Here’s how to deal with your monster of a co-worker
It’s Halloween, the one day of the year when you might get away with calling your colleagues by the monster names they’ve earned. There are the vampires who suck the life out of everyone, the zombies...
View ArticleDon’t rule out a job applicant just because he has a criminal record
We conducted a background check on an individual we wanted to hire and discovered that the person was convicted of a felony more than 10 years ago. Since then, the applicant has had an unblemished work...
View ArticleNo, you shouldn’t rat out your co-worker for faking a sick day
My co-worker took a leave of absence from work due to a supposed illness. I follow her on Instagram and see that she is posting pictures of herself on the beach in Costa Rica. Should I do something...
View ArticleYour post-election bickering could get you fired from your job
Can my boss fire me for discussing the results of the election? My boss threatened to fire me if I continue to discuss politics in the office. Laws vary state-by-state about political affiliation and...
View Article5 ways social media can turn your job into a total nightmare
As Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Slack become more integrated in the modern workplace, our personal and professional lives are blurring together more than ever. “Sixty percent of employers now use...
View ArticleHere’s how Europeans work 258 fewer hours than Americans
If you think New Yorkers live to work, you’re probably right. When Garland Walton escaped the rat race in October by moving from her home in Stamford, Conn., to Nice, France, her quality of life...
View ArticleDon’t do this at your office holiday party
When Don returned to work on Monday morning, he found himself the talk of the water-cooler crowd. Don, who asked that his last name not be used for professional reasons, worked part-time in sales for a...
View ArticleHow to recover from your office holiday party mistakes
1. Apologize quickly Regardless of the magnitude of your mistake, always apologize humbly and sincerely. It may not help the employee who insults her CFO’s fashion choice, but if the CFO has any sense...
View ArticleBeing an introvert in the office may not be a bad thing after all
Getting noticed, speaking up, being visible. Sounds like a winning knockout punch to land the corner office, right? According to a recent EY paper, “Outsmarting Our Brains: Overcoming Hidden Biases To...
View ArticleHere’s how to cope with a lousy boss
Hating the manager is one of the top reasons people quit. Here’s how to cope with a lousy boss: A 2015 Gallup study revealed that half of the 7,272 people surveyed left their job at some point “to get...
View Article‘Employee of the Month’ programs really work
When Brittany Tomkiewicz, senior manager of acquisition marketing at Birchbox, sat at her desk in January, her space was temporarily adorned with a foot-tall gnome. At the beauty and cosmetic...
View ArticleThe 4 words you should email your co-worker if you’re fighting
“When can we meet?” If you get an an angry, curt or even confusing email from a coworker, this is what you write. No more, no less. Then pick a time to meet in person. If that can’t happen, get on the...
View ArticleThe rapid rise of office chat apps
It was bad enough that Julie was stuck on the train traveling from New Jersey to Penn Station during the morning of the April 3 train derailment, but when she broke the news to her coworkers via Slack,...
View Article12 things you should never reveal about yourself at work
If the existence of trust falls tell us anything it’s that bonding with your colleagues is an important part of building a successful career. Anyone who has ever participated in corporate team-building...
View ArticleHow do I deal with my loud, obnoxious coworker?
Dear Greg, I work in an open-space plan, and a colleague of mine talks very loudly. To make matters worse, he is constantly on personal calls, so we have to overhear all of the gory details of his...
View ArticleNewly appointed head of complaint board was subject of workplace complaints
The city’s newly appointed Civilian Complaint Review Board head was once the subject of workplace complaints, himself — including claims that he joked about giving his children “black names” and...
View ArticleDo I have a duty to report a business conduct violation?
I’m involved in a sticky work situation. I have become aware of a manager’s conduct that is in violation of our standards of business conduct policy. This is not my manager, but another manager. Do I...
View ArticleShould I risk my severance package?
Dear Greg, We were recently notified that our division is shutting down at the end of the year. The firm has offered us severance packages but said that we aren’t eligible for them if we leave before...
View ArticleThis is how much time employees spend slacking off
Answering that friend request while at work may not seem troublesome, but add up all the on-the-job smartphone screen time across the country and you’re talking $15 billion in lost productivity, a new...
View ArticleThis tiny email mistake could sabotage your career
Using smiley faces in e-mails can be a frowny face for your career, new research finds. Unlike shooting a co-worker a grin in real life, peppering your professional exchanges with emoticons makes you...
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