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How to approach interviewing someone who you're attracted to Background story only because I think it might be relevant: I'm a 40 year old widower (for 2 years). I have not been with anyone since, nor have I been interested in anyone (me and my wife were very very close). Today I happened to interview someone and for the first time, I felt an attraction. I've never had a crush but it certainly felt like that. I won't act on it in anyway, but I do worry that it might actually be clouding my perception (that perhaps she's a stronger engineer than she actually is). Since I'm the only technical person at our company (there's only 4 of us) I can't really hand her off to someone else. I don't want to reject her on the basis of any of this since it would not be fair to her but I don't know if I can trust my judgment. What should I do in this situation? <Q> What should I do in this situation? <S> Trust your professional judgement. <S> Since you have identified the risk, you can make professional judgements with it as just another factor. <S> You're not a hormonal teenager anymore. <A> I don't know if I can trust my judgment. <S> What should I do in this situation? <S> Involve others with better judgement. <S> If you are not the hiring manager, discuss this with whoever would actually do the hiring. <A> I don't know if I can trust my judgment. <S> What should I do in this situation? <S> As long as your judgment is limited purely to professional matters, you should be able to trust it. <S> If this candidate is clearly the strongest person for the job, you have a clear idea of who the best person is. <S> If you feel that it's possible you may be overestimating the skills of this candidate, and there are other candidates in a similar skill range, you can feel free to make your decision on other reasoning, as long as it continues to remain professional. <S> For example, based on this: I do worry that it might actually be clouding my perception (that perhaps she's a stronger engineer than she actually is) <S> If you feel that any person is more likely to bring in skills that are not strictly engineering skills, e.g. a stronger leader of a hypothetical future team, or a possible expertise with sales or client-focused interaction, that could be a tipping point. <S> If there are positives and negatives regardless, and you genuinely have 2 or 3 equally skilled possible employees, you can in fact present your opinion as exactly that - inform your colleagues <S> any of these appear to be equally good. <S> Perhaps as a team, you will feel that one is more suitable, or flip a coin, but you will absolutely have treated this potential employee fairly, as well as noted to the rest of your colleagues that there is someone else who could be approached in the future if another person of that role/skillset would make a good addition. <S> After all, it's even possible that whoever you give the offer to first may then decline for whatever reason of theirs. <A> If I were in your position, I would have a hard list of requirements regarding the kind of person you want in this role. <S> These have to be objective things, either they have this or they don't. <S> You can have a secondary list of things that can include, among other things, subjective stuff in there like 'likeability', things that are a plus but not required, or things that the interviewee brings up somewhere that might be bonuses, but the idea is the items on the first list are inflexible. <S> If they pass the first-list hurdle, ask members of the team you plan to put the interviewee in with regards to the validity of any of the items in the second list. <S> Phrase it as a hypothetical; don't tell them that you're interviewing someone with or without that skill. <S> Apply this across all candidates and use all of this data to come to your conclusion who the best candidate is.
| If you are the hiring manager, talk with HR or your boss and ask for their advice.
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Promotions usually come with raises, right? I would like to get some perspective from those who have more experience than I do in the workplace. First, I'll give some background on the company I work for: The company, Company B, is a subsidiary of Company A. As a result, Company B adopts pretty much every policy that Company A has. One of their main tenets is to be "flat". That is, there are only three levels in the ladder: entry level, director, and executive. This feels strange for the industry that I work in, (Data Science), as usually companies have several sub-levels between entry level and director such as Data Scientist I, Data Scientist II, Senior Data Scientist, etc. Now onto the main confusion:Another tenet of Company A is that an employee cannot receive a promotion (entry level --> director, lets say) and a financial raise at the same time. This ultimately means that, if you are promoted, you retain the same salary for 2 years while receiving a significantly higher level of responsibility (not running a team --> running a team, for example). At Company B, promotions are rare, as we are small. Which leads me to really consider 3 options, which all seem bad: Accept a promotion pro: looks good on the resume, gain valuable experience con: responsibility/compensation balance completely thrown off Decline promotion pro: retain eligibility for raise con: remain "entry level" on resume for indeterminate amount of time Look for job elsewhere <Q> When a workplace is getting creative with the money it's a sign that unless you see it as a career company it's best to view it as a stepping stone. <A> Accept the promotion, the increased responsibility, and the lack of raise. <S> Learn the new job (probably will take 6+ months). <S> Once you're good at it you can look for a new job. <S> Note @Kilisi's answer From the comments, @ <S> crueltear may have phrased it better: <S> Accept the promotion, and look for job elsewhere (1 then 3) <A> Do the math. <S> Your company was acquired. <S> Now come the cost-cutting and the downsizing. <S> Option 2 is a lie. <S> Even if you reject the promotion, you still won't get a raise, not a meaningful one at least. <S> And even if you remain a low-level worker, your workload will increase anyway just to make up for the colleagues that will leave your company first. <S> Option 3 is really your only option, but if they do offer you an actual promotion in the meantime (Option 1), accept it, but do keep on looking for a new employer. <S> In the end, even the people left behind may get laid off eventually (even the ones who got promoted). <A> You seem to be a logically inclined person, and have clearly outlined the choices you are faced with. <S> And so, it seems to me that you understand what the situation is, but you simply don't like the reality you're facing. <S> Let me ask you this: <S> are you willing to work for 2 years without adequate compensation? <S> Is it financially feasible? <S> Moreover, will this lead to a great outcome for you, or merely a mediocre one? <S> Option 3 is probably the only good option you have at this point. <A> Ultimately, raises are determined by how much you're bringing to the business and the wider salary market. <S> It's reasonably normal for a promotion to be accompanied by a raise, because you're doing work that has a larger impact. <S> Where it isn't, it usually means that there's a period of proving yourself in the new role before you can have a raise, but once that's successfully passed then you can look forward to larger raises in the future than would have been possible without the promotion. <S> It sounds like this has ossified into a blanket policy at A, which might give you cause to consider your options but shouldn't by itself be a deal-breaker. <S> If you really feel hard done by then talk to your manager; policies can almost always be bent if you have a good case and are valuable to the company. <S> Declining the promotion may keep your eligibility for a raise this year open, but it will definitely lead to a lower overall income in the longer term, as well as potentially being a career limiting move. <A> You may need to decide whether the money or the experience are more important to you. <S> If the money is more important, then I'd be inclined to apply for a job outside the company. <S> You may potentially find it more difficult to find an equivalent role at an outside company (to the role you've been offered a promotion to) since your current employer has had a chance to get to know you and your skills, experience and perceived potential over a longer period of time. <S> If the experience is more important, then I'd be inclined to accept the promotion at your current company and use it as an opportunity to springboard to the next role outside the company. <S> That way you'll get the experience you want and probably be better equipped to apply for a more lucrative role with another company. <S> I've been in a situation before where I accepted a promotion on the condition that my requested salary increase be granted at salary review time and <S> at salary review time they said sorry <S> but I haven't been in the role for an entire year therefore sorry <S> but no can do. <S> Unfortunately I considered that a major breach of trust and I resigned immediately and ended up securing a much more lucrative role almost immediately. <S> I really enjoyed the work but wasn't going to be taken advantage of. <A> You could also accept the promotion and then, after some initial period of mastering the new role, begin looking for a new job at the new rank. <S> Assuming there are no contractual or legal concerns. <S> It would make you look more valuable to have a higher role when looking for a new job, in many but not all cases, even if your looking for a position in your old lower role. <S> That could, in turn, help you bargain for the wage you feel you should receive. <S> You, at least, stayed long enough to master the new role, so the employer will likely not be too angry. <S> After all, they could have just given out wage increases. <S> I agree with other answers that suggest the employer is likely being cheap and lame. <S> But the industry and location have an impact on what kind of wage growth expectations to have.
| The only possible advantage to accepting being taken advantage of for several years is if you gain the sort of experience where you can then get a massive raise and promotion at some other company.
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Is it acceptable to give manager feedback about something that didn't happen to me, specifically? I have a coworker, let's call them Morgan. Morgan is a minority, the same as me, we are not friends but I can't help but feel some camaraderie towards them since we are in the same situation. Recently Morgan were victim of workplace prejudice, the manager tried to solve it in a way that mostly dismissed the problem instead of solving it, the worst is that the manager in question is part of the same minority! If I were in Morgan's place (which let's be honest, can happen anytime) I would be packing my stuff and start looking for a new job. Right now we can't tell if Morgan is doing this exact thing right now. I have a good relation with my manager and they seem to honestly care about their subordinates, I would like to tell them this whole situation is worrisome to me. Is it acceptable to give feedback regarding a situation that didn't happen to me specifically but could happen anytime? Or do I just shut up? <Q> While I get where it comes from, I disagree with the previous answer saying that you should keep everything to yourself. <S> Morgan might not want you to get in their case, but your worries are that it might happen to you . <S> From your post, I gather that you do not share the same manager as them. <S> Then, approach your manager and make it about you. <S> That you find it inappropriate, and that you would like to get some reassurance that were you the victim, your case would be handled differently. <S> Or at least how you would expect it to be handled. <S> You might try to be as vague as possible, if you'd rather keep Morgan's privacy. <S> You might feel sympathetic, but essentially what interests you is what may happen to you. <S> It is causing you some distress (at least enough to ask about it here), and you should check whether your company has a latent toxic environment for your minority. <A> Sounds like it is Morgan's problem not yours. <S> You may not know the whole story so you should probably keep your nose out of it no matter how well intentioned you are. <S> If you don't like that advice: At least talk to Morgan before getting involved. <S> Morgan may not want you involved. <S> < edit <S> > <S> I've re read the question and all of the other answers. <S> I think the correct course depends very heavily on how confident you are that you know all the facts about the original prejudice incident and the response. <S> If the incident was not as you believe then the response you think was necessary may not be warranted. <S> What ever you decide to do if it can come back to Morgan <S> somehow then you should talk to Morgan first. <A> People react to different things in different ways. <S> People also make the mistake of thinking that people with some similarities share more traits than they actually do. <S> Combine the two <S> and you have your present situation. <S> Of the three of you, it seems that you are taking the incident most to heart. <S> So, you have at least three different viewpoints here. <S> First and foremost, do NOTHING without speaking to Morgan. <S> Few things get people more angry than being kept out of the loop of things that concern them. <S> Second, be very considerate of Morgan's feelings and career. <S> If you stir the pot over anything involving him, it will be Morgan, not you, that gets any backlash. <S> Lastly, if the manager doesn't see it as the problem you do, and you push back, it could go badly for you. <S> Since you didn't say what the incident was or how serious, I can't get any more specific, and have to defer to the manager's judgement here. <S> What I can tell you, is that getting involved on behalf of someone else is always a risky endeavor. <S> With the information you've given us, I can only say "back off" <A> So, John says it's not your problem since you may not know the full story and clem says it might affect you, so you should take to your boss. <S> What about the middle way? <S> Go to the boss to discuss it and not mentioning Morgan?
| Mention that you witnessed an incident and how it was handled. Let the boss raise the topic of Morgan if he wants to, but only discuss your own concerns.
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Getting time off for job interview I've just read the following answer:- How should I ask for time off to attend an interview? But have posted a new question anyway as I believe my situation is a little different. So I found out I will most likely be losing my job in a couple months, unless I make significant improvements in my performance. I don't believe I'm capable of reaching the level my current employer requires in such a short period of time, so I'm looking for new jobs. I have been offered a job interview 7 days from now. I have asked if they can manage an interview before / after normal working hours and I'm waiting for them to reply. But in the event that I have to attend the interview in the middle of the daytime, how should I proceed about getting time off? I have two days holiday remaining this year. I would prefer to book a day's holiday, but I'm supposed to give two weeks notice. Should I just say to my boss that I need a day's holiday for 'personal reasons'? Or should I just avoid booking a day off altogether and simply tell my boss that I have some kind of appointment and that I'm unable to work that day / morning? It is also a little awkward with it being such a small office and my boss sits right near me.. So I imagine I'd have to do it by email in case he asks for more information on why I need to get a day's holiday last minute. EDIT: Just to clarify (based on some feedback on my question), it was my boss who told me that I needed to improve in order to keep my job (rather than rumours).Also I don't plan to lie and say I have a doctors appointment, but was considering saying a 'personal appointment' or 'personal reasons' etc. <Q> I have an appointment to go to for personal reasons. <S> You can say 'doctor appointment' but then you run the risk of them asking for a doctor note which you won't be able to provide and that can get you in a jam. <S> People have to go do stuff all the time, you don't need to give your life story. <S> People around you are probably doing this right now. <A> You didn't say how you found out you will be losing your job - were there some rumours (which may be totally untrue) or did your manager or HR or someone else who would know tell you officially? <S> In the first case you would first make sure that this is actually true. <S> Often people make assumptions that turn out to be wrong. <S> In the second case, any manager who is not completely blind will know that you will be looking for a new job, and that you will have to go to job interviews. <S> That's the normal and expected thing to happen. <S> You won't be waiting until the last day. <S> So you say that you will take some time off for "some personal business". <S> There are two possibilities then. <S> Either your manager figures out that you are most likely going to an interview and will let you go, because he or she is a decent person and doesn't want you to end up without any job when you leave the company. <S> Then everything is fine. <S> Or your manager figures out that you are most likely going to an interview and doesn't allow you to go, because he is power mad, doesn't give a damn about the employees, and enjoys being an ass. <S> In that case it's not so fine, but you must go to interviews, so you go anyway. <S> (That's why you must make sure that this expected job loss is for real. <S> If that job loss is just based on rumours then your manager might be totally unaware of it and might not know you need to go to interviews. <S> And just leaving for interviews puts your job in danger - fine if you are losing your job anyway, not so fine if you acted on rumours only). <A> you need to attend to a funeral that your dog needs to to see a vet or anything similar.. <S> A lie is not just a personal burden for anyone with at least a bit of conscience, it might also eventually be revealed. <S> Besides that, your boss might do the math after finding out that you will resign and can conclude what that off-day was for anyway. <S> Second, it's completely reasonable to not disclose the full reason behind you needing a day off. <S> What I find personally acceptable is something along those lines: <S> "Hi boss! <S> I'm aware that I should give 2 weeks notice before taking a day off, but due to personal reasons I would like to ask you if you can make an exception this time <S> - I would really appreciate it!" <S> In case your boss digs further, you could simply reply: " <S> Due to the fact that this matter is not just personal but also really important to me, I can't disclose any further information and I would appreciate if you can understand my situation." <S> Since interviews normally (depending on the location and company) don't take a whole day, you could also try to be diplomatic and ask for an unpaid half-day off and offer your boss to make up for those 4-5 hours by working overtime on other days. <S> Best of luck and let us know how it went if you like..
| Try not to be too harsh or insisting, instead try to be friendly and come across as contempt about your request to take a day off on short notice. First, don't lie to your boss by telling him that you have: a doctors appointment
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Should I raise the topic of travel allowance? I work from home one day in the week and commute to the office the remaining four days. This commute takes up a total of ~2.5 hours a day (I do not mind the commute). I live in the Netherlands with my parents, and use a rented bike as well as the train for my commute. After finishing my internship and having been graduated, the company (15-20 people) offered me a fulltime position. Upon reviewing the proposed contract I raised the point of travel allowance, and asked if this would be covered or not. I was told that this would be reviewed. I was later told that they do not usually renegotiate proposed contracts and that this would be no exception. I was informed that since I live with my parents, they did not think it was fair to compensate me for my travel costs. I had already done some research, and figured that if the company were to pay for my train card as a business I would be cheaper off than if I were to buy it myself as a consumer. I asked if they would be willing to pay for this business train card and cutting the monthly costs from my paycheck, to which they agreed. Fast forward a few months; everyone was informed that those within the proximity of the office would be given a fixed travel allowance for their commute to the office. (E.g. for bike rental expenses) I proceeded to ask a member of management in private if this would also affect anything about my arrangement, from who I got the indication that this would not affect me. I cannot help but feel like I am paying for my own commute and am now treated unfairly in comparison to my other colleagues. There are others who also travel commute from further away, but I am not sure what their arrangement is like. It feels like I am treated this way because of my choice to live with my parents to save on costs. To give some indication: Bike rental is ~€15 a month Train card is ~€240 a month Comes down to a total of ~€3,060 a year I am paying right now. Excluding the fact that I spend 40 hours a month commuting. I feel awkward bringing up the topic of pay, based on how they responded when I first brought up the travel allowance. Should I voice my thoughts on the matter with management? Am I wrong in thinking this is unfair? <Q> I can't comment about the Netherlands specifically, but where I am cost to get to and from work is your own problem. <S> BUT If the employer is subsidizing some people's travel but not others then that seems unfair. <S> I wouldn't expect the employer to cover your whole trip, but you should at least get the same fixed rate as everyone else to cover at least the bike rental. <A> I think you should indeed push for the travel allowance for bike rental, since you too rent a bike. <S> You should point out that your current "allowance" was taken from your negotiated salary just for the tax benefits. <S> But do keep in mind that your travel arrangements are yours and you still chose to take this job. <S> The company does not care how much you pay for travel, or that you spend lots of time commuting. <S> You choose to live with your parents and it was your choice to take a job 1+ hours from home. <S> It is not to your benefit to use this argument. <S> Most people will assume that you save money when you share housing expenses with your parents, so if you use this argument they might retort (or think quietly to themselves) that €3000 per year is nothing compared to renting an apartment closer to work. <A> Figure out whether your company has a written policy about commute re-reimbursement or supplement. <S> Most companies have one and it's often required even just for accounting, legal and tax reasons. <S> In the unlikely case they don't have one, ask them to create one: It's in their own best interest. <S> In almost all legislation it's required to track the money that gets spread around and to have a written process how it's done. <S> If they do have one, read it and check whether the current behavior is compliant with the policy or not. <S> If no, you can talk to HR about any specific non-compliance. <S> If yes, than you can only ask for a policy change but that's a long shot. <S> In general commute expenses are your responsibility. <S> You choose where you live and the company has no control over this. <S> "fairness" is difficult to assess or define. <S> Commute is a complicated mix of cost of housing, time spent, cost of transport, family entanglement, etc. <S> That's a balance decision that every person has to make for themselves.
| If everyone else gets an allowance, you should request to get the same on top of your current allowance.
