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I found “detox” propaganda in the office kitchen, I made a huge political mistake, 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 found weird “detox” propaganda in the office kitchen I work at a small nonprofit of under 30 employees and we share one small kitchen. Articles relevant to our field or other interesting items are often left in the center of the table for us […]

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 1 hour 56 minutes ago

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weekend open thread – March 22-23, 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: Real Americans, by Rachel Khong. This is an epic family saga told in three generations: a pair of scientists who fled China’s Cultural […]

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 2 days 6 hours ago

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open thread – March 21, 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 […]

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 2 days 14 hours ago

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boss embarrassed me at a meeting, pre-hire drug and alcohol testing, 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 boss embarrassed me at a department meeting My company is being bought out for a larger organization. Our jobs will no longer exist in four months. We’ve been encouraged to review the job postings and apply to jobs for which we might qualify. I […]

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 3 days 1 hour ago

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I’m a manager without enough work to do because my team handles everything

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

A reader writes: I work at a fairly large international company with several offices and remote workers all over the country. I manage a team of three graphic designers. My position and team are all new; previously all design work was outsourced. I was hired to put together a team and bring design in-house. I […]

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 3 days 12 hours ago

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update: my coworkers have way more money than me … and they constantly expect me to shell out cash for meals and gifts

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

Remember the letter-writer whose coworkers had way more money than her but constantly expected her to shell out cash for meals and gifts? Here’s the update. Thanks for posting my letter and for your advice a while back. I have a somewhat unsatisfying update. The gift-giving has slowed down considerably, presumably because the federal workplace […]

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 3 days 13 hours ago

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let’s discuss the weirdest hills to die on you’ve seen at work

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

Over the years, we’ve heard about people who chose some pretty odd hills to die on — people who became so strongly committed to a minor fight that they lost all sight of logic and decorum. To wit: “Our break room has a giant whiteboard calendar in it. Last year the company sent us a […]

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 3 days 14 hours ago

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swiping on a coworker on a dating app, bosses gave a perk to their spouses instead of to employees, 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. Is swiping on a coworker on a dating app grounds for an HR meeting? Asking for a friend: They absent-mindedly swiped on a coworker in a dating app (whom they asked out once two years earlier). Said coworker was uncomfortable with that and went to […]

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 4 days 1 hour ago

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everyone likes me, so why am I not in the group chat?

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

A reader writes: I started a new job about four months ago in a team of six people in a mid-sized company, and my five immediate coworkers have been nothing but nice and helpful. They answer all of my questions, take lots of time to explain stuff, include me in lunch plans, go out of […]

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 4 days 11 hours ago

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is it bad for managers to sound frustrated?

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

A reader writes: I’m wondering whether a good boss should ever show impatience. One of my employees, Jane, does a good job. I’ve given her a lot of (well-deserved) praise in public and private, and she’s said she’s happy in her work. However, she made a serious error the other day and when I brought […]

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 4 days 13 hours ago

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my promotion was pulled after I tried to negotiate the salary

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

A reader writes: I’m writing to you because I believe what happened to me today (literally 30 minutes ago) is a lesson to be learned — though I’m struggling to identify exactly what that lesson is. For the past eight months, I’ve been working for a small company, and I absolutely love my job. In […]

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 4 days 14 hours ago

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HR changed our performance reviews, do I have to announce my pregnancy at work, 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 I say something about past allegations against a colleague? I started a new position about six months ago, working with partner organizations across the state on community projects. On a recent call, I was surprised to see someone I’ll call Brad. I knew Brad […]

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 5 days 1 hour ago

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my employee says I have to give her longer breaks because she’s a smoker

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

A reader writes: I own/manage a business, let’s say a retail heath care equipment supply company that is located in a larger health care campus. I have multiple employees, and for a six-hour shift they get two 15-minute breaks. It isn’t intense or overly physically exhausting work, but I realize it is nice to step […]

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 5 days 12 hours ago

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can I back out after accepting a job?

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

A reader writes: What do you owe a company when you accept a position? Is it ever okay to leave a good job only a few weeks after starting? I worked for a decade in an industry I loved, then burned out hard and left for a better-paying sector. For the past 18 months, I’ve […]

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 5 days 13 hours ago

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my coworker isn’t willing to tell a teenager helper that he’s accidentally killing all our fish

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

A reader writes: I work in the five-person office of a large pre-school. My colleague, Amy, keeps a five-gallon fish tank near her desk with between two and four fish in it. The tank is in full view of the office door and the lobby beyond. The fish are important to the school; when our […]

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 5 days 15 hours ago

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board volunteer makes everyone’s jobs harder, can I expect a raise when I’m on a PIP, 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. Our board volunteer makes everyone’s jobs harder I was recently made the chair of the board for a local community service group. The board receives money each year to buy supplies for community service events, but being on the board is a volunteer position (no […]

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 6 days 1 hour ago

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the wet carpet, the pickle jars, and other stories of final F-you’s to jobs you hated

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

Last week we discussed final F-you’s to jobs or bosses you hated, and here are 18 of the best stories you shared. (Caveat: appearing on this list is not an endorsement of said behavior in every case! Stories are shared primarily for entertainment value.) 1. The revenge A legal secretary at the Big Law firm […]

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 6 days 11 hours ago

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should managers stay out of private Slack channels?

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

A reader writes: I’m the head of HR for my small(ish) international company. I’m a mixed-race woman and a mom. We have a variety of private Slack channels, including channels for parents, women, people of color, etc. Our people of color channel is a relatively new addition started by an employee who wanted a safe […]

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 6 days 13 hours ago

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my manager died, and one of my coworkers didn’t go to the funeral

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

A reader writes: My manager was one of the good ones, completely trusted their team, didn’t micromanage, would support and defend us, and was just generally a friendly person. Their death was sudden and devastating to a lot of people, to say the least. Our team is fewer than 10 people, and most had worked […]

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 6 days 15 hours ago

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should I apologize for my coworker’s behavior at a conference, professional acquaintance messaged me on a dating app, 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 I apologize for my coworker’s behavior at a conference? Recently, I attended an industry conference hosted by an important client. People in my field from across the country attended for purposes of brainstorming and networking. I attended with a senior colleague from my company, […]

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 1 week ago

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In 51 U.S. states are published

1377 Companies
452 Counties
805 Cities

The 5 newest Companies

Darling Designs

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