I’m running into is that Jane either doesn’t know how to prioritize or doesn’t understand that certain things need to be prioritized even if I explicitly tell her “this task needs to be completed before you do […]

• my coworker wants me to do all the work he sends me ASAP, even when I have higher priorities
• how do I ask the CEO if I can "borrow" his assistant for my projects?
• am I really supposed to bug my coworkers to get my projects handled?

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. There will be more posts than usual this week, so keep checking back throughout the day. Remember the letter-writer who found out their company secretly gives parents thousands […]

• my company secretly gives parents thousands of extra dollars in benefits
• am I too generous with my employees?
• my company makes me front thousands of dollars on my personal credit card

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

I’m on vacation. Here are some past letters that I’m making new again, rather than leaving them to wilt in the archives. 1. My friend/client won’t pay my cancellation fee I have a friend who I met because we both enjoy certain sports. I’ll call him Frank. I only see Frank when I am involved […]

• my client won't pay my cancellation fee, company asked us to donate a kidney to a board member, and more
• my employee relocated and didn't tell me
• I'm caught in the middle of an investigation at work

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager.

It’s “where are you now?” month at Ask a Manager, and all December I’m running updates from people who had their letters here answered in the past. Here are five updates from past letter-writers. 1. I reported a coworker for hitting a child (#2 at the link) I figured out after doing some more research […]

• interviewer asked what brings me pain, I reported a coworker for hitting a child, and more
• what's reasonable for managers to expect of parents working from home?
• my boss expects me to babysit her rambunctious kid