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One of my best engineers feels that he is slower than the rest of team, how can I determine the real problem (so I can solve it)? I have a distributed scrum team and the developer in question is one of my best (produces quality code, knows his tech stack, can communicate well, etc). However, he keeps feeling like he doesn't produce code fast enough or that he isn't as responsive and can't 'keep up with' the rest of the team and the teams momentum. His ideal work environment is certainly a collaborative creative setup but because we are a distributed team, we don't have the best in-person collaboration. We are constantly on Slack (even post our standups there) but today he said that he actually gets more work done when he closes slack and tunes out from all the messages. He is in a different timezone than the rest of the team but it's not too bad and he does work out of a WeWork (shared office space) so he can be with other coders (even if they aren't working the same projects). What can I do to identify the root problem and how can I solve it in general? I feel that if I can't solve this, he is going to leave which will really hurt the team overall... <Q> Is the real problem actually with this developer at all? <S> You say he's your best - producing quality code, technically highly literate - <S> but he feels he's a bad fit for the team, based around rather more nebulous ideas of velocity and responsiveness. <S> Are the rest of the team making rapid progress (or at least, the illusion thereof) by doing shoddy work? <S> Are they constantly in the team Slack channels when they should be concentrating on code? <S> Do they flit from one small task to the next, giving the impression that they are all over the codebase (at a superficial level, natch) while your star is trying to focus on deeper issues? <S> There is a problem with distributed working in that it amplifies the disconnection felt by cultural outliers. <S> He may have the company of other developers at other employers, but that may make things worse if he's finding kindred spirits who reinforce his feelings of not fitting in. <A> What can I do to identify the root problem <S> and how can I solve it in general? <S> If it is just an issue of using (or not using) Slack or some other tool, it should be reasonably within your power to allow him that freedom. <S> After all, these tools are meant for getting the work done faster not slower! <S> However, he keeps feeling like he doesn't produce code fast enough or that he isn't as responsive and can't 'keep up with' the rest of the team <S> This is a different problem. <S> Sounds more like a humble excuse to get out of the job rather than revealing the true reason. <S> If you are happy with his work, then you need to reassure him that his pace is not a concern at all <S> and you are quite happy with his output. <S> May be even consider giving him an award for the quality of work. <S> Even after your reassurances and with you giving him more flexibility on how he works, if he is not happy, there is not much you can do. <S> It is best to let him move-on. <A> today he said that he actually gets more work done when he closes slack and tunes out from all the messages <S> Well, you have your answer. <S> He cannot do all he can do, because of the interruptions. <S> This is not a mild thing, it is very important. <S> To understand it better, read more about the flow state of mind . <S> To be bale to handle the situation better, try to get more information by discussing with the guy. <S> Of course, face to face would be better, but at least an audio-video conference should be doable. <S> Keep in mind that hings that mind seem small and unimportant to you might be deal-breakers for him. <S> Ask him to make an attempt to prioritize the problems, and their impact on his work and expectations. <S> In that way, you will be on the same page, regarding the understanding of the situation.
| Instead of trying to solve the root cause, just ask him directly what he wants and what would it take for him to enjoy his job and stay here. In an ideal world he would spend at least some time physically with the rest of the team so that they can learn from him and build some mutual empathy.
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How should a leader behave when they miss deadlines themselves? As a leader in an organization, one has to set an example by being disciplined. But sometimes even leaders can commit a blunder, be it a consequence of workload or anything else. My friend (we are based in India) is mentoring a group of teachers who are not motivated at all. Now this leader missed a deadline. How should they react now? Should they give an explanation for the missed deadline or just keep quiet and try to build a better reputation next time by being in-time? <Q> Admit your mistakes quickly <S> Explain <S> what you did wrong Explain what you will do to fix them <S> Explain how you will make sure this will not happen again <S> Don't make the same mistake again. <A> How should a leader behave when he misses deadlines himself? <S> Leaders need to be held accountable just like anyone else. <S> If they missed a deadline they should: Admit to missing the deadline Apologize for missing the deadline Explain the reason(s) for missing the deadline <S> Explain the steps that they will take to prevent this from happening in the future. <S> They need to set the example of how things should be done by actions. <S> Under no circumstances should they keep quiet. <A> All the other answers are great, but nobody gave what is in my opinion <S> the most obvious answer: <S> How do you expect your subordinates to react if they miss a deadline? <S> Whatever your answer is, do that. <A> Admit your mistake Admit your mistake. <S> That's the most important part. <S> Do not excuse it <S> Do not explain it. <S> Do not justify it. <S> Do not give out reasons. <S> There are exceptions to this rule. <S> But for now, I won't go into them. <S> 99% of the time, it's just better to not give out any. <S> If you want people to trust you, do it with your actions, not your words. <S> A promise made (under the stress of having broken an earlier one) is not built on a good foundation. <S> It can be seen as a very empty gesture. <S> If you find yourself in front of a police officer, or a judge, or facing a very serious situation, yes, by all means, promise all you want, but in most other cases, it's just better that you continue feeling bad about you did, or didn't do. <S> Feeling bad will motivate you to figure out ways to mitigate such problems in the future. <A> How should he react now? <S> Since you said your friend a leader, the leader does not react... <S> Shall he give an explanation for the missing deadline? <S> Or just keep quiet and try to build a better reputation next time by being in-time? <S> An apology & an explanation is appreciated and will be seen as your courage for acceptance of failure. <S> An explanation will help followers with clarity of the situation and avoid a fuss. <S> Keeping quiet will harm his reputation. <S> Leaders take failure as opportunity/learning and do like the following: <S> Analyze the cause of failure and come out with better strategy to avoid such failures in future <S> Allow others to take chance next time if they have better plans <S> If a group of teachers are not motivated, find other ways/technique to make them motivated Plan with reasonable more time in a deadline for such tasks in future (since now you know that previously planned duration is not enough) <S> A very big answer can be written for "what next..." <S> but above shall be helpful. <A> How should he react now? <A> All of the other answers are good. <S> But I think it's worth thinking about it another way as well. <S> How do you, as a leader, think a team member should behave if they miss a deadline? <S> I think a leader should behave basically the way they WANT a team member to behave. <S> And do it in front of the whole team.
| He should apologize and make sure it doesn't happen again. Shall not express disappointment and try inspiring/motivating followers for better luck next time on success Do not promise that you won't do it again
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Is it a good idea to share your salary with your coworkers? Is it a good idea to share your salary with your coworkers?The intent being to support each other with salary negotiation?Or will it always backfire. Please cite real-world examples. <Q> In theory it is a good idea to be open about your salary. <S> This protects people from being screwed and helps companies be more fair with the pay. <S> As for real world examples often in gender pay gap discrimination cases people don't really know they are being paid less than male coworkers. <S> Here is just one case though it did not specify how the person found about the salary, but it wouldn't have hurt. <S> https://www.fisherphillips.com/resources-alerts-supreme-court-strikes-down-significant-pay-equity <S> This is all in theory though. <S> Some people might feel resentment having people get paid more than them. <S> Some might judge others on not making as much. <S> One thing that is for sure is it is always in the employers favor for the employees to have less information about how their coworkers are compensated. <S> It really depends on how open your coworkers are and how open you are to sharing information. <A> It depends. <S> Some people are remarkably sensitive about money and some aren't. <S> Specifically, I was earning 100k (which I was really happy with at the time) to find out people in the similar role with similar experience were earning closer to 120k. <S> I used that info to talk with my manager about how based on my recent successes <S> I deserved a raise and they granted it to me. <S> That being said, I was working my butt off and being a real team player <S> so I'm sure that played into it. <S> Othertimes, I have noticed some friends getting uncomfortable or resentful when I discussed earnings with them. <S> Especially if the gap between our incomes was larger than 10 or 15 percent. <S> At the current company I work for, we are large enough to have a (employee created) anonymous database of reported incomes based on role, seniority and location. <S> It's super helpful. <S> I'd recommend that as the best approach for someone who is interested in learning more about the 'paybands' at their company without having to worry about making anyone feel uncomfortable (since it's anonymous). <A> I believe there is another, one may say ingenious, solution to your problem. <S> By working as a team with your fellow coworkers, you can strategically use the knowledge of what you all make to negotiate everyone’s salary. <S> However, at the end of the day, you and your coworkers combine what you all make and divide it amongst yourselves evenly. <S> The trick is that your employer cannot have any idea that this plan is taking place. <S> In his or her eyes, they will think that these individual negotiations imply that they have created a healthy, competitive work environment, when in reality, it doesn’t matter who makes what, just as long as someone is getting a raise, everyone wins. <S> My coworkers and I started doing this about 8 months ago <S> and it’s honestly <S> the best case scenario. <S> I haven’t had to work one lick harder, yet I’m making a great deal more than before. <S> My boss seems to be pleased with how “hard” we work and it has brought me closer to my fellow comrades. <A> Real World Example <S> : Check your contract. <S> I have had experiences with organizations where the contract explicitly mentions that all matters related to your remuneration and compensation <S> is confidential between you and the organization. <S> Employees were only allowed to disclose the particulars of the contract and salary revisions only with the authorized personnel (HR Executives, not even reporting manager). <S> By sharing that information publicly, therefore, you'll be breaching the terms. <S> No one can stop you from having over-a-beer chat with your friendly colleague about the range of the compensation overall and your expectations, but make sure you do not do anything that can be used to determine a particular number and traced back to you as breach of terms.
| Personally, I've found sharing my salary to really help my career (I was getting paid less, doing the same or better work and used my newfound salary info to ask for a raise, which I got). Otherwise, if there is nothing specific in the contract that prohibits you from disclosing the information, use your best judgement on what an how much to be shared.
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How to distinguish which is the surname and which is the forename on a CV? I have to interview several candidates which come from different cultures and backgrounds, some of these cultures have their names on the CV as: Forename Surname Others use: Surname Forename Sometimes, this can make it tricky to work out which name to use when sending emails to contact them. I generally use Dear Ms/Mr Surname but I've had several candidates where I couldn't work out what their surname was. Generally I tend to look them up on LinkedIn as, that uses a standard format. But they often don't have a LinkedIn profile. Are there any other methods to work out which is the correct name to use? Do I just apologise in advance stating I'm unable to work out which is their surname? <Q> My two cents <S> : Use the same format as in the CV for the initial communication. <S> No one should have objection for the same representation as of theirs. <S> Once the communication progresses, you can ask them about which is the first name (given name) and which part is the surname (family name). <S> That said, have a chat with the people in charge of the company portal, and ask them to provide separate fields of First name and Last name, or, process the entered information properly - whichever is applicable. <A> I usually know at least one piece of information. <S> This is an example for my name: http://www.namepedia.org/en/firstname/Viorel/ . <S> Although that method is fairly accurate, sometimes, people have last names that are usually first names - I think mixing those up should be considered a honest mistake. <S> What I also do is try to push a first-name-basis and sign my emails with "Thank you, Viorel" in the hopes they do the same. <A> Off the top of my head. <S> " <S> First Last", or "First, Last" both make sense to me and have low ambiguity, with the former being what I'd use. <S> Though, that's only useful for constructing a CV, not reading it. <S> However, first and last names (or given/family) aren't a universal concept everywhere. <S> (e.g. in some Asian languages, they go in the other order) <S> In a lot of cases you can guess, or learn which is which from references on the CV, like if they linked a site they have their identity on. <S> Ideally, "full name" and "short name" should be what you get from someone to identify them. <S> But everyone's system makes perfect sense to them, so there's little reason to change. <S> To more directly answer your question though. <S> I have never seen "LastName FirstName" without the comma, or the other way with it. <S> (though, where I live, peoples' surnames are not easily confused with forenames)
| I have this problem sometimes and what I do is go check a names database and match the name to the gender to the country of origin.
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How can I negotiate remote work due to my phobia I have joined in a new workplace and I haven’t signed an agreement yet. It is the second day. The office is based in a church which isn’t in service but I have megalophobia (fear of a huge structure). I tried to remain calm but I got a panic attack when I visited the toilet. I have decided not to work for the company but putting in a reason like that is strange. How can I negotiate that I have a phobia and cannot work on site? What if they are not flexible? The recruiters or office might hold it against me or take legal action. I do not know what to do.p.s - I am a web developer. <Q> First, seek treatment for your phobia. <S> There are specialists in the field and treatment is extremely effective. <S> Second, the likelihood of legal action against someone with a disability is low, though it may damage your reputation in the industry. <S> Third, and most important, Always do your research, and be aware of your limitations <S> I have sensory issues, and cannot handle certain environments, and it's bad. <S> Because of this I just cross those places off of my list, but I ASK FIRST <S> If your phobia is debilitating (or any other disability) to the point you cannot do certain jobs, part of your research of the company is that in addition to everything else, you must make sure that the environment is one you can work in. <S> While, yes, there are various and sundry laws all over the world that say you cannot discriminate against people with disabilities, the reality is that they find ways. <S> Beyond that, those same laws don't protect you if you simply cannot do the job. <S> TLDR <S> Bow out gracefully <S> Do not mention your disability CAREFULLY RESEARCH FUTURE EMPLOYERS <A> Whilst it isn't ideal that you've taken on a role, and are now asking for adjustments <S> , it shouldn't something that you avoid. <S> If somebody is perfectly fine, and becomes disabled whilst employed are they not allowed to ask for adjustments? <S> As you've tagged that you're in the UK there are specific things that will apply to your employment. <S> Whether your phobia qualifies as a disability, which would cover you under the Equality Act 2010, is something that will need to be determined by a professional. <S> If it is then you're protected from discrimination and entitled to adjustments to your work so that you are not disadvantaged. <S> It's defined as: <S> The Equality Act says a disability is a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day- to-day activities. <S> What you can do is ask for Reasonable Adjustments, these are when the employer modifies your surroundings, or role, etc to make it easier for you to work. <S> An employer has to try and do this for employees conditions, however what is "reasonable" is open to interpretation. <S> If you are diagnosed professionally the employer may wish to verify this through their own, or 3rd party, occupational health service. <S> Occupational health will also inform the business of any recommendations they have in regards to reasonable adjustments. <S> As your request is to work remotely, and they have the facility, they may permit this. <S> However it is worth noting that under the employer is responsible for protecting your health and safety - even when working from home. <S> If you're doing it for prolonged periods of time then, to protect themselves, they'd need to ensure that you're using safe equipment, sitting correctly etc. <S> All of the things they cover in the office - they'd have to cover in your home, and that costs money and requires periodic checks. <S> Of course not all employers do that and put responsibility to the employee, but it is a risk if you injure yourself on works time. <S> IANAL, so you would need to speak with a professional to check your legal standing. <S> References: Citizens Advice HSE <A> First, important question: Is your phobia diagnosed to be severe enough to be a disability? <S> Not all phobias are and not all psychologists 'believe' that one can be a disability. <S> Because if it is then you should be fine, any repercussions are illegal unless the disability severely impacts your work. <S> To illustrate the level of "severely" I am talking about here:A blind person cannot be a bus driver for instance, and even in that case in most nations prefer that the bus company finds them a non-driver job in the company as opposed to firing them. <S> So go to your manager and explain the situation. <S> Bring any doctor's notes or other paperwork. <S> It helps to come prepared with a plan and in your case it sounds like you have: work from home. <S> You might be required to come into work every so often but any reasonable precaution should be taken (like a secluded small office for you to work in on those days). <S> The legal protections for disabilities are very strong, don't let yourself be bullied out of those rights. <S> If you are self-diagnosed or your doctor deems your phobia not severe enough to be a disability things get a lot more complicated. <S> But you can always ask if you could work from home just because. <S> This being your first week makes that harder though.
| However it's worth asking if they would be open to working from home, then if they say no you can find somewhere else, but if they say yes then you are onto a winner. Get treatment for your phobia.
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An employer is trying to force me to switch banks, which I know is illegal. What should I do? An employer has extended a job offer with the condition that I switch my personal banking from one institution to another. They claim that they do this to simplify their internal payroll procedures. I happen to know that such requirements are illegal , and that the employer is required to remain more flexible in regards to how they pay me. How should I proceed? Some relevant info from OP comments: [The company has] nothing to do with banking at all . I pointed out the guidelines they were supposed to follow when hiring within my state. On a conference call with a V.P. the other day they claimed that, since they have some employees that are outside of the U.S., they are "international" and therefore don't have to obey U.S. law, and that since I'm an individual I should be afraid to pursue this matter with any law enforcement, as they may be able to sue with a counterclaim for wasting their time . I've been looking for positions in the same field and discovered there are businesses that appear legitimate but warn they will refuse to hire based on where an employee does their personal banking OP's Law SE question regarding the legality of the matter OP's Law SE question regarding how to take action against this employer <Q> How should I proceed? <S> Politely decline their offer and continue to search for a new company to work for. <S> If the reason for requiring you to switch banks is true, this is indicative of a whole department (arguably the most important for any employee) that doesn't seem to know what they're doing. <S> Definitely not a company worth working for. <A> Most likely a scam, especially if the company is online based. <S> I'd review up to this point how you got the job. <S> Did you go for an interview? <S> Were you hired on the spot? <S> Were all your paperwork done via email/telephone? <S> This scam is common. <S> A fake company has you do what seems like work, then they "pay" you with a check with very specific instructions like what bank you use, what sort of account to open, to disclose account numbers, how to deposit the check, etc. <S> The scam involves where some banks allow for small cash reserve to be available immediately, especially if you deposit a "pay check" in person. <S> It's a small amount like $100, or $200. <S> The fake company then withdraws this small amount immediately, then you get a bounced check notice. <S> The bank will likely ask (either by courts or by making a bad mark on your credit) that you pay it back since "you" withdrawn it <S> but you didn't <S> and you can't prove it other than showing you deposit what you thought was a legit check. <S> My advice <S> : don't even answer. <S> Run. <A> If they respond with an answer such as " <S> But that's ridiculous, that would be so inconvenient" then respond "Exactly".
| Advise them that you'll accept their job offer on the condition that they change their bank account to the same as yours.
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Negotiating a mutual parting after 6 months I started a new position 6 months ago with a manager who is very reasonable and easy to work with. Unfortunately, that's about all that has worked out. I think my boss and I are on the same page that I am not a good fit for the company, the department, and the team. Recently, I started looking elsewhere and I have been getting a high response rate (30% of applications get a callback), so I plan to leave soon once I find something better. My current role was open for over a year before I was hired, and there is a huge backlog of work (the previous employee who had my job left after 6 months too), so I have been thinking about negotiating with my boss a mutual parting with an extended notice period of 1-2 months rather than the required 2 weeks. I want to do this in order to preserve the reference despite leaving after just 6 months. I am less concerned about the long-term impact because my previous stays have been multiple years per position. I'm thinking I would negotiate in early November to leave in mid-December - about 5 or 6 weeks notice. How should I approach this subject of a mutual parting with an extended notice period with my boss? <Q> It could be pretty simple, depending on your level of solvency. <S> If you can afford an extended period of unemployment, just talk with the man. <S> Both of you agree that you're not a particularly good fit. <S> Both of you know that there's a lot of work that needs to get done. <S> Explain that you're planning to leave, but offer to stay on for a more extended than normal period. <S> If things are as you suggest they are, he'll agree, and you can move on. <S> Worst-case scenario, he denies the extended notice period, and you're out of work that much earlier... <S> in which case you have a bit of a vacation in which to recover before you move on to your next spot. <S> If you can't afford that, though, then you need to protect yourself. <S> Don't give notice until you have another job lined up, and then give 2 weeks, as standard. <S> No one will fault you for it. <S> Also, work on building up enough cash reserves that you can afford it next time. <S> It sounds like you're in a career <S> that's high-churn enough that you should probably be looking to have 6 months in the bank at all times. <S> It's an investment that pays dividends in emotional security, as well as protecting you from sudden surprises. <A> You said your boss agrees that you are a bad fit for the company. <S> So he already knows you are looking for a new job <S> but neither he nor you know when exactly you will leave. <S> What you are trying to do is offer something extra for the company, namely staying longer than the minimal notice period if in return they offer something extra for you, namely being especially nice in the reference letters and explain why you only stayed for such a short time. <S> That seems like a fair deal to me <S> and I think you shold tell it to your manager like that. <S> He already knows you plan to leave but this is on your initiative. <S> So firing you if he doesn't like the deal doesn't seem likely because it would entail severance pay. <S> Just talk to him in private and see what he says. <S> I don't think you have much to loose even if he doesn't like the idea. <A> How should I approach this subject of a mutual parting with an extended notice period with my boss? <S> Just like any other exit discussion. <S> While you emphasise on mutual parting , I do not see what is special about this. <S> Firing, layoffs and quitting abruptly to make a point are some exceptions but other than that usually it is all mutual. <S> You just want to extend your notice period to 2-months and hoping it will be seen as good act and will reflect positively in your future references. <S> So just mention exactly that to your boss: <S> Hey <S> Boss, as we agree I am not right fit for this role and hence I have decided to move on. <S> However, I understand that 2-week notice may not cover all the pending work. <S> Hence, I am happy to extend my notice period to 2 months and ensure you have enough time to find a replacement without hurting your timelines. <S> Then let the boss take a call. <S> For what you know, he doesn't want you to stay for longer even if you are ready. <S> Insisting on staying on for <S> 2-months in that case may hurt you more than it can help you. <S> So just offer from your end and let your manager take the decision of whether to take it or not. <S> You should just be prepared to handle your personal and career situation in either of the outcomes. <S> Either ways, it will be mutual parting.
| Most partings are mutual parting where employee and employer agree on certain date.
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Is it normal to need relative quiet to concentrate? I never thought this was a problem until recently. I work in an office that is very distracting, with loud conversations, shouting, laughter, etc. for at least 6 hours/day. I complete about 2 hours of work per day. To be fair, management assigns very little work, so that's enough time to get it done. I'd prefer to go home when I'm done (I'm salaried), but that's not allowed. I get in at 7, most of the noisemakers get in at 9, and I might as well go home at 9 for how unproductive I am the rest of the day. (There is only so long I can wear headphones before getting a headache.) Anyway, it seems like everyone else has no problem talking, shouting, laughing, and working at the same time. But I have a really hard time focusing or concentrating, to the point where I can't even form a coherent thought . That noises and distractions affect me this severely leads me to think I might have a psychological, neurological or other problem. I always thought it was fairly normal to need relative quiet to concentrate, but maybe it's not. I'm looking for a new job, but more generally, I'm curious. Does anyone else experience extreme difficulty working, or even thinking, in a noisy or distracting environment... and is this normal or indicative of a problem? <Q> Is it normal to need relative quiet to concentrate? <S> Yes, shouting is hard to tune out, harder than repetitive noises. <S> Forestry workers wear earmuffs because the noise can damage their hearing. <S> Office workers wear head phones to concentrate. <S> To not be able to think at all is not normal. <S> You should have acclimatised to some extent in 6 months. <S> Get more comfortable headphones or seek medical advice. <A> I totally sympathize with you. <S> I felt like I was reading my own thoughts when I read your post! <S> I find myself in the exact same situation and I cannot for <S> the life of me understand why open office plans are the norm for jobs that require you to focus. <S> Other people seem to think it's not a big deal when someone two feet away from you is on a conference call and multiple people are standing around and conversing loudly for half an hour or more at a time. <S> But nobody would tolerate this if you were taking a standardized test like the SAT or the LSAT <S> right? <S> What if a surgeon started to perform a critical surgery and all of a sudden two nurses start talking loudly about their weekend plans? <S> So I think this proves, that yes of course it's normal to need relative quiet to concentrate. <A> "Normal"? <S> It all depends on the extent of your problems. <S> Open offices are notoriously a pain to deal with and there is for sure a lot to be distracted with. <S> If the open office is large (dozens of people) <S> the worse the performance suffers. <S> Often there is also a problem of company culture <S> : I've worked in environments where noisy colleagues were immediately "shushed", in others no one gave a damn Tolerance to noise and distractions <S> is personal , some are unaffected, others are way more affected <S> But then: if you experience "brain fog" or feel that you have a serious gap with your colleagues in your ability to concentrate, it's surely useful to investigate in other directions. <S> In the latter case, I would seek a professional to see if you are dealing with stress or other conditions: in my case, I have the same issues, but my extreme sensitivity is explained by my ADHD diagnosis - and the diagnosis helped me a lot to understand exactly why I was unable to perform under certain conditions and try strategies. <A> Is it normal to need relative quiet to concentrate? <S> Yes. <S> When you're trying to focus on something and there are outside distractions <S> it is completely normal for someone to struggle. <S> However, if you need complete silence or find yourself having difficulty focusing on basic tasks <S> then you may have an issue that needs to be addressed (such as A.D.D.). <S> I never thought this was a problem until recently. <S> I work in an office that is very distracting, with loud conversations, shouting, laughter, etc. <S> for at least 6 hours/day. <S> I complete about 2 hours of work per day. <S> I find both of these statements hard to believe... <S> even very lax work environments aren't going to have constant distractions, and if you're only completing 2 hours of work a day then I'd be more concerned about them eliminating your position than your inability to concentrate. <S> (There is only so long I can wear headphones before getting a headache.) <S> Then you aren't wearing headphones that fit you properly or that aren't doing a good job of blocking sound and are forcing you to listen at a volume that is bad for your hearing. <S> Many headphone companies have multiple options for how they fit in your ears, but as a last resort you could investigate a custom in-ear monitor as opposed to ear buds. <S> Custom headphones aren't cheap, but they basically create a mold of your ear like they would for a hearing aid and then craft ear pieces that fit perfectly in your ear canals. <S> They do an amazing job of blocking out ambient noise, are substantially more comfortable and can be worn for basically the entire day. <S> I've never been able to wear <S> ear buds for more than an hour or two a day, <S> but I can wear my custom in-ear headphones as long as I need to. <S> Check out <S> Drop.com (formerly Massdrop) <S> and keep an eye out for good deals. <A> Yes, this is normal for concentration intensive work <S> (Just think of the 'turning your car radio down when you want to navigate' comments) <S> I'm a programmer, I need to concentrate on high levels for long amounts of time. <S> If my headphone battery is empty, I'm a lot less productive. <S> I also find that as I get a bit older, I require the isolation more. <S> I've worked at a couple of companies now, at all of them all programmers had either a headphone or earphones available. <S> It's not an excuse though. <S> There are tasks which you can do, some more light work, which you can time right. <S> If you wear a headphone for a while, you can work 'peacefully', burn less concentration and can take it of without going to a 0% production speed. <S> You can use those first two hours to do some heavy lifting, when your colleagues come do something like a standup <S> and then you can put on your headphone <S> I prefer a little more expensive, but light headphones. <S> I've found that that is very large contributor. <S> In fact, I had to temporary switch to my older, heavier headphone and the air pressure and headackes are popping around the corner again :)
| If you get a headache of a headphone, you need another headphone :) So it's perfectly normal.
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Is it a good idea to contact a candidate? About a year ago I resigned from my ex-employer. After my resignation, my ex-employer hired some new people.As the work load in my new company increases continuously, my new employer decided to hire some new people.A person working for my ex-employer (from those hired right after my departure) sent his resume to my new company. My supervisor consulted me and based on his resume, we mutually decided to interview him. The appointment was set for today, but he never showed up. The administrative assistant kept calling him for a couple of hours but he never answered the calls or called back. What I suspect is that the candidate checked on LinkedIn the employees of the company (during the weekend) I work for and verified that I had been working for his current employer. Probably he got afraid that he would meet me in the company premises and that I would not keep strict confidentiality (that I would share with my friends in my old company that he got interviewed). Of course, he doesn’t know that I was one of the persons to interview him and selected him for interview. Is it a good idea to contact him separately on LinkedIn to tell him that he has nothing to be afraid of and confidentially matters are kept strictly, or just to forget about it? My supervisor suggested the first but he had assumed that I know him better personally (I had just met him once in a friendly visit in my old employer to say hi to my old colleagues). I told him, I do not know him well to do that so. UPDATE (4 business days later): he has not answered yet my Linkedin invitation to become connected although he viewed my profile... <Q> Is it a good idea to contact him separately on LinkedIn to tell him that he has nothing to be afraid of and confidentially matters are kept strictly, or just to forget about it? <S> You're making a lot of assumptions about this candidate based on nothing more than what you suspect. <S> You need to forget about what you think may have happened and only worry about what actually happened which is: he agreed to interview <S> he did not show up to the interview <S> he did not contact your company in any way for an explanation <S> he is not responding to your attempts to contact him <S> You can give him the benefit of the doubt that maybe he had some crisis or personal matter and give him a day or two to get a hold of him if you'd like. <S> Otherwise, I would chalk this up to unprofessional behavior and simply forget about this candidate. <A> First, I want to reiterate the point that candidate did not show up for his scheduled interview. <S> Additionally he did not contact the company to cancel. <S> He is also not responding to repeated contact from your company. <S> My first instinct is that is a sign he is not interested in working there. <S> However, your suspicions may be right. <S> Then again, they might not. <S> Perhaps he had some sort of emergency. <S> Give it some time. <S> If he does not contact you, then you might consider contacting him. <S> There is nothing unethical about reaching out. <S> Edit: <S> I want to add one more thing. <S> Even if you were completely correct in your suspicion, do you want to hire someone who handles conflict in this manner? <A> I suspect is that the candidate checked on LinkedIn the employees of the company (during the weekend) <S> I work for and verified that I had been working for his current employer. <S> you also assume he thinks: that I would not keep strict confidentiality (that I would share with my friends in my old company that he got interviewed) <S> and you assume that he wants to avoid at all costs his employer finding out he's looking for opportunities. <S> and you assume that he didn't do the LinkedIn search of the company before applying, and you assume that ghosting, rather than sending a short "I'm no longer interested in the position, please cancel the scheduled interview. <S> Thank you for your time", is an acceptable reaction in such a scenario. <S> That's a lot of assumptions. <S> Here's a far more likely scenario: He sent CVs not just to your company but to others as well, while also negotiating with his current employer. <S> One of these places made an offer. <S> He accepted, so he no longer cares about your company. <S> Now, if you are desperate to hire the guy to cover a manpower shortage? <S> Sure, go for it, contact him. <A> Is it a good idea to contact him separately on LinkedIn to tell him that he has nothing to be afraid of and confidentially matters are kept strictly, or just to forget about it? <S> Would it be a good idea to contact them? <S> No. <S> You're making a lot of assumptions about why they didn't show up, but the bottom line is that it isn't your place to determine why they didn't show up or to coax them into coming in for an interview. <S> People bail out on interviews every day. <S> That's their prerogative.
| But if you're in a normal hiring situation your company can either chose to ignore him, or they can ask him about his wellbeing (to rule out medical or family emergencies).
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How to deal with manager who refuses to communicate with a team member? One of the newly appointed managers always keeping an eye and criticizing the habits of one of the employees. He always keeps getting frustrated for one or another reason because of him, As being close to the Employee (Team member of mine in the various project), I am sure that He is perceived wrong and being gaslighted. A few days ago the manager in question Walks into his desk just after lunch hours and asking him what he has completed till now since morning (even there were no clear guidelines of what needs to be finished). As my colleague, was shocked to see his rude and inquiring tone, he took little time to express what he has done and what he was doing. (Its post-delivery bug fixing session) After acting dissatisfied with his answer Openly said to him (my colleague) that from now onward he will not assign him a task and he(my colleague) can decide himself of whatever task he wants to do. I find this behavior very shortsighted as well as confusing. Since that incident, the manager is giving my colleague a silent treatment. It has become embarrassing for all to see my colleague asking for him list to the task to finish and he just saying him to do whatever he likes without taking an interest. I am sure my colleague has never failed upon delivery timings in the past two years. What is the best thing he can do to solve this rift? <Q> Three primary steps: <S> Act professional. <S> Follow a process and document everything. <S> Escalate as necessary. <S> We don't know both sides of the story, but given the description, it seems the manager's behavior is aptly inappropriate. <S> We should focus on finding the reason behind the incident and treat that accordingly. <S> Some pointers (start doing immediately if this was not done / practiced earlier): <S> Ensure the task assignment is on record (e-mails). <S> It should include the clear assignment description, the acceptance criteria (definition of "done") and estimated target date. <S> Have periodic review meetings (ex: daily stand up for scrum) to check on the progress and ensure any blocker incidents are communicated timely and properly. <S> (Based on the urgency of the assignment) Send out periodic updates via email to keep everyone aware of the status of the assignment. <S> Have the discussion points recorded in official emails and try to seek the next steps to solve the problem. <S> Formulate the discussion around the thought of suggested improvements, not only asking about the problems. <S> If no satisfactory answer is received, next step would be to involve the HR in the discussion. <A> It is very difficult to assess the real story there. <S> Personally, you should do nothing officially. <S> If your colleague is a good guy as you mention, then advise him to go to HR and discuss with them the issue, asking for mediation , or any other help which is in place in the company. <S> However, your colleague might want to update his CV and start assessing the work market, just in case. <S> These kinds of situations usually do not end up in the employee's favor, on the long term. <A> As the others say, there's something unknown going on here. <S> Maybe your colleague knows exactly what he did to cause this, but if not his first step should be to go to his manager in private and ask about it. <S> Depending on their relationship and company culture, this could be: <S> "Have I done something wrong?" <S> to <S> "I'm sorry, I've obviously done something that annoyed you <S> , what can I do to make it up to you?" <S> Maybe he misunderstood a task and inadvertently did something actually wrong, maybe the manager misunderstood something and just thought he did, or maybe the manager is just having a bad day and snapping at people with no reason. <S> Hopefully he can fix this relationship and won't have to resort to the other advice. <A> The manager is quite obviously not doing his job. <S> If you were his manager, you’d have to do something about that. <S> You are not. <S> Your colleague can for the time being do exactly as he was told: Find work himself. <S> Depending on how your pace is organised that could be easy. <S> (I was working once for a manager who worked hard to keep any work away from his team. <S> So I did the work I was assigned in 15 hours a week and spend the rest doing useful things that he didn’t know about. <S> He seemed quite happy that I always delivered on time. <S> The next manager came up with lots of new ideas and for over half a year I would just say “that’s already done”.) <S> Then comes the time when raises, promotions etc. are discussed. <S> And if the manager creates any problems at that time, your colleague takes the documentation what he’s done straight to HR. <S> Should be an interesting conversation. <S> “Manager refused to talk to me, so this is what I’ve done”.
| That being said, in light of the current situation, your colleague should do the following: Request for a meeting with the manager for official review of the work and request for clarification on the decision made (to not to assign any work to them). Start using a project management tool effectively, where efforts and estimates are logged.
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Job title when sole member of own company I recently started a company, and as the only member, I am not sure what title to give myself. While it feels silly to spend time on something so trivial, I have a few concerns: Ideally, I want to indicate that I am operating a company rather than being a sole trader (this is important in my case as my company is a type of non-profit, so in the UK at least this makes some difference). I don't want to imply that my company is bigger than it is, or that I'm managing other people (which I feel titles like "director" do). I worry that if I leave out the title altogether, people will think that I just work for the company, and again may think that the company is more than one person. My title would essentially only show up on emails, linkedin, business cards etc. Thanks in advance! <Q> A common choice in this situation is "Founder" . <S> It conveys that you're working for your own startup, without giving an impression about the size of your company (you could be the sole employee, or you could be Mark Zuckerburg, or anywhere in between). <S> They may not be as appropriate for you at this stage though, since you're the sole employee and don't want to imply that your company is larger than it actually is. <A> I've used "Principal" in a similar situation ... clients and potential clients responded well. <S> Founder is certainly an option, but if you're a solo it just seems pretentious. <S> My $0.02 ... <A> I know a few people who are owner-operators of consultancy businesses who give themselves a job title that describes their day-to-day job. <S> Two on my network are 'Senior Project Manager' and 'Human Resources Consultant" <A> When I started my one-man consultancy, I used Managing Director (the accurate legal title in the country in question) when doing business as myself. <S> However, when acting as a hired gun for my previous employer and dealing with their clients, I continued to use the same title I used to have when employed there. <S> The fun thing with small companies, though, is that you can name yourself pretty much anything you like: when we later grew into a two-man company, my partner opted for Vice President of Internet . <S> Because why not?
| If you have a specific focus in your career then "Founder and CEO", "Founder and CFO", "Founder and CTO" etc are also common.
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Customer is offering me to switch to his company I'm working at an IT service provider. The job is fine, and I would consider my payment as quite good. In the past months I have been mainly working for a single customer. By my colleagues and managers, they are considered as a very tough customer. They're always very demanding and have withheld payments when they didn't get what they wanted (even if that was way beyond what was agreed before). However, I get along with them quite OK. A few days ago the customer's manager asked me whether I could imagine working for them. I was hesitant (for the reasons above), but he asked again a few days later, and asked what salary I'd imagine. I then asked for a very high salary (more than twice as much as I earn now), hoping that this would end this discussion. He came back to me today and said I would get the salary I asked for, also when I would be joining them and a few other contractual details. They told me the reason they wanted to hire me is that at my current company, I also have other duties (working for other customers, and stuff like internal meetings), but they wanted 100% of my time. I'm unsure whether I really should join them – I actually didn't consider to work for them, that's why I asked for a salary which I thought no-one would accept. Also, I like my current colleagues and managers, and they surely would be irritated if I switched to this "tough" customer. I would most likely continue working with them (on the same project as before, but of course on the other side). This could bring me into weird situations, where I could need to demand much from my former colleagues. On the other hand, earning more than twice as much as before is a very attractive opportunity. I don't think such an offer would come along any time soon. Also, I checked my current contract, there's no clause in there saying that I cannot work for a customer. How can I handle such a situation? Also, in case I accept the offer, how can I communicate this to my current colleagues and keep our good relations? <Q> IANAL,First thing first, you have to check you contract <S> Then do your math, salary, job security, advancement potential <A> As said by other answers, check your contract and local laws. <S> IANAL, but depending on your country, you can accept your offer even if your contract is supposed to prevent you to do this (in France, most IT Service Company contracts contains clauses preventing you to accept an offer by a customer but are never applied because they're not really legal). <S> I work in an IT Service Company and a lot of our clients have recruited from our company. <S> I have worked with former colleagues that are now working for clients and that works well as long as: <S> You don't break any confidentiality clause, and this can be pretty wide: don't disclose financial informations (profitability, employees salaries...), internal processes, HR strategy etc. <S> You're respectful with your previous employer <S> You're honest <S> You don't burn any bridges by being disrespectful during your notice period, during your quitting interview if your company do this, etc. <S> If you do this, you can accept and work for them if that's what you want and it will be awkward for a few weeks/months at most <S> but you will quickly be accepted as a "classic" customer. <S> But wait for a written offer to make your choice: don't tell your current employer anything until you have one. <A> How can I handle such a situation? <S> You have 3 choices: Refuse the offer. <S> Tell your employers of the offer and possibly ask to renegotiate your salary. <S> Accept the offer. <S> How can I communicate this to my current colleagues and keep our good relations? <S> There is not much you can do other than tell them the truth: You were offered an opportunity that was too good to pass up. <S> How they respond to that is unknown. <S> We dont know your employers or how they will react. <S> They might be happy for you. <S> Or perhaps you have just burned the bridge. <S> Its entirely possible that they will drop the new company as a client. <S> Its a tough decision and <S> only you weigh all the options, good and bad. <A> A few thoughts spring immediately to my mind: <S> First and foremost, do not make the decision based on money. <S> Money is certainly a factor, but there are more important factors, specifically: how much do you think you would enjoy working for the new company? <S> If they make extreme demands on your current company, would they make extreme demands on their employees? <S> Are you okay with that? <S> Second, the fact that they are offering you twice your salary could mean different things. <S> It could mean they pay well above the market rate (perhaps to offset a poor work environment, or perhaps to attract the top talent). <S> Or it could mean that you're severely underpaid, and you could make substantially more working many other places (or even your current company). <S> If it's the latter, then you could use this as leverage to ask for a raise, or start shopping around to see what the market is. <S> Third, it should be manageable to switch companies and still interact with your former colleagues. <S> This sort of thing happens all the time, and people will understand (and not hold it against you) that you took a job where you doubled your salary. <S> As long as you continue to be nice and respectful toward your former colleagues, it shouldn't damage your relationship. <S> (Or, if someone does hold it against you, such a person is probably someone you'd be better off separating from anyway).
| See if there is a clause about working for a customer your current employer introduced you to.
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Am I fulfilling my senior developer role expectations? I’ve recently joined a very large organization as a senior software developer in the US. This is my first senior position and my first company of such scale. I am very excited and overwhelmed at the same time. The product I am working with is very complicated and distributed. There is no technical/design documentation available so I have to work my way through code and schedule meetings with senior members. As usual, the right people are busy chasing fires and I always feel bad for distracting them and sometimes making little sense due to lack of knowledge of the product. Most of the time I get away with my own investigations and produce bug fixes, however, complexity of tasks grows and many issues I have to deal with are more serious and require time and understanding. Sometimes I conclude I am wasting time and ask for help and then feel like the expectation for a senior dev was to be more independent (I criticize myself). My manager is great and I feel supported, however, I have this constant pressure that I most likely create myself for being “senior” and having to figure things out faster. I work with some brilliant people that had been with the company for years and while on the same band as me can fly through tasks like butter. This stresses me out as I feel like I am always falling behind. I try to investigate and dig into things in my own time but then I start losing any work-life balance. Things I feel like I am able to accomplish easily is be a decent mentor to the Junior members, perform code reviews and give suggestions, solve general problems and I truly enjoy that part. However, there is always this feeling of not living up to expectations that I cannot conquer. Is there anything I should be doing differently or am I expected to put in more time since I am new? The worst thing I can imagine is just not be fulfilling the seniority expectation and I cannot really tell if I am. Apologies for a lot of writing but I tend to have hard time putting my thoughts in only a few words. <Q> Arrange some time for a one on one with them <S> , let them know in advance that you'd like feedback about how you're settling into the role (so that they don't get put on the spot, and have time to think about relevant feedback before talking to you), and then listen to what they have to say. <S> Note that I said <S> "how you're settling in" instead of something like "is there anything I'm doing wrong" . <S> I deliberately chose neutral language. <S> Your manager quite possibly thinks you're great, don't set a negative tone when you don't need to. <A> Before I dive into this I want to say something I consider very important: <S> It is extremely normal to have doubt about your "performance" when you're starting a new position, especially when you're thrust into a senior-level role where your "peers" are people who have years of experience/expertise with the company. <S> With that being said... stop being so hard on yourself. <S> I know it isn't that easy, <S> but no matter how experienced you are or what point you're at in your career <S> it takes time to ramp up when you start with a new company. <S> That's especially true when it comes to software development because of the massive differences there can be from company to company or even team to team when it comes to environment, standards, languages, etc. <S> The important thing (IMO) is that you keep a positive attitude, <S> demonstrate that you're working hard, and do your best to influence the things you can based on your experience. <S> For example, another posted mentioned things like contributing to coding standards, mentoring junior programmers, security, etc. <S> Those are things that are universal and don't require expertise with a process/application to be involved in and provide input. <S> I would also say that if the company doesn't have documented development standards that could be a good place for you to take initiative and document them. <S> See <S> if you can sit down with your peers and the solution architect and document their standards (don't hesitate to make suggestions). <S> Not only will it help you familiarize yourself with their environment/expectations, but it will provide a benefit to any future new/junior developers who come on board when they start to ramp up. <S> Besides that: just keep at it. <S> Try to understand the process and the requirements and <S> then dig into the functional side of the code. <S> Over time you'll gain the experience you need and you'll find you aren't asking as many questions until the day comes when you realize that people are coming to you for answers. <S> As a final note: communication is important. <S> I wouldn't go to your supervisor/s and express that you're feeling insecure about your performance, but it is completely ok to ask for feedback and make sure they know that you care about being a valuable member of the team and that you are constantly striving to improve yourself. <A> You may be suffering a form of "Imposter syndrome". <S> It can be quite common in IT in my experience. <S> See <S> https://hbr.org/2008/05/overcoming-imposter-syndrome <S> to better understand this. <S> As a Senior Dev, I'd expect some of the following: <S> A hollistic understanding of the technology stack and recommendations on how to improve it (simplification, improving performance, security, availabiltiy etc) Contribution towards coding standards A good understanding of DevOps and CI/CD. <S> (Not just git or Jenkins) <S> To coach and mentor other Devs <S> To contribute towards practices <S> Continuous improvement More structured approach to improve workflows and reduce knowledge risk (e.g. Jira, Confluence etc) Open up a dialog with your peers to elicit their feedback and take active steps to consider and follow up on constructive criticism <A> We may be in alignment there to some degree, because I also sometimes have doubts about the quality of my work. <S> This is despite continuous positive feedback and being hired after my testing period in various companies without ever needing to interview other than salary negotiation. <S> A possible solution for you is to schedule regular meetings with your superior to get some feedback on the work you are doing. <S> This can be <S> e.g. once a month. <S> It seems right now you are on a bit of an island and you are <S> right - independent work is likely expected from someone in your position. <S> However this does not mean that you are doing a bad job so far. <S> In addition you should try to evaluate your work based on facts alone, if possible. <S> Currently you are likely to evaluate based on your perception. <S> But you can look at hard data. <S> How well did you increase your usefulness over an extended period of time - were you able to solve more issues now than in the beginning? <S> Are you being assigned tasks? <S> If so - is there a lot in the backlog or are you accomplishing them on time? <S> If not - has your rate of success improved over time? <S> In any case, it is important to get a non-distorted perspective on the matter.
| The best way to find out if you are fulfilling the expectations of your role is to ask your manager .
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Early 20's and considering quitting my first IT job Little background. I'm in my early 20's, my previous work experience is minimal. I worked in fast food for under a year, then I worked at an electronic repair facility for 6 months before being fired (for reasons that I consider unfair, but that's not relevant to this post) and now I've landed my first entry level IT position. My end goal is to be a software engineer or a programmer, considering I've been studying programming since my early teenage years. My boss chose me for the job, despite my lack of college and experience, because of my interest and skills in programming. It's a small company and I'm pretty much just "the IT guy". My IT responsibilities include pretty much everything. Tech support for our customers,tech support for my coworkers, small amounts of security, network administration, you name it. I'm really grateful for the opportunity and trust I've been given, but after just under 8 months, I'm already contemplating whether or not I should move on. At the interview, I was warned that for the first 3 months of employment, I'd be working on small projects that are not 100% technical, but after that I would be getting hands-on programming experience along with more advanced IT roles. The small projects are extremely tedious and involve manual data entry. It's stuff that should be automated, however they do not authorize me to spend work time developing a script/application to automate the process. I was fine with this for the first few months, but now we're almost approaching 8 months and I'm still being handed large amounts of large projects from other departments that have nothing to do with my skills. I keep making minor mistakes because it involves information that I do not work with myself on a regular basis. These projects are being given higher priority than my IT projects. And it's not like I haven't proven myself as a competent IT person or programmer. I was able to overcome challenges that previous (Microsoft Certified) people in my position couldn't handle. The customers only call for tech support calls once a week these days because I give long term solutions and explain it to them. I've also been given a side programming project that my boss hyped up (can't give too many details about it, but I was working on something really cool). I built a working prototype in about a month, he was impressed with it. Then I started working on a "final product" and informed him that the project would be ready for deployment as soon as we have the proper data to go along with it. He seemed pretty excited, but never did anything to help with the deployment or obtaining the necessary data. I've begun to dislike working here. However, I'm still only in my first entry level job and I've only been here for about 8 months. How bad would that look on my resume if I were to leave after only 8 months? <Q> How bad would that look on my resume if I were to leave after only 8 months? <S> It would look better than being fired after 6 months like last time. <S> Apart from that it's not much of an asset. <A> The small projects are extremely tedious and involve manual data entry. <S> It's stuff that should be automated, however they do not authorize me to spend work time developing a script/application to automate the process. <S> To quotes @benjamin's comment : Is it possible for you to set aside some time to automating tasks without explicit permission? <S> If you estimate you would have something fast enough, that could work. <S> Or you set aside 1h for automating, and hopefully after a month you have something to show. <S> Start with the lowest hanging fruits obviously <S> That was absolutely my first thought. <S> Do one one your lunch break, show them the benefit & they will ask you to do more - is how it normally goes; I have done it myself on quite a few occasions. <S> However, the OP was already given a programming task - which is A Good Thing. <S> A pity that it has not come to fruition, but that happens. <S> Often. <S> In fact, for my first 7 years as a professional software developer, none of the (large) projects I worked on ever went live. <S> They were still paying <S> , I was still learning; I can't say that it upset me too much. <S> NotIt, you say I've begun to dislike working here <S> But you don't say why. <S> If it is because that first real project didn't happen, ask yourself if you learned any new skills, and would learn any more from further projects there. <S> Then ask your boss if there will be any more such projects. <S> In parallel, take Benjamin's advice and pick a small task to automate on your lunch break, or down time, if you have any. <S> Show the benefit of that and you will get real recognition and praise. <S> It's not 100% clear from your question what you want. <S> If you can explain that to yourself, then you have your answer. <A> You won't be the first person whom a company employed telling him he will do a more advanced job than they actually intended to give him, and you certainly won't be the last. <S> That kind of bait-and-switch is rather old. <S> They gave you that job because any experienced software developer would tell them to pound sand. <S> If their intention was to have serious software development, they would have hired accordingly, and you would find yourself a junior dev on a full team. <S> Now, the question is how you can make the best out of that deal. <S> Don't quit before you find the next job, and have the offer onpaper (or in email) in hand (verbal-only offers don't count). <S> Do as much software development as you can. <S> The suggestion othersgave you, to automate what you can even without approval, is a goodone. <S> It's both a good exercise for you and good for your resume. <S> When on job interviews they ask you about your current job,the question is only how to present what you're doing, more thanwhat you actually are doing. <S> So, you could present your current jobas automating tasks that were until then done manually (as in,a kind of software development, even though originally it was given to you asa manual task... <S> but you won't mention that) <S> As for your side project, your boss looks like the type that likes stuff as long as he gets it at no cost and completely on a silver platter, without any need to do absolutely anything from his side. <S> Generally, such people are black holes - they can suck in any amount of effort you put, never give anything, and rarely (if ever) will anything come out of that. <S> The best you will, most likely, get out of that thing is an item in your resume, that can spice it up, even if it's never really used, released to production, or ever saw the light of day except as a prototype on a demo. <S> Consider that job as a stepping stone, and the sooner you step up to a better one at a better company, the better it will be for you. <A> I have been in very similar situation. <S> I would advise - as other commenters have - don't quit if you don't have another job lined up (i.e. start looking). <S> I understand that this current work may suck and you may be doing things you see as time wasting ( related xkcd ) <S> but when you are in a junior role you more or less do what you are told. <S> In the eyes of future employers, this initial experience is crucial for getting your foot in the door for interviews. <S> A lot of potential employers have rejected me purely on the bases of less then X experience in a similar/junior role (generally 1/2 years), <A> Your best bet is to apply for better jobs while you are working there, that way when someone takes you in, you can explain your 8 months of work to future recruiters as "I received a better offer at the next employer. <S> " <S> I don't think sticking around for longer is healthy for you, 8 months in or no. <S> If you don't like it, leave. <S> Just make it look like you left for a better job.
| Start looking for a new job right away; just don't quit till youfind one. If you have outgrown the place, by all means move on, especially if it is into a full time programming position.
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Old employer sent me $0.00 - what does this mean? I received an ACH Electronic Credit of $0.00 from an old employer I used to work for over a year ago (at least, that's what the name says...unless it's a fake). I have no clue why someone would do this, let alone the HR of that company. I left on good terms and I'm confused as to what to do next, if anything. Should I contact the company's HR department and ask about it? Would this count as some kind of "income" that I have to report on my taxes? What should I do? Edit: all jokes aside, I just want to make sure something weird doesn't happen down the road if this implies I'm somehow still employed with them or something... <Q> If not a scam:They might have balanced the books over the past few years and their accountant got very angry about a pay discrepancy of $2,23 over 2018. <S> So they decided to correct that discrepancy and someone built a neat excel sheet to calculate the amounts everyone should get. <S> So you got your fair part out of all 12.536 employees. <S> The CEO might have actually gotten an amount that rounds up to a cent. <S> The builder of the excel sheet got extra mushrooms on the pizza he ordered while clocking up overtime. <S> Edit: Most of the time this would have been announced through (at least) an email though so you should check with HR anyway. <A> Adding on to Borgh's excellent answer I worked in a previous life for a company's Unclaimed Property division. <S> Companies are required by law after a period of years (varies by state and the type of liability) to remit all outstanding liabilities in a lump sum to the state the individual lives in (where known). <S> They are also required to make a good faith effort to locate the individuals for whom the liability is owed. <S> Many states have a minimum amount that the company is required to send out letters and various other communication streams. <S> In those cases the company might simply send out a distribution to the last known address. <S> Checks sent in this manner often are for incredibly negligible amounts, including 0.00 checks. <S> Businesses would rather pay all of this out in bulk via systematic processes than other methods of purging from their systems and it always looks better for them to send the funds out to their employees/customers rather than remit it to the state. <S> As noted in the previous answer a call to the employer's HR office could clear up if this or another reason was the cause of the distribution. <S> References: https://www.usa.gov/unclaimed-money https://www.missingmoney.com/en/ <A> I had this store card that would send me a $0.00 sheet with nothing else on it. <S> I'm thinking problem is the computer prints it out and packs the letter. <S> The only human interaction is someone having to pick up the box of envelopes and take it to the mail. <S> So no actual human is really aware or doing it on purpose. <S> I'm thinking a lot of companies waste a lot of resources doing this. <S> If you think about it if some store has 100k customers, and each month prints just 1k at a rate of .01 per page that's 10 dollars which doesn't sound like a lot <S> but if you factor in the number of months, years, etc you got a lot of wasted money. <S> My thought is <S> it's some sort of bug in the payroll software. <S> Maybe they "closed" your account and the glitch is that it automatically prints a check and deposit it into the bank if it has an account. <S> Maybe the developer forgot to do a check to see if balance > 0.00 or maybe it's a requirement that regardless of balance it prints and deposits the amount. <S> I think you should just ignore it unless you want them to be aware of the glitch. <S> I would only bring it up if it is frequently happening as it would be annoying. <S> Edit: My answer is based on no knowledge of any sort of laws. <S> I'm just stating from a common sense perspective but it may be some sort of law requirement in your state or country. <S> Regardless it's a one time thing usually and I would just ignore it and not do anything for now. <S> Only bring it up if you're seeing it on a interval.
| This could have been for a retirement account or other benefit to the employee that they did not take advantage of and where the balance fell to nothing.
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Senior colleague doesn't respond to my emails I have a senior colleague with a lot of insider knowledge. He has too much information to write down at one time so I make documentation as I come across issues that require his attention. He's been at one of our satellite offices for a long time due to some projects he's assigned to, but he's the only person I can go to for certain things. Sometimes he responds to emails instantly and other times he never responds to me at all. When something is really critical I will call him, but I don't like doing that often for several reasons. He has a bit of an accent which makes it hard to understand what he says sometimes. I like a paper trail and email makes it easy to reference exactly what he said and when. Some technical information is just better served over email like file paths, console commands, etc. I don't want to go to our shared boss because I hate being seen as "telling" on my colleague. How can I get my colleague to answer my questions in a timely manner, with a paper trail? <Q> How can I get my colleague to answer my questions in a timely manner, with a paper trail? <S> You cannot, unless helping you by sharing information is part of their responsibility. <S> In other words: If you're looking for additional help / guidance because of your colleague's knowledge, then you are requesting for help and <S> you cannot demand it. <S> You have to follow up and get the help you need. <S> If you're looking for piece of information only your colleague can provide you with and your colleague is to work with you officially to get things done, you can set a clear deadline for the expected response in the email. <S> If you do not receive a response while 2/3 rd. <S> of the time has passed, send a reminder, keeping your boss / supervisor in the communication to keep them updated. <S> Whatever the scenario is, some general tips for asking question which are likely to be responded: Be precise and clear on the ask. <S> If the ask is to define / describe something small, expect a written response. <S> If the answer is expected to be broad, suggest to have a meeting / conference call. <S> Do your research first, before reaching out. <S> Show what you have done/ tried already, how it failed and your analysis on this. <S> It can be as simple as searching the document repository and not finding the related document, as complex as creating a mockup and failing to integrate with certain interface. <S> Basically the motto is "Show, don't just tell." <S> Basically, you need to ensure that your college is interested in helping you. <A> So discuss what is a good way to communicate. <S> If it is really blocking your work and you cant work it out with your colleague <S> you should go to your boss. <S> Tell that it is blocking you, that you are sure that your colleague is really busy but that all the knowledge is with him (and him alone, no documents). <S> In general it is bad for a company to have all (or much) company/product specific knowledge in one employees mind. <S> It should be quickly documented or shared before he leaves and it is gone forever. <A> Some more thoughts on that. <S> A call is quicker to explain something than writing an email. <S> Some people might prefer that. <S> But a call is immediate. <S> It tears you out of whatever you do and you have to switch into a different subject at once, then try to find back to your own. <S> Your colleague could see an advantage in email for this reason. <S> Explain it that way to him. <S> If you didn't understand something in a call, write a follow up email explaining you'd like to get that written because then you can read it again. <S> For the next question, write an email saying "before I still have to ask for a mail again, let's do that per mail right now". <S> But whatever you do remember he has things to do and hardly wants to leave everything behind at any time if someone interrupts him, perhaps not only you but many others. <S> Eventually it will be made his fault if he doesn't get his things done. <S> So as someone else also wrote, going to a superior and making his loss of time official is a required step. <S> If this time is granted then your colleague might want to spend more time in a good answer. <S> If not, well then you know why he can't change much of his response times and behavior.
| First, discuss it with this colleague, although you might prefer email, he might prefer calling.
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Is it reasonable to ask for a day off if I have to work an extra day on the weekend? I have several projects coming up that require working either Saturday or Sunday. My normal schedule is first shift Monday through Friday, but due to restrictions from a client, they need work done on the weekend. I'm a salaried employee. Is it typical to request either Friday or Monday off since I'll lose a weekend day? Would it likely to be approved by a reasonable manager? The client is paying extra for the weekend work, even though I'll be performing the work for my standard pay, if that matters. Edit: I'm not under any contract, but there is a "non-binding" employee handbook. It says that occasionally employees may have to work over 40 hours without compensation, if they're salaried, which I am. However, it also says that an exception is if the client agrees to overtime as part of a project. I'm not really sure what's technically "paying overtime", but we charge different rates based on if the clients needs us to work a weekend or holiday. The handbook doesn't mention taking time off due to working extra. <Q> Is it typical to request either Friday or Monday off since I'll lose a weekend day? <S> If you have an all-in contract where a certain amount of overtime per week is included in your contract, your manager has a point to argue about your request, but that all again depends on your contract and the difference between the set amount of included overtime and the actual overtime done by you. <S> The client is paying extra for the weekend work.. <S> What the client is paying for weekend-work to your employer doesn't play a factor in this situation, again - refer to your actual contract and try not to burn yourself out - a healthy work/life-balance should be taken into consideration. <A> Is it typical to request either Friday or Monday off since I'll lose a weekend day? <S> You need to check your company policy for the exact entitlement. <S> I am not aware of exact rules / norms for USA, but from my past experience of working with multi-national organizations, I can see this to be addressed either of below ways: <S> Compensatory off: <S> This is what you are hoping for, avail a leave in exchange of working on a weekly-off day. <S> Compensatory Pay: <S> In this method, the organization pays a certain amount of money (ranging from 1.5X-2X of your daily remuneration) for working those extra hours. <S> Leave Credit: <S> You get one day of leave (or, pro-rated, based on the actual time spent) <S> credited to your leave balance. <S> Would it likely to be approved by a reasonable manager? <S> Yes, it would. <S> There's nothing wrong in knowing your entitlement and asking for it. <A> It really depends on the workplace. <S> This kind of behavior is SOP at my current workplace here in the USA. <S> It is understood that some downtime is required for good mental health. <S> If your work impedes on your scheduled downtime, you should take action to remedy the situation. <S> Otherwise, you will eventually burn out. <S> At my previous job, they had a "2080 rule" (2080 = <S> 52 weeks x 40 hours) which was essentially the opposite of what you are asking about. <S> At review time they would bring up your hours report, and anyone who worked less than 2080 in the previous year was not eligible for a raise . <S> Every hour that I took off for vacation, I would need to find some way to make up that time over the course of the year. <S> Needless to say, it was a toxic environment, filled with people who were burnt out or getting there. <S> Conversely, at my present job it is expected that you will maintain yourself . <S> Sometimes the job calls for long hours and long weeks. <S> When that happens, I will often sleep in / start late or create artificial weekends on Tuesday / Wednesday to maintain my mental health. <S> The important thing is to communicate effectively. <S> Talk with your manager about the impact this is having on your health and well-being, and propose a solution. <S> If he doesn't agree, it might be time to look for a better position with a company that cares more about your long term effectiveness. <A> This is assuming you are working in the United States. <S> According the the Fair Standards and Labor Act covered and non-exempt employees are entitled to overtime pay by law . <S> So legally no, they do not have to give you any time off if you are an exempt employee. <S> There may be exceptions where they are doing contract with the federal government and local and state laws may vary. <S> That being said, a good employer would recognize that this would lead to employee dissatisfaction and the right thing to do would be to compensate your time. <S> Though they don’t have to do this it would prevent employee burnout. <S> It would be reasonable to ask your supervisor or HR and they likely have a policy or others have set a precedent. <S> Reasonable and legal are two separate things. <S> but there is no legal obligation for them to do so. <A> As you describe it, there is a business requirement that you should work on a Saturday and/or on a Sunday. <S> On the other hand, I can't see a business requirement that you should work more than five days a week. <S> Your manager or you boss might quite like the idea that you work an extra day or two without pay, but that doesn't make it a business requirement. <S> (And a company not hiring enough people to do the work also doesn't make overtime a business requirement). <S> So when you are asked "You need to do this job on Saturday <S> , it is an important customer requirement" <S> then your answer should be "Sure, no problem, so I'll do this job on Saturday and then come in on Tuesday morning". <S> By stating it as the natural thing - work on the Saturday instead of a Monday - you make it very hard for the manager to argue against it. <S> If they do, they argue from a weak position. <S> You are not asking for a day off, you are stating that you agree to a switch of working days. <S> There are many people working in shops or restaurants, or firefighters and so on, who often have a working pattern including work on Saturday or Sunday - <S> that doesn't mean they work six or seven days a week.
| That depends on your contract - if you have regular working hours of 38-40 h a week, it's definitely understandable to ask for a day off during the week and no reasonable manager should refuse your request since they would breach applicable employment/labour-laws. As a salaried employee, you have to do what the business requires. Yes it is reasonable to ask
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Just quit my job, should I express my concerns about supervisor I work in a software development company for almost two years now, and I'm planning on quitting soon. The reason is that I cannot stand my supervisor (let's call him John). TL,DR: Should I tell my boss (who was the one who recruited me) the reason I quit is my supervisor John's behavior and how inefficient he is, or just tell them that my career goals changed? The other reason is not a lie, I want to go to university full time and it is impossible for me to keep working for my current company, even part time (my financial situation can handle it, I made a lot of savings). John was the scrum master of our team when I first got here and we had the same boss. Since it had not been long they started working with scrum methodology (and I had quite a bit of experience due to past jobs), I tried sharing all the information I had to improve the management methods. We were losing way too much time on meetings for useless reasons (for example, we had 30+ min stand up meetings for a 5-6 dev team, which is simply too much, specially when we are doing simple tasks). We even had a meeting with the main scrum master from the company and he agreed with my suggestions to avoid losing time. However, John decided not to implement any of the suggestion, since he doesn't "want to change the way things are done now" (even though it's still new...). I told myself that if the company wants to lose time, fine, at least I tried. So I continued putting the same efforts (even though I was new in the team, I was already considered one of the top devs of the team, due to my high delivery of user stories) and my boss was very pleased. As time went by, I realized that our scrum master was very narcissistic; he always keeps talking about himself and all the tasks he is working, even though he doesn't even complete any US (in 4 sprints, he has completed maybe 1/4 of the US he committed, while the rest of team completes about 4/5 of the US they commit). And that pissed me off, because he just wastes everyone's time. We even had multiple arguments about this; I tried answering questions he asks during meetings to speed up, but he told me in private that he wants other to answer even though he knows I know the answer, because he wants them to participate. Recently, he even got a promotion and is now the boss of our team (while still keeping scrum master role). I would've love getting that job (who wouldn't?), but I think that other team members deserved it more than him. And that promotion was the cherry on the cake for me; he now has even more reasons to talk about himself and all his meeting and how important they are, and thus, we lose even more time in meetings. A couple months have now passed and I gave a lot of thoughts about it and decided to go to university to get better job opportunities and so, I decided to quit. While that reason alone should suffice my boss, I really want to tell her that the supervisor she selected is not a good fit for the company and it's damaging productivity. I know one or two members that deserve that promotion more than John. However, I feel like stabbing someone in the back, something that I do not do. Don't get me wrong, John is a good person, he is kind and caring, he just is not fit to be a good supervisor. Should I tell her that reason when giving my notice or not? Edit:This question is different from this one , because I will not be telling my supervisor my those concerns but to the HR person. That way, they can decide what actions they'll take, if they do. <Q> Rule of Thumb: Don't burn the bridge while you're leaving. <S> While your intentions are good (you're trying to provide honest feedback), it can easily be misinterpreted, more so since you're expressing those just before you're leaving (exit interview, etc.). <S> You won't be available for a dicussion and to defend your decision / opinion. <S> Keep it simple: Mention you higher studies as the reason behind leaving the organization. <A> Keep you resignation letter short and to the point. <S> Make it nice and grateful <S> but there is no need to put any reason in there at all. <S> If no one asks why, you are done. <S> If your boss ask, I see no reason not to be open honest about it. <S> Make it constructive and about you. <S> Example "incompatible management style" " <S> the way projects are run is not a good cultural fit for me, I prefer to focus more on the actual work". <S> Don't blame or complain. <S> A good manager can read between the lines and a bad one doesn't care one way or another. <S> If someone else asks, you need to make an situational assessment of WHY they are asking. <S> "Going to university" is always a safe option but for the right person and the right reasons its perfectly okay to be more open <A> One of the things you're going to learn as you gain more experience in the workplace is that the person who most deserves a promotion is not always (maybe even rarely) the one who gets it. <S> The person who does the best job, but doesn't advertise his contributions, is awkward in meetings, or doesn't rub shoulders with the boss, is going to lose. <S> You will always need to strike that balance between being a good performer, having good ideas, and knowing when to fight for them. <S> The fact is that this guy has built a perception of success and competence. <S> You, on the other hand, have been nipping at his heels from day one, with suggestions that might be good, but which you had no political capital to implement. <S> You now quitting and stating his success and your reason to bounce is more than likely going to come across as bitter. <S> Management is 100% going to wonder if maybe you're the problem . <S> At the same time, you may one day be desperate for a job, and have to return to this company. <S> You don't want any bad feelings between you and management standing in the way <S> if you have to go to them hat in hand. <S> At the end of the day, managers are supposed to have their fingers on the pulse of the business, and be aware if someone is under-performing, wasting time, or otherwise sabotaging the team. <S> If they are so clueless that they mistake some wind bag's boasting for actual work done, then they either don't care enough about their employees to ensure that the right person gets the job, or have appointed him to that position for some other reason that you're unaware of. <A> I think there are a few interesting dynamics at play here. <S> I'll try to keep my comments constructive: <S> If they're new in the Scrum Master role, then pride may be getting in the way of their taking your feedback on board. <S> i.e. They may want to be seen to be right rather than doing the right thing, if that makes any sense. <S> A part of the Scrum Master role is servant leadership and driving continuous improvement within the team. <S> It might be worth taking them aside and having a quiet one on one chat to discuss how you can help each other. <S> If you have other Scrum Masters or Agile coaches in your company, you might want to discretely ask one of them to sit in on your daily scrum meetings or other meetings to provide objective feedback. <S> An independent voice can be handy in this situation. <S> If they're constantly talking about their achievements in a self congratulatory way then they might be lacking confidence. <S> You might find that a bit of positive feedback from you to them helps them "let down their walls" and open up a more open and constructive dialogue. <S> I've led many teams in the past <S> and I can understand the comment with regard to wanting some of the quieter team members to open up and participate rather than one or two dominant voices in the team (not saying you are, just making a comment) as this can improve team communication overall. <S> Is the Scrum Master a Dev? <S> In my experience, it's unusual (but not unheard of) for a Scrum Master to be developing user stories themselves. <S> More often than not, they're more of a coaching, facilitating and guiding type of role. <S> Lastly sometimes is worth "losing some battles to win the war". <S> Focus on improving working relationships first and foremost <S> and you might be surprised to find that the Scrum Master is more receptive to feedback. <S> Good luck!
| You will gain nothing by trying to force their opinion, other than marking yourself as a "problem" individual.
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I made unwanted advances towards a female colleague We were joking - the interaction was good - I put my arm around her shoulder and she didn't say anything. However, I let my hand linger over her shoulder as we were walking down the corridor and she took off. She said something about being wanting to be someplace else and left. I was aggressive in my interaction and I understand if she's not interested in me. I feel bad about how I overstepped boundaries. Should I apologize or act like nothing happened? <Q> Should I apologize or act like nothing happened ? <S> Yes, you should apologize immediately. <S> Acknowledge that what you did was inappropriate and reassure your coworker that it will not happen again. <S> After that, you need to actually follow through and not put your hands on your colleagues. <A> Yes, you should apologize to her, but also try not to make the biggest deal out of it. <S> She should feel acknowledged and her unsafe feelings should no longer be present. <S> At the same time don't make a huge deal out of this; that'll backfire and is not respecting boundaries. <S> Hi. <S> About the other day, when I had my arm on your shoulder a bit too long, I apologize. <S> It got awkward because of me, and that wasn't my intention. <S> I'll try to be more aware in the future <S> Wait for a possible response and then just walk away. <S> Dont keep pushing 'to make things right', as that will only make things worse. <S> You've made a mistake, there are consequences, you can't simply undo them. <S> In the future, just respect personal boundaries. <S> We all make mistakes; social interactions can be difficult. <S> Learn, improve. <A> Should I apologize or act like nothing happened? <S> Apologize, definitely, and as soon as possible. <S> Accordingly to Merriam-Webster, that can be seen as sexual harassment : <S> Uninvited and unwelcome verbal or physical behavior of a sexual nature especially by a person in authority toward a subordinate (such as an employee or student). <A> Not because you're afraid of the legal consequences. <S> Don't make it a show, either. <S> Don't try explaining. <S> Don't try blame-shifting: "Hey X, the other day, when we were walking back to the office? <S> I'm sorry for how I behaved. <S> I didn't think about it, I didn't think about how you feel about it and that you may become uncomfortable by it. <S> I'm sorry <S> and I promise you it will not happen again." <S> Simple. <A> I have a slightly different take on how to manage this situation: I would try to have a very good joke, at your own expense, about what you did. <S> Now, you should still make sure that you do not touch your co-workers in a way that can be interpreted incorrectly. <S> Back to the joke, it gives you the opportunity to: Recognize your mistake and air it out without making a big deal out of it. <S> Let you gauge if your co-worker actually took your action negatively. <S> Now, if you're not a good comedian and you don't have a good sense of humor, the joke might be difficult to pull off. <S> If you fail to pull it off, it might look just as creepy. <S> If you're not confident you can pull it off, then just follow the advice in the answers above. <S> What could be a good joke? <S> Something like this: <S> "I think I have left my hand hanging on your shoulder too long the other day. <S> If I ever do that again, feel free to stick a fork in it. <S> " <S> Allow no more than a comment or two on this and move on to a different topic. <S> Don't let the comments lead to a direction that's pointing towards the fact that you like your co-worker. <S> General Advice <S> Work isn't just a place you spend 8 hours of your day and go home like a robot. <S> You do end up socializing with your co-workers and some do end up developing intimate relationships. <S> That's not a bad thing. <S> In order to become good at gauging social cues, you need to practice a lot. <S> Try not to make your office your practice ground, since mistakes there can harm your relationships with your co-workers.
| You should apologize because you are, or want us to believe you are, a reasonable and considerate human being who knows he did something wrong. For the future, in work, look at the workers as your colleagues/team, not as your friends - the interaction is different (there are additional boundaries). The best way to avoid being creepy in that kind of situation is to be very good at gauging social cues.
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Calling out inappropriate behaviour My direct manager is going through a typically traumatic family event at home, and I only know this because the company CFO inappropriately shared this in front of 100 people. I think it was inappropriate because CFO jokingly shared this info in front of everyone, including my manager. Given the off-hand nature, it seems unlikely that this was anything other than spontaneous. I cannot for sure say that my manager felt offended, but I would assume they didn't want this shared. Knowing that my direct manager has this presumably serious problem at home, I now feel uncomfortable going to them with non-urgent problems. To be clear, I don't think my manager's personal issues exempts them from their workplace responsibilities. Nonetheless, as an empathetic person, I now feel uncomfortable going to them with minor issues I have. Question: is it appropriate to let my CFO know how their statement has impacted me? To be clear, this is not about speaking up on behalf of my manager. This is about the discomfort I now feel asking my manager for help, and how it impacts my job. <Q> This is absolutely none of your business. <S> It is not your responsibility to "call out" the CFO's behavior. <S> It is between him and your manager. <S> You have NOTHING to do with it. <S> You aren't his conscience, mentor, personal coach, or parent. <S> Sit down, do your job, and stay out of it. <S> If you have discomfort? <S> Well, I hate to break it to you, but life is full of pain. <S> This won't be the last. <S> It won't be the worst. <S> Learn to keep going. <A> I think you may be over-reacting and/or being over-sensitive. <S> I will explain why I think so: Whether something is inappropriate or not is subjective and if you weren't the subject of the comment, why not brush it off and continue as normal? <S> The problem isn't with the statement itself but your reaction to it. <S> Why assume that your Manager has "too much on their plate" and won't be capable of continuing to provide support and assistance as they've presumably done in the past? <S> In my experience, people tend to resent those who raise issues on their behalf. <S> If I was your manager and you went "over my head" I would resent that and feel undermined that you hadn't respected that if it's an issue for me then it's mine to deal with and not yours. <S> Sometimes people make off-hand comments not for any malicious reason but <S> perhaps the CFO and your Manager had already discussed it <S> and/or it was an attempt to "break the ice" or get issues into the open. <A> is it appropriate to let my CFO know how their statement has impacted me? <S> To be clear, this is not about speaking up on behalf of my manager. <S> This is about the discomfort I now feel asking my manager for help, and how it impacts my job. <S> Surely it isn't inappropriate... <S> but I don't see a point in doing so. <S> The CFO did what they did for a reason (chances are your manager gave them permission to disclose such information). <S> You were impacted by it. <S> Speaking to the CFO will serve no (?) purpose at all, as you can't make them "undo" the words they said, nor can you magically forget what was said and stop feeling discomfort. <S> What I suggest you do is try to get over that discomfort. <S> As you said, this is a "typically traumatic family event" , and although it's not nice, these things happen in life all the time. <S> Now, if you have a relevant issue or thing to discuss with your manager don't hesitate in reaching out . <S> In times like these is where you have to be a bit more aware and supportive to your manager. <S> Halting your communication and deliberately not raising relevant issues with them is not something I would suggest anytime.
| If your manager found the comment inappropriate then they may or may not choose to raise it with the CFO.
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Is it acceptable to contact people from an old job interview and ask now if a job is still available? Is it OK to contact people from an old job interview and ask if a job is still available? Last time I withdrew my application after the interview and before results were announced. I was from a different country and had some family issues but I withdrew with the message that I am not so interested in that project. I noted that some positions remain unfilled for longer periods of time (several month to more than one year), because they cannot hire the right person, I suppose. In this case the time past is more than one year. Is it a good idea to contact the main member of the selection comittee (project leader) and ask directly if that particular job is still available? For exmple, maybe they were not able to fill the position, or the hired person left etc. <Q> However, dont be surprised if it is not. <S> Obviously, it wouldnt hurt to check the company's website to see what positions are open. <S> This is your best bet on seeing if the position is still available. <A> Yes it's acceptable to ask (can't do any harm) <S> but don't be surprised if you don't get the job, even if it's available. <S> Definitely ask, they may ask you to resubmit the application and interview, but just be aware that you have a slight black mark against your name as a flake. <S> You've said in the comments: <S> I said to them that I am withdrawing because I am not so interested in that project. <S> I said I do not want to move into that field, to be more precise. <S> If this were true, you would not be a good fit for the job, as it happens, you lied to them instead. <S> Even if your real reason is a really good one, it's unlikely to look good for you. <A> Yes. <S> It's part of networking. <S> I always keep in touch with contacts. <S> I don't approach with a "hey, is the job still open?" <S> This is too direct and will (at least in my experience) not have the result you're looking for. <S> Instead I call to discuss the industry, ask for recommendations, etc. <S> Show that you've done your research. <S> And how you help them meet their business goals. <S> There is a headhunter - Nick Corcodilos - who writes on the employment system. <S> https://www.asktheheadhunter.com/ <S> I've used his system for my last two positions. <S> Do your research. <S> Get in front of decision makers. <S> Show them how you help them (and company) do there job and make money. <S> Good luck.
| It is absolutely acceptable to contact a company you previously interviewed at to inquire if the position is still available.
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Being blamed for other people’s mistakes I had a situation in a previous workplace, where it became bullying, and I said nothing and I left the organisation, but, I wonder if this is something that I could have solved? The project was audited by an internal auditor, and as it had not met it’s milestone targets, and the reporting to the steering committee was showing tasks on the project completed, when they were in fact, not yet completed, a political decision was made to push the schedule of the project years away, which meant that half the team had their contracts ended (as you now need less people). One of the things audited was the expenditure. There was lots of unnecessary spending on the project, by the management team. A new process was put in place, where each invoice will go through a series of approvers,prior to approval. Each manager would check only on a particular day of the week, and I would only process on a particular day of the week. This meant that invoices with 30 days payment terms were never paid by their due date. An issue I had was with passing the invoices along to another team. Team members would loose the invoice, and blame me. Team members submitting the invoices would get very angry at me, and I would be told to advise the team member,, to re-submit the invoice, and that it would need to go through the entire process again. The team member submitting the invoice, is being pressured to get it paid, as soon as possible, and I am being pressured to tell them to resubmit and wait the entire process again. I would receive angry comments by team members submitting invoices, and angry comments by a person in giving advice., that this is what they need to do. At one stage, I tried to prove that the invoice was with a particular person, and just asked really politely to check their desks, When I found the invoice on their desk, in front of another manager and team members, They got very angry, and said nothing, but, within minutes some stationary that I had ordered had arrived, and they yelled and made a big scene about the amount of stationary ordered. It was an excuse, due to the invoice being found on their desk, in front of others, when invoices were going missing consistently. Another time, I had to get another team member to resubmit an invoice. It was resubmitted, after desperately searching everything on my desk for half an hour, in front of colleagues that said that blamed me,and not finding it., Then a week later, that same colleague that made me desperately search my desk, blaming me, in front of others, asked me to check my desk again, and said that I may find it, since there was a lot of paperwork on my desk. The invoice was found. She had basically found the invoice on her desk, and a week later planted it on my desk, then asked me to check again. I don’t know what I should have done in this instance, and if I was ever in the same situation again, how I would solve it. The issue was with being constantly blamed, when things were never my fault and I was constantly doing a great job, and being blamed for other people’s mistakes. This scenario happens to me repeatedly and am not too sure how to solve. <Q> Get a proper FMIS that enables people to scan <S> /upload PDF invoices into the system. <S> If you already have such a system then implement a process to ensure people upload the invoice in a consistent way. <S> Paper invoices can easily get lost, as you're experiencing. <A> So lets find a few things in your story that you could do differently: <S> At one stage, I tried to prove that the invoice was with a particular person, and just asked really politely to check their desks, When I found the invoice on their desk, in front of another manager and team members <S> You embarrassed that person in front of peers. <S> and although we are all adults and this should in theory not be a big problem, in reality it is. <S> next time do not look over their shoulders when they are looking for it. <S> Then a week later, that same colleague that made me desperately search my desk, blaming me, in front of others, asked me to check my desk again, and said that I may find it, since there was a lot of paperwork on my desk. <S> The invoice was found. <S> So now they did the same to you. <S> They should have let you search for it on your own instead of embarrasing you infront of peers. <S> So this was not your fault but a way around this is to keep a clean desk. <S> She had basically found the invoice on her desk, and a week later planted it on my desk, then asked me to check again. <S> You dont know this for sure. <S> It would not be the first time that I search some pile of papers twice and find the second time what I did not find the first time. <S> If it is true, you did a good thing by leaving. <S> This is pure bullying and a very toxic working environment. <S> The issue was with being constantly blamed, when things were never my fault and I was constantly doing a great job, and being blamed for other people’s mistakes. <S> I am sorry <S> but I do not buy this. <S> Nobody is perfect. <S> We all make mistakes. <S> And if it can be avoided do not point out peoples mistakes in public. <S> Do it privately. <S> Hope this helps for your future jobs <A> It looks like you have a system in place that causes everyone lots of work and stress, pisses off your employees, and pisses off your vendors. <S> The last point will probably have consequences sooner or later. <S> What you need to do is not fix your tiny little problem, but explain to the people higher up what damage their rules are doing to the company and make them understand this.
| If you owe up to your own mistakes people will generally be less angry when you point them out theirs.
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How to decline invite to team dinner when I have a prior engagement? I am being invited to a team dinner which I won't be able to attend as I have to go for swimming coaching classes every evening. I don't know how to decline the invitation and also politely tell them that I am a team player but I have personal issues and cannot attend evening engagements? <Q> It won't be taken badly, and won't have an effect on your career progression in this company. <S> It's accepted that event dates or times might not suit everyone. <A> I've seen a number of questions lately that seem to be almost self-answering, if you follow one simple guideline: Unless you have a very good reason not to, simply tell the truth with respect and politeness. <S> This isn't just a guideline for this particular question; it's a good mode of thought going forward. <S> In this case? <S> Your boss wants to throw together a dinner for the team, but you can't make it because you have swim coaching classes at that time? <S> Then simply say: " <S> Hi - I want to go, but I can't at that time. <S> I've got swim coaching classes every Friday at 6 PM." <A> Usually, team dinners aren't mandatory. <S> They're great for team building <S> but you're not forced to go. <S> But, if you are available another evening or on week-end, you can ask to change the date: <S> Thanks for the invitation but due to personal constraints, I'm unavailable after work. <S> Can we reschedule on a Saturday evening ? <A> The only time this would be unacceptable is if you knew prior to being a coach that you had this dinner. <S> But if you are already a coach, and this dinner came up, simply say you have prior obligations and cannot make it. <S> If asked, just be honest and say you are a coach for a swim team. <A> To be clear: if you are an hourly worker, there is typically a low expectation for putting in unpaid hours. <S> You would be completely in your rights to declare all unpaid time yours and act accordingly. <S> However, if you are in a profession, or simply a salaried worker, declaring that your job stops at 5:01 each and every night is short-sighted and likely to lead to (at a minimum) being passed up for promotion in favor of someone who is willing to go the extra mile at least occasionally. <S> So, while I agree that a simple statement of truth like "I have other obligations every night after work" is the best way to get out of a team dinner meeting, if the question behind your question is really "should I do this <S> /can I get away with it," think hard about your work culture as well as your 18 month and 3 year goals. <A> Is there a pattern? <S> I tend to end up on multiple team dinners/events in a year (especially counting leaving drinks etc.). <S> I have missed plenty and at everyone I have attended there are people missing for one reason or another. <S> I can't see an issue with missing one. <S> If you miss all of them I could see it being an issue. <S> It won't be taken badly. <S> Just say you have a prior engagement or even that you have coaching lessons and that you hope to make the next one.
| Just say that you have a prior engagement that you can't decline, and that you're unable to accept this invitation. You can politely decline explaining that you have other engagements or personal constraints. I think the answer to this question depends on what line of work you're in and how high in the hierarchy you are, as well as whether you are hoping to get promoted or not.
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Using MFA on client owned computer I have had a pretty long-term relationship with a client. We develop medical applications and part of our arrangement is that they lent me a dedicated computer to use for all the work I do with them. This has worked out well, but recently I upgraded the operating system and it's now bugging me about using Multi-Factor Authentication. From a security standpoint it seems like a good idea, but I'm not sure I want to put my personal phone number into this machine to use when authenticating. It's a Mac and the apple ID on the machine has been set up as "dev@myclientscompany.com" and nothing on it is in my name. Has anyone dealt with a situation like this? What's the best way to handle this? <Q> Here are the instructions from Apple. <S> The additional highlight in bold is mine. <S> Trusted phone numbers <S> A trusted phone number is a number that can be used to receive verification codes by text message or automated phone call. <S> You must verify at least one trusted phone number to enroll in two-factor authentication. <S> You should also consider verifying an additional phone number you can access , such as a home phone, or a number used by a family member or close friend. <S> You can use this number if you temporarily can't access your primary number or your own devices. <S> source <S> Personally,I would call up the client, tell him that I'm setting up two different phone numbers for two-factor authentication, and to let him make the decision himself about which numbers to use. <S> My guess is that he'll want you to use your personal cell phone number, plus one of his own business phone numbers as a backup <S> (in case anything happens to you). <S> Unfortunately, the two-factor authentication method Apple uses on a Mac is not the same as Google's two-factor authentication, so that really limits the options available to you and your client. <A> The alternative is to convince the client to pay for a cheap phone and a phone plan for you. <S> The other alternative is that you buy a cheap phone and a phone plan for it yourself. <S> And I think another alternative is that you forever log in with your three answers to "security questions". <S> You should be the only one who has the password to your apple id, so nobody will be able to log in and get the phone number from your account information. <A> If you don't want to use your personal phone number, use a Google Voice Number. <S> Before you do, be sure to read up on any security issues in doing this, as some people have reported issues with having 2FA send to VOIP numbers. <S> When you need to move on, you can reassign that Google Voice number to any number supplied by your client. <A> From a security perspective MFA authentication is simply trying to authenticate you based on your credentials. <S> In a multifactor manner this is done with a combination of methods such as; <S> You have personal knowledge of something; i.e. a private password or answer to security questions <S> You can access some physical device, e.g. your phone which presumably you have on you all the time <S> You can provide identifying characteristics to a scanner e.g. a fingerprint scanner or retina scanner. <S> All the above methods use 'your own' data/information in some way so <S> using your private phone to my mind is no worse than using knowledge of your password or fingerprint scan. <S> Of course if you don't trust the system to keep your phone number private well that might be an issue. <S> But if there are other, easier ways to acquire your phone number, then its privacy has already been breached, so the consideration is made moot.
| The easiest and most practical way is to enter the phone number of your private phone.
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How to deal with obsessive people? Characteristics of the Person:- Dogmatic and doesn't have a full stop in his conversation. He talks what he wants to talk, and isn't interested in what others want to talk or anything outside the scope of his interest. He just comes in says hello and tries to repel the conversation to what he wants to talk, and then there is no way to turn him out of it. But this isn't the problem. Example of our conversation:- Let's say he likes some x product. He would talk about why product x is a good one and everything good about it (and some made up stuff too), which is plausible. But the things is that in order to prove the superiority of x he brings other related product y and starts debating on why y is inferior as compared to x . This is quite detrimental, not only to others opinion but also ends up making him believe in some false information. I tried many times to rectify him, but due to his dogmatic nature I end up on the receiving end of irrational criticism. Due to this the conversation ends up having information having influence of his prejudice, rather then mere facts. As I mentioned he doesn't know when to stop. His conversation can go on for hours if nothing is there to interrupt it (Today we conversed for 4 hours about some stuff that is beyond our control). The Actual Problem:- I am least interested in the conversation, because the same conversation happens everytime he talks to me, about some products that he likes. I am tired of listening to the same stupid stuff everytime, about why x is greatest and other's are not. I tried several time to change the topic of our conversation to something else (more productive) but he ends up coming back to what he wants to talk regardless of other's interest. Problem from my part:- My problem is that I just don't know how to express my lack of interest in his conversation. I tried to give him many signs depicting that "I am not interested in this talk" but he ignores them all and ends up talking about what he wants. And I am not a blunt person, who can go to a person and say "Get off my face" (which i believe would end up Hurting him). Due to this I end up nodding to whatever he says, without any interest for hours (Today, I wasted 4 hours of my life listening to this crap). What Do I want:- I want some methods that I could use to make him stop bothering me. Or to make him realize that "I am not interested". P.S.:- For those people who would answer/comment on me trying to acknowledge him about his behaviour, should probably stop coz I have tried quite a lot doing so but due to his arrogance nothing goes past his ego. So I believe work should be done on our side, rather then on his. <Q> Take him aside in private sometime and say: <S> “Bob, I have to tell you something that you won’t like to hear, but I think it’s important. <S> I have noticed that you have a tendency to speak at length on subjects that interest you, without regards for whether your audience cares to hear about this topic. <S> As a result, people tend to avoid you. <S> Personally, I feel that it’s impacting my work because so many hours are taken up listening to your lectures and I have trouble concentrating on my duties. <S> Please try not to do this. <S> In the future I will let you know when this is happening by making this hand motion (extend your hand with palm raised). <S> If you don’t stop, I will say “you’re doing it again!” and expect you to stop. <S> I’d like us to be friends, but if this behavior continues I’m going to have to avoid you too <S> so I can do my job.” <S> Then follow through on what you said. <S> I’ve used this exact approach several times. <A> Just pointing out that I have work to do and turning my focus to that work tended to work for me. <S> It can be especially helpful if you can have something urgent to take care of, but I'd advise against making something up or causing a problem. <S> Inflating the urgency of something that's already legitimately important generally worked for me. <S> I do feel like Ernest Friedman-Hill's answer is a better answer in the general case, but this is a less confrontational option that I used until I got the confidence to do as Ernest suggests. <S> If that's not effective, and this person's topic of interest is not relevant to their work, it may be helpful to mention to their boss how much time they spend on this non-work-related subject. <S> As Joe Strazzere pointed out in his comment, this can be a dicey option. <S> You'd want to be sure to have a pretty significant time attempting the first suggestion before talking to the boss. <S> That said, the times I've heard of this backfiring on the person due to their own involvement in the situation, it was because the person told the boss "we were talking", including themselves in the report. <S> Be sure if you talk to their boss, "he was talking at me", rather than the other. <S> It may also be helpful to point out that this behavior is making it difficult for you to get your work done, but depending on how closely you are organizationally related to this person, that may not be as useful. <S> If you report to the same boss, absolutely assert that you're trying to work and this is distracting from it. <S> If your reporting situation is like mine was in most of the cases I've had that were similar to this, where the only person in both your reporting chain and theirs was the CEO, and there's over a dozen people in those chains, stressing the distraction from your own work may not be effective at all. <A> I would try to simply tune out, ignore him or walk away at some point. <S> It might seem rude but by nodding you are providing him positive feedback and enabling him. <S> A good test would be to stop looking at him, don't react and put your headphones if you have any. <S> Otherwise you could simply walk away for a few minutes without saying anything and ignore him once you come back.
| If you do it firmly but politely, it actually works well.
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Can I be "unfired"/can my layoff be canceled? Context A family member of mine recently died, and in anticipation of the funeral, I gave advanced notice to my employer that I would not be able to come to work for a day because of the emotional strain, travel time, and schedule imposed by the funeral, and that they were to look for a replacement. My manager was not pleased with this, and immediately threatened to end my contract if I didn't show up or find a replacement myself, stating that they didn't have the time or resources to search for a replacement themselves, although I don't have any more time or resources than they do, and I definitely wasn't going to be able to find a replacement either, which I of course notified them of. They didn't give me any further solutions. Basically, they gave me a choice between attending the funeral or keeping my job. Due to an arguably immoral (but probably legal) contract, it indeed seems possible for me to be fired under any circumstances for not showing up or announcing a replacement (I don't know how they account for injury or sickness, but that's how it's written). This all never and still doesn't concern me too much, however, as this is a low-paying part time job, that I wasn't going to abandon a funeral for, especially since this funeral in particular was of great importance to me. I of course did attend the funeral, and indeed, the next day I was notified that my contract had been terminated, and that I would be fired after the 14 day notice period as laid out in the contract. However, I independently received conflicting information from my employer stating that my manager was still discussing a solution regarding my employment and contract. After asking for clarification, I was told that I had indeed been fired and that my contract had been terminated, but that I would be able to keep working for the company without any further complications if I didn't escalate breaching contract by skipping the notice day period (which I wasn't planning to do anyway). I am left very confused by this. So far as I can tell, once a contract termination has been notified, once I have been properly "fired", then the contract will have been terminated and will have to be resigned/renegotiated. Even disregarding the content of the contract, there's no real question that I have been fired and that the contract has been terminated, it was threatened with beforehand and confirmed afterwards. And I've never heard of a contract termination being "canceled", or a person being "unfired", so I don't really understand what kind of situation I am in right now. What I feel like happened is my manager threatened the termination of my contract in an unnecessary act of rage or desperation, followed up on that threat, then backed off at the prospect of having to find a replacement. Either that or I just have plain and simply been lied to with regards to my termination (which doesn't seem legal?). Unfortunately, either of these options seems reasonable to me, since the management of my employer hasn't generally been the best (having to provide my credentials multiple times due to bad administration, receiving my pay late multiple times, being scheduled for work-hours conflicting with earlier promises, etc.). I feel like a lot of pressure and responsibility is put on our management, it might even be the case that my manager is personally responsible for replacing me considering what I have heard earlier and especially considering their hostile reactions, but of course, that's no excuse for what happened here. Whatever the case may be though, I am not sure how to proceed now, especially when it comes to agreeing to the canceling of the termination. I wouldn't mind staying for at least a couple more weeks, however, I also don't really care about this job, since the pay is low, the work has grown to be below my skill level, and especially because of its current management. Using a fake contract termination as a leverage tool doesn't seem moral, fair or even legal to me, and neither does the prospect of possibly working illegally without a contract. I don't really know how to proceed with discussing this with my manager now. <Q> This seems like a fairly unethical employer which I wouldn't trust. <S> You may have a little bit of leverage: they want you to serve the notice period <S> so they have more time finding a replacement. <S> I would tread carefully here: they may try to withhold payment or fire you as soon as they have a convenient replacement lined up. <S> I would ask for an written contract that exactly lays out the conditions for your future employment and/or the rest of your notice period. <S> If they don't agree or you don't like the terms of the contract, I'd walk away. <S> Chances are nothing good will come from staying and working there <A> Question: Do you want to stay, or do you want to leave? <S> Same if you give notice because you are angry about something; once you give notice your job is gone unless the company agrees. <S> So if you don’t want to stay, you tell them that you accepted the notice and that’s it. <S> If you don’t want to leave: Between the company and you, you can agree on anything. <S> If the company says “let’s forget about the firing” and you agree, then your contract continues. <S> You’d want something in writing that you have done nothing that the company will hold against you. <S> BTW. <S> If your manager has the right to fire you, and says “you’re fired”, then it is not possible to lie about it, you are indeed fired. <S> But it seems they need you . <S> That means you have the upper hand. <S> So first as I said you get in writing that your contract continues. <S> And then you can decide for yourself how much they need you and what you can get away with. <S> If you think they really need you then You can say that your pay is really low and you would be much more interested in forgetting about the firing if the pay was higher. <S> The result may be that you won’t be staying there for long, but you only want to stay a few months anyway. <S> Of course you better be right about how much they need you. <A> Using a fake contract termination as a leverage tool doesn't seem moral, fair or even legal to me, <S> It is not a fake contract termination. <S> I don't know the precise terms of the contract, but it seems to me that the proper steps to terminate it have been taken: it has been communicated to you and the proper notice period has been used to calculate your last day. <S> What comes after depends on what you want, if you really want to keep the job or if you are ready to look for something else. <S> The management doesn't seem good, so I would consider looking for a new job as an opportunity to find a better place. <S> But, if you are considering staying, use your leverage to get better conditions. <S> I don't see anything immoral in asking to receive what you are worth to them. <S> Obviously, the more you are ready to look somewhere else, the more leverage you have. <A> I would read it like this: Your manager overstepped his bounds, and HR tries to back-pedal, but right now has not (yet?) gotten the formal OK from somebody up the chain to cancel this. <S> Anyway, the communication surrounding the issue is completely ridiculous to say the least. <S> Look for a new job, if the general job situation in the region is good; work during the notice period, ask a lawyer what the legal status after the notice period is <S> is <S> case you continue to work. <S> See what happens in respect to your manager.
| If you want to leave, then they have given you notice, and that can’t be undone unless you agree.
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Boss just abruptly quit after 13 years at the company. No replacement yet identified. Other developers have recently quit. Others seek to leave I am a recent graduate in my first job after university and have been at my current company for 3 months as a software engineer. On Friday, it was abruptly announced that my boss (the guy who hired me) had resigned and would be leaving in two weeks. His new job is just a few blocks away, so it is not as though he is moving or retiring. What alarms me about this is that my boss came up in my company. He wasn't a typical 2-3 year tenure hire or a non-technical product manager, but someone who seemingly had commits on every file in our codebase. You could tell him a filename and he knew where your error might be. He was the engineer who got to manage the product as he built the product. He is not the only software developer to leave recently. I went back through the list of names on the commits and virtually everyone is new to the company. He was the last person who wrote the core codebase to still be there (that was in 2017 for our product). In addition, two other developers (on a team of about 10-12 depending who you count) have left in the past 7 weeks. One guy arrived one week before I did, so inevitably he replaced someone as well. I was having lunch with another developer and he was openly telling me about juicy jobs at a competitor which were open on Glassdoor and Indeed (so it is not as though he just stumbled upon them on LinkedIn). A third is ready to quit if he can find a job closer to his wife (who works in small town three hours away). Is this level of turnover normal in software development? Or should I be taking this as a bad sign? In addition, the job posting for my boss's replacement is entirely aimed at being for a non-technical person with a business degree. If that is the case, there will be no engineering leadership on the team. It will just be a bunch of devs below a manager. My current boss has served as a technical mentor, so I am worried about losing any meaningful guidance in growing as a software engineer, especially if the rest of the team evaporates. Should I be concerned and if so, what should I be doing? <Q> Should I be concerned and if so, what should I be doing? <S> It is normal for an exodus to start sometimes. <S> And devs are especially prone to moving on due to the nature of their work and temperaments. <S> In your case you basically just got there <S> and you're as junior as it gets. <S> None of it's your fault and unless there are problems with your pay or workload becomes untenable it's not an actual problem. <S> Similar situation saw me moving from Junior to Senior engineer with more than twice the pay in a year of solid work when I first entered IT. <S> Another similar exodus in my forestry days led to me taking over a 12,000 dollar contract for a weeks work. <S> Best payday I'd ever had in my early life (spent most of it on booze, chicks and rock&roll, the rest I wasted). <A> Quick answer is keep calm and carry on. <S> It's your first job, so only these things count: <S> Is it ok for your physical & mental health? <S> Are you learning valuable skills? <S> Are you earning ok? <S> Other things, like how the company is doing, whether it's going to survive long-term etc. is not your problem. <S> You will most likely move to a new job in 2-3 years, perhaps max. <S> 5 years anyways. <S> Another thing is, you don't need to move preemptively. <S> You have plenty of time, and it's better to cross the 2 year tenure line for future job prospects. <S> So don't make a move because you anticipate something might happen. <S> Wait and see, if it happens you still have plenty of time to move. <S> All the things you have written are not obvious red flags. <S> Turnover of 30% is pretty standard in tech, and there is a lot of variance due to chance. <S> Also during a change it's normal <S> that there is increased turn-over (a senior person like CTO, VP of Engineering leaving can ofter trigger this). <S> This is however normal and often healthy for a company. <S> Sometimes a company grows and needs a different approach, different knowledge etc. <S> So don't fret - look at the list above, and if any of them are not met, that's when you should start your move. <S> And finally, even if you are not looking to move, interview from time to time - at least once per year. <S> It allows you to know your current market value, and keep your interview skills sharp (you don't have to take the offers). <A> What can you find out about the history of the company? <S> Was it recently purchased by another company? <S> They have raided it for whatever talent and assets they could get and will soon move its product into the end-of-life phase. <S> This would mean that your former boss declined to move to the purchasing company. <S> Another possibility is that, purchased or no, your company is moving the product into the revenue-extraction (aka capital-depletion) phase. <S> This would mean that the product has been deemed no longer extendable, and not worth enhancing with more features. <S> The company will exit the market, or more likely begin developing a replacement product with brand new technology. <S> It's also possible that your former boss and the company management just came to have irreconcilable differences about the direction in which the product should be grown. <S> This would mean that the exodus was triggered by the knowledge among the developers that the master developer would soon be leaving. <S> Some agreed with their mentor, and went; some agreed with management, and stayed. <S> In that case you're probably OK. <S> At least management isn't deliberately ending the product development. <S> You have learned all you can from examining the product you work on and from looking at your department. <S> You now need to look around at what else the company is doing. <S> Ask your fellow developers if one of these guesses is true. <S> It's acceptable to express this kind of curiosity. <S> Take your former boss to lunch and pump him for info on the future roadmap of the company he just left.
| Stay and ride it out, there's plenty of room for advancement and you can analyse whats best for you. If you company was purchased by a competitor, they may be preparing to shut it down.
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My company sends extremely sensitive data to a contractor in China, but says it doesn't. Should I do anything? I work as a developer in a midsized startup that has around 200 people and ~50k customers. Our privacy policy says we don't share customer data with any third party, except that we certainly do - we send each customer's extremely sensitive data to a contractor in China for processing, which gives us a huge price advantage, halving the price of our product. On the one hand, I can't stand extremely sensitive information being sent to a regime I don't personally like. On the other hand, I grew a lot professionally thanks to this company as a developer and they pay nicely as well. What should I do, if anything, about this? Note: I've once said it out loud (stupidly) that our privacy policy says we don't share data with any third party, and if it's discovered, we may face a class lawsuit. Around 10 people heard me saying that. <Q> Interpreting privacy policies is not trivial, so keep an open mind that you might be wrong. <S> At the same time, don't assume malice immediately - they might be willing to address the situation. <S> First stop should be your immediate manager. <S> Share your concern with this person and see what they say. <S> If you are not satisfied with their answers even after raising it repeatedly, you can escalate to their manager (and mention you have talked to your immediate manager about this, and if you can also let your immediate manager know you are escalating). <S> If even this doesn't resolve your concern, consider addressing it to a different department (like legal). <S> Finally you can raise it to the CEO. <S> If all above fails, then you can consider notifying the authorities. <S> If you did all the above, and the company still didn't resolve it, chances are you will be disadvantaged if the company suspects you notified the authorities. <S> Personally, if I were to go to the authorities I will only do so if I'm ok with having to leave the company. <S> It's a decision only you can make. <S> If you decide to stay low instead, then be sure to protect yourself by e.g. documenting instructions to send the data etc. <S> in emails. <A> If it was a data transfer from EU to China, there are rules ( https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection_en ) that need to be followed. <S> I assume that similar rules apply for US to China data transfers, but some legal expertise is required to understand if those data transfers are protected by “Privacy shields”. <S> Generally those laws are not easily enforced without somebody becoming the whistleblower! <S> If you are NOT 100% sure that what the US company is doing is illegal, just simply mention your concerns to your superiors. <S> IF you think that this data transfer is 100% illegal (by facts shared by the US company itself and/or your attorney), AND(+) <S> the US Company tries to avoid to resolve the issue (does not answer you questions in emails in order NOT leave a paper trail of evidence!) <S> , AND (+) simultaneously you think that a scandal could have a damaging impact to your career, become an anonymous whistleblower to the authorities. <S> IF all those 3 factors do not exist simultaneously, just simply mention your concerns to your superiors. <A> I can't stand extremely sensitive information being sent to a regime I don't personally like. <S> What should I do, if anything, about this? <S> You say that you can't stand it, but so far you have. <S> If the regime bothers you enough, you should find a new job and leave this one. <S> Before you decide to look elsewhere, you might wish to make sure that the contractor in China is considered a "Third Party" in the context of your company's public statements about not sending data to a third party. <S> I once worked for a company that had a subsidiary in India. <S> That wasn't considered a "Third Party".
| You might be well served to discuss the issue with your boss and see what you can learn.
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After how many rows should one leave the current job/position? In the last one and a half year, I had two rows with my boss. Both times I was thinkinq to quit but somehow I remained in my position. Just for an explanation, by rows I mean exchanging several emails with strong comments on productivity and un-kept promises. In the second time, my boss reported me to the director, that he is not satissfied with me, but she somehow sided with my case. Now our relationship is OK, I think, but I fear that next time I will have to/should quit? Is there any unwritten rule when should one leave the job if there are some misunderstanding with the boss? <Q> Is there any unwritten rule when should one leave the job if there are some misunderstanding with the boss? <S> General rule of thumb when you're unhappy is to get another job before you quit. <S> Don't base it on personal issues without that, unemployment isn't fun. <A> You never have to quit . <S> It is in most cases better for you if you are pushed instead of jumping yourself. <S> And when you found one, and a legally binding contract is signed, that's when you give notice. <S> One thing you didn't say who was making comments on productivity and unkept promises, and if that person was right or wrong. <S> But then, your boss is not the boss of the company. <S> He is just one level above you, your manager or supervisor, so with very little power, and the director above him has sided with you at least once, so you are not in a bad position. <S> If there is another "misunderstanding", that is if your manager attacks you once more, then you think about whether his accusations are true or not. <S> If he is right, fair enough. <S> If he is wrong, think about how much it affects you. <S> Some people in your position wouldn't care because they know they are right, some would break out in tears, most are somewhere in between. <S> If it affects you negatively, you talk to HR / the director and / or start looking for a new job. <A> Conflict is a part of daily life, especially in the workplace. <S> You are never going to work anywhere for a reasonable amount of time where you will have no conflict. <S> Handling it properly is a requirement of success. <S> When handled properly, its a good thing. <S> A catalyst for growth. <S> It just depends on how you handle it. <S> But this depends entirely on the maturity and professionalism of your boss. <S> Did he get heated, insulting, or aggressive in any way? <S> Or was it a civil back-and-forth? <S> No answer to this question can truly be complete because it all comes down to the kind of professional your boss is and your own professionalism. <S> If you handled it poorly, or you cant deal with the fallout of such conflict then changing jobs isn't going to fix anything.
| And when you think your job is at risk, or when you think you want to leave, you first look for a new job. If you're civil, and your responses are measured, you should have nothing to worry about.
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Should I respond to feelers for companies I'm not interested in? A friend of mine recently did me the favor of spreading the word that I'm looking for a job in an online community of CTOs. I've received a few feeler emails from a few companies thanks to his recommendation. I'm interested in some and I'm uninterested in others. None of them are for specific positions. The reasons I'm not interested range from the particular company's reputation to my own personal disinterest in their particular industry. Should I respond to the feelers I'm not interested in? Or should I just ghost/ignore them? If I should respond, how can I say I'm not interested without burning a bridge or coming off like a jerk? <Q> Should I respond to the feelers <S> I'm not interested in? <S> Or should I just ghost/ignore them? <S> If I should respond, how can I say I'm not interested without burning a bridge or coming off like a jerk? <S> You never know who can help you some time down the road. <S> Assuming the feelers were online, it's simple and quick to respond in a friendly, non-jerk way. <S> No need for any specific rejection reason; just keep it general. <S> Something like "Thanks for the contact. <S> I'm working on other opportunities at the moment, but I appreciate the interest. <S> " should work. <A> Should I respond to the feelers <S> I'm not interested in? <S> Yes . <S> Think of them as people. <S> If they took the effort to send you an email, so that they could help you, an answer (with a thank you note) is the minimum you can do. <S> If I should respond, how can I say I'm not interested without burning a bridge or coming off like a jerk? <S> What makes you reject/not consider their offer? <S> If it's the conditions they are offering, talk with them about it. <S> Consider suggesting a video call, so that you can meet each other and look at each others eyes. <S> Remember to be friendly and truthful. <S> Who knows if one of them will be able to meet the requirements you are looking for? <S> If even after that you don't want to work with them, connect with them on LinkedIn (or other professional networks) as we don't know the future (and your relationship can be mutual beneficial). <A> Should I respond to the feelers <S> I'm not interested in? <S> Or should I just ghost/ignore them? <S> If these were "out of the blue" messages (essentially recruiter spam), then I'd just advise ignoring them. <S> Life's too short to give random recruiters the time of day that start spamming me on LinkedIn. <S> But in this situation specifically, this isn't recruiter spam - you're the one who reached out initially through your friend, and the companies are messaging you based on that interaction. <S> So yes, in this case, you should absolutely reply to avoid burning bridges. <S> This works both ways too <S> - I've had some recruitment messages (on Stackoverflow and other sites) <S> I've followed up with to ask a few questions, and never heard anything back. <S> As a result, I'd more than likely not bother applying to those companies in the future unless they offered something exceptionally compelling. <S> how can I say I'm not interested without burning a bridge or coming off like a jerk? <S> You come across as much more of a jerk by not replying. <S> Just be short, friendly and to the point: <S> Hi X, <S> Thanks very much for reaching out <S> , I appreciate it. <S> I'm afraid this role doesn't sound like it'd be a great fit at the moment, but I'll keep it in mind if my situation changes at all.
| If it's the company's reputation/personal disinterest in their industry, the email may be enough.
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Should I accept the job offer even if I am getting paid less than my current position I have a job offer from company A which is a start up in its early stages and its not making a profit which is the reason why the company cannot offer a higher salary. They are offering me a salary of 60k(edited) per annum and SARS worth of 4.5k. Currently, I am working at company B which is giving me 65k and I have been at this company for more than three years. Company B did not update my contract this year like all the other years but this time I got fed up and talked to my manager about it and got my contract updated with a raise of 3k. I have more than 6 years of experience but my company kept me at the title level of Software Engineer until I specifically asked to be promoted. Furthermore, My current company kept assigning me grunt work and it felt like, I was not allowed to pickup work which I was fully capable of doing. My company completely forgot about all the big projects I have delivered in the past.Their have been times when I had nothing to do but all the tickets were pre assigned to the other guys. It felt like my current company did not trust me. I am very keen to accept the job offer but all my friends are recommending against it. They are of the opinion that I should look for another job for a well established company and should get at least the same pay. PS: I used to be very shy. I guess that is the reason I got pushed around a lot in my current position. <Q> My first suggestion would be to respond to the new job offer with, "My current position pays me €65,000 <S> and so I'm afraid I'm unable to accept a cut in pay." <S> If they really want you they're probably going to be willing to at least match your current salary, and I don't think you're going to alienate them by asking for such a straightforward and reasonable thing. <A> While 5k might seem like a reasonably substantial amount, if you work it out, it comes in at a less impressive sounding $96 extra per week. <S> Then, if you pay income tax, this will be eroded further - to maybe half that depending on where you live. <S> Only you know how much extra you'd come out with every week and <S> if that would make a material difference to your life. <S> However, there are a number of reasons it can make sense to play a long game and take a less well paid job in the short term... <S> the work would be more enjoyable/suitable <S> it offers more potential for personal and career advancement <S> the organisation's culture is superior the organisation's name on your CV will be a bonus when looking for future jobs <S> the work/life balance is more... <S> (well) balanced there is a possibility of a much better salary (or IPO payout) in the long term <S> We work to pay the bills and put food on the table- <S> but there is more to it than just the cash you take home. <S> This is a place where you will spend 40 hours a week - probably more if you work in software engineering if my experience is anything to go by. <S> Would you be happy to spend 40 hours a week in this office, with these people, doing this work for 5 years or more? <S> What is the commute like - will you get more time with your family? <S> Also as other have said, talking about money is nothing to shy away from. <S> It's literally just business. <S> It's a negotiation - you want to extract the highest amount possible from them in order to do the job, they want to pay out the least possible to get you to do the job. <S> Hopefully, you meet in the middle. <A> Consider the risk also; you're being offered less than market value, to work in a company with no track record, which is not making a profit. <S> At the very least, you should be offered share options in this startup to mitigate the risk (you'll probably never be able to use them, but in the rare event the company succeeds, you'll have a small bonus to look forward to).
| It all depends on your personal situation as to whether you take this gamble, or whether you look towards a different company with a higher salary.
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How to handle "afterthoughts"? I am not sure how I can phrase it better, but I feel I have an "afterthought" or "on the hindsight" approach of thinking. I am, for most of the time, unable to think of appropriate things to say in an extempore manner, however as soon as the conversation is over and I reflect on it, I start getting back those thoughts and how I could have phrased them. This is, to say the least, utterly detrimental as I think that I often sound like a person who has no appropriate/best answer to provide at that moment. Recently during a job interview, I was answering a question where I should have used the word "cloud-native" in my reply (in fact the interviewer clarified this herself later), but I didn't even utter that word once, despite the fact that I have been working in the cloud migration space since last 3 years. "On the hindsight" I even thought that her expectation was wrong and that I could have said that "Cloud Native" is a target state however one could well migrate their workload even without any change, rewrites or refactoring (the 6Rs et al), say, by containerizing them and that various workloads will have various target state, some may need a re-write, some minor refactoring, some re-platforming, etc. What you decide for your applications depends on the budget, life-cycle state of the application, complexity and so on. However, I missed the bus by not saying anything of that sort during the discussion. Does anyone of you face a similar situation; that you are good with "prepared" answers but stumble when unprepared? How does one tackle this problem at the workplace or during interviews? P.S: Despite of my worries it seems the interviewer still liked my answers and I have received a job offer :) <Q> Does anyone of you face a similar situation; that you are good with "prepared" answers but stumble when unprepared? <S> How does one tackle this problem at the workplace or during interviews? <S> We've all stumbled in interviews at times. <S> I know I certainly have. <S> For me, I try to be as prepared as I can, so as to minimize my stumbles. <S> I make sure <S> I know exactly what my resume says. <S> I read it over many times, and at least once just before I enter the interview <S> I make sure I understand as much as possible about the company. <S> I read their website. <S> I talk with others in my network. <S> If using an agency, I get information from them. <S> I brush up on any technical knowledge that I feel might come up during the interview <S> In my head, and sometimes out loud in front of a mirror, I rehearse things I might say <S> And during the interview, I try hard to "stay in the moment". <S> I listen carefully to what the interviewer is saying without trying to think ahead. <S> I pause before many of my answers to consider what I am going to say before I say it. <S> And I watch the interviewer to make sure what I am saying seems to be coming across correctly. <S> But whenever a stumble happens (and it often does), I don't worry about it. <S> I realize that we all stumble and that the majority of my responses were good. <S> I usually leave an interview knowing I did the best I could, and I seldom worry about what I could have done differently, knowing that I can't change the past. <A> Lacking a coherent reply happens to thoughtful, intelligent people. <S> In his book Nautilus 90 <S> North , the story of the first submarine to reach the North Pole, Captain Anderson recounted an interview for selecting captains of nuclear submarines. <S> The admiral wanted not just competent captains but educated captains, and he asked Anderson what books he had read lately. <S> On the spot, Anderson couldn't think of any, but he had actually read a lot, and he followed up with a list of books. <S> And he got the job. <A> Maybe an approach you could take is to not answer in the heat of the moment, <S> if you have more specific situations, maybe can help you better, e.g. If it's a team meeting to discuss which approach to take in a task or project, you could ask for an agenda or what the meeting is about before hand to prepare. <S> This approach is mostly crucial in tense situations when someone is taking things more personally and responding in the heat of the moment will only make it worse cause you are mostly responding not to generate the best idea but to defend/protect yourself and prove the other person wrong or their idea faulty. <S> In the worst case, if it happened and you responded and after the meeting, you realized you have better ideas, send an email/follow up/in-person chat and say "I gave it another thought and I have different ideas, can we regroup as I want to share them" or approach the strongest stakeholder in the group (let's say the project manager e.g.) and discuss your ideas in private with them, if they are good again, they will take care of regrouping and reconsidering your thoughts. <S> If you have more specific situations, maybe my answer could be more helpful! <S> but hope the above helps. <A> One thing in interviews specifically that I have found useful, is when they ask you at the end if you have any questions, among the other questions you might have, is to also ask something along the lines of, <S> "Is there any questions that I have answered today that you feel that you require more information on, or have any concerns about" This gives the interviewer the opportunity to seek clarification on any questions your answers gave concern on, and allows opportunity to add additional details that you missed when first answering the question. <S> I have found it useful and has allowed me to be successful in interviews where the interviewer has specifically raised a concern, or felt that an answer lacked details, allowing me to improve the response. <S> Sure some interviewers might not respond to this, but I feel you have nothing to lose at this point (and it can be reassuring if they respond that they are happy with all your answers). <S> I think it also demonstrates <S> self-awareness - A good Interviewer knows that interviews can be stressful and its easy to forget answers. <S> As Joe says in his excellent answer, it is important to feel like you gave your best in an interview and this technique has helped me to feel like I gave the best responses to questions that I could.
| If it's something on the spot, you can always take a moment and ask for time to think like "I will think about it and give you my opinion in a couple of hours or tomorrow, I need to digest it better".
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Is it legal for my employer (UK) to ask personal questions? My employer in the United Kingdom has been requested by a third party (whom we, the company, work for) that all employees complete a security related interview involving personal questions such as if we have any issues in our marriage, if we have any problems with car/house loans etc., If we have problems with alcohol or drugs outside of work and other personal questions. This is for the benefit of the 3rd party company and was not mentioned in our original contract unless there is a catchall clause covering it. We have all worked here for more than 3 years. The answers will be recorded with a summary sent to the 3rd party confidentially and records kept confidentally by our HR department at our company. Is this legal in the UK? There has been an implication that it wouldn't be acceptable to refuse to answer questions. <Q> They can ask but you have every right to tell them to shove it. <A> If you needed some government security clearance, then an awful lot of question would be asked, your family and maybe your friends would be asked, but your employer would not hear anything about anything you say, except at the end whether you got clearance or not. <S> So your employer asking for that kind of information is a very, very dark crimson red flag. <S> They can ask, but they have not the slightest rights to an answer. <A> all employees complete a security related interview involving personal questions such as if we have any issues in our marriage, if we have any problems with car/house loans etc. <S> , <S> If we have problems with alcohol or drugs outside of work and other personal questions. <S> These questions generally fall into security clearance type questions for government jobs. <S> However, for private sector I do not feel the questions are appropriate unless you work in some sensitive job like a bank. <S> You can refuse to answer but you may not get selected for the job. <S> As for legality of the questions, that's something you have to find out with a lawyer. <S> Since they do ask it, I would imagine they are legal questions.
| Nobody here can say for sure if these are protected questions. This isn't normal in any shape or form, the sorts of questions you are talking about do get looked into to one degree or another when you're going through some of the more rigorous security clearances and while I've had third parties require clearances to work with them before you don't provide this information directly to the third party or even to your employer but instead to the UKSV who will only tell the employer/third party a cleared or not-cleared status.
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How to deal with recruiters who won't set specific times and who want to just call whenever they want I am currently interviewing and usually the first contact with a company is with an internal recruiter. I have found most recruiters don't want to set up a time for a phone screen. They give only vague times like "Tuesday afternoon" and then expect you to keep your whole afternoon free just in case they call (half the time, they forget). I am currently also working, which means I have tasks and meetings to complete. I also need to plan ahead so I can sneak out to my car or into an empty meeting room to take the call. I can't keep an entire afternoon free, so I just tell them I'm not interested. How should I be handling this? <Q> Make it clear to them what you can and cannot do. <S> So if they say to you "Can I call you Tuesday afternoon? <S> " you say I'm sorry <S> I'm going to be at work that time <S> and I can't take outside calls. <S> If you give me an exact time in advance I can arrange to be free then. <S> Alternatively you can call me after work or at lunchtime. <S> If they say "I don't know when I'll be able to call you" say <S> Offering to take a call after hours is often helpful, because it means you are being cooperative and enthusiastic, but they don't want to do this so they will do their best to accommodate you within work hours. <A> This is what I've done in the past: Remove your phone number from your CV and job sites. <S> Add your Calendly or GCA link to the Contact section of your CV <S> Have recruiters pick a slot that suits them and have them leave you their number. <S> Call them yourself. <S> I had the exact problem and used the solution above. <S> Some recruiters didn't like it, which is fine. <S> There's more recruiters these days than there are jobs, or at least that's what it feels like sometimes. <S> Most of them had no issue though, and I've never lost a lead because of this. <A> You're not "not interested" , you have a job with responsibilities <S> Just because you hit some difficulties doesn't mean you're not interested. <S> You want to be taken seriously as a good catch by a recruiter. <S> Professional candidates are already hard-working people, so it doesn't look bad that you're too busy to wait all day for them. <S> As long as you propose solutions, not just throw up problems. <S> Take Control <S> Recruiters can't be relied on to call at a convenient time. <S> Some of them do - if you agree 14:00 they'll call at 14:00. <S> Sweet. <S> Some others are perfectly nice people <S> but they'll helpfully call at 13:30. <S> So you need to call them. <S> Tell them "I can't take outside calls at work. <S> When can I call you? <S> " If they name a whole afternoon, you have the whole afternoon to call them at a time that suits you. <S> If they propose a specific time, call them exactly then. <A> Ask them to call you outside office hours. <S> Otherwise, you call them, and try again later if they're busy. <S> Recruiting agents are optimists, they'll hope you have a private office and can take calls at any time, but they do know that doesn't apply to everyone.
| If you text me a day or so in advance, I'll give you a time slot when I'm free, and we will arrange to talk then. Sign up for a service like Calendly or Google Calendar Appointments. They expect you to have a job, and it's normal to be unable to make personal calls at work.
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Is it appropriate to ask for a raise in Sweden? I joined the mid-sized IT (500-1000 employees) company located in Stockholm, Sweden over a year ago. When the yearly salary reviews happened earlier this year I was missed (because supposedly there is a rule that you need to work at least 9 months to be eligible for a salary review, and I only had 8 months) and my salary is still at the level from mid-2018. The next salary review is scheduled for Q2 of 2020 and I don't want to wait that long for a raise (or at the very least adjustment related to the inflation in Sweden). There is no mention about the salary reviews in my contract nor was I informed about this during the recruitment process. Living and working here for almost 4 years now, I understand that yearly salary-reviews are extremely common and very often the only way to receive a raise. I like my manager, my team and we have quite healthy atmosphere and relations in the office. Would formally asking for a raise be very much out of line or in a bad taste? Could doing it somehow damage my relations with the manager or higher-management? <Q> Is it appropriate to ask for a raise in Sweden? <S> It never hurts to ask. <S> The worst that could happen is that the company tells you that you have to wait for the next salary review. <S> It should not damage any relations as you are simply asking ( not demanding ) <S> barely missed the last salary review and you were never informed about the dates <S> Good luck <A> Does the company have a collective agreement ("kollektivavtal") with a union? <S> If so I think you will get the higher salary for the months that have already passed as well. <A> I like my manager, my team and <S> we have quite healthy atmosphere and relations in office. <S> And that's the trap. <S> Because asking about something for yourself may upset them. <S> And they (managers/people responsible for salary) know this and will (conciously or not) use that against you <S> (after all one of their goals is to pay less). <S> Besides what is more important: that everyone likes you or that you earn more? <S> This is not a rhetorical question, you actually have to think and decide for yourself. <S> You either stand up for yourself and some people don't like you or <S> you don't <S> and everyone likes you. <S> This is culture independent. <S> Successful people in any country have enemies. <S> So as I see it: you should not ask about what is or isn't appropriate (who decides that anyway?) <S> but about what you want. <S> Ask for raise, embrace consequences. <S> Just do it.
| You can always ask them, as already stated by others it will not hurt. Just make sure that you have tangible evidence to show how you are providing more value to your company than before.
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Is it bad style to ask for why a previous candidate was not hired? This is similar to another question but with a bit of a twist, so I think it warrants existing alongside the other question. I am in the process of changing jobs, so I have been applying to quite a few positions over the past 3-4 months and been following the trends for longer than that. I don't know if it's relevant for the answers but I am also transitioning from non-profit research to industrial position, with a sought-after profile. Had a bit of an interesting event lately which made me think a bit. So in chronological order: I applied for a position at a large multinational company I got selected for a phone interview with the hiring manager and his superior/collaborator at a different site/department. They hinted that I might be a better fit for a different position they are looking for (which does not exist online) I agreed to be considered for that, and immediately got selected for the second round, on-site interview The HR person accidentally (?) sent me information about this position as a forwarded email, where s/he sent this information to another candidate a couple of months ago. I can see their entire conversation in the quoted text which is an interesting read I have to say. So then I got a bit curious and ended up finding this persons CV online, and read a bit more. The profile looks legit and I don't see any immediate red flags. So the obvious question in my head is why did they not go forward with this candidate and decided to keep searching, and even asking me to apply to this position. Is it unprofessional of me to try and inquire why this position was not filled before? Or in other words, how can I acquire more information on this position without leaving a bad impression and hurting my chances? <Q> You were sent information in error. <S> Do not mention it ever again. <S> You can ask why the position is open, but not about other specific candidates who were rejected as answering could potentially expose the company to liability. <S> The hiring process is a strange thing. <S> The things that can knock you out of the box can be anything from a weak handshake to your phone going off, to someone thinking they may not work well with you. <S> If the person seemed qualified on paper, then leave it at that, but don't bring it up, EVER. <A> Your last question was, Or in other words, how can I acquire more information on this position without leaving a bad impression and hurting my chances? <S> To me, this is a much more answerable (and valuable) question than the one you started out with. <S> You need to determine what your criteria are for the ideal next job, and then devise questions you can ask this employer to determine if they meet those criteria. <S> Interviews are meant to be two-way. <S> The company asks you questions to determine your fitness for the job, and you will get a chance to ask them questions to determine if you would like working there. <S> So, be deliberate in this process - if there's something you think you would like (or not like) in your next employer, think of questions that will help you evaluate this employer on that criteria. <S> Getting information on why a prior candidate is not currently in the position won't be helpful to determining if you will be selected, or will be happy in the position. <S> Maybe they tried to hire that person, but couldn't afford their salary demands. <S> Or, maybe that person had a bad day and botched the interview. <S> Or, their resume didn't match their interview performance. <S> Or, a million other things. <S> Even if you asked the employer for this information, they may not give you an accurate response - they may not even know the real reasons, if for instance the candidate rejected their offer without explanation. <S> So, it's probably best to forget all about the prior candidate, and instead focus on making your own decisions based on what's important to you. <A> This is a breach of privacy accidentally initiated by the HR of the company, which could be considered a red flag. <S> It's none of your concern why that person was hired. <S> I propose raising the issue to HR and ask for correct/updated information. <S> Further digging from you would make you an accomplice of the breach. <S> Do not do this.
| And, the chances that the prior hiring result will actually be meaningful for your criteria - in a way that you cannot independently verify yourself by doing research or asking your own questions - are pretty much zero.
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Is the company wrong for punishing me from my Bradford score? This year I quite severely injured myself and had to have an operation leaving me out of work for 3 weeks. The company have included this in my Bradford score which makes it much worse. Other than that in the year where I work full time, I have had 2 sick days off. The Bradford score is calculated by 'instances^2 * days off', so by including my injury I have hit a Bradford score of 153, which means I got a verbal warning. Without my injury it would have been 4. This means if I have any more sick days off, the company said, they would have a formal meeting as policy (HR + managers). As my injury had massively impacted my Bradford score and is out of my control, is it unfair of the company to use my now large Bradford score to punish me against policy? I've only had 2 individual sick days in the last 7 months, and now if I have another single in the next 5 months I get punished. <Q> Personally, I consider the "Bradford Factor" something that HR people use when they flunked basic math in grammar school. <S> It does not give you anything but <S> a meaningless number that you can use to look up consequences if doing your actual job as HR on a case-by-case basis somehow is too challenging and you'd rather follow a script. <S> The Bradford Factor is a formula employers can use to monitor unauthorised absences. <S> Now, your absence should not be "unauthorized" in the first place. <S> You should have a doctors note, that in civilized countries should have a higher authority than anybody in your company. <S> If a doctor gives you a certificate of being unfit for work, there should be nobody outside the medical profession claiming authority to decide otherwise. <S> However, your company might think otherwise. <S> It might be invaded by HR people too challenged to do their job right and bosses who do not stand up to that. <S> In that case, who is left you can trust to do the right thing? <S> Just you and your coworkers? <S> Then get the hell out. <S> Probably get a lawyer first to fight the warning and <S> then get the hell out. <S> Because the way you are heading is that you can get fired for being hit by a bus without any wrongdoing on your side at all. <S> Better take the initiative now, because should you really get hit by a bus, you should worry about your health only , not about your health and your job . <S> Go find a company that deserves you. <A> Bradford Score: <S> https://www.kashflow.com/blog/bradford-factor-calculator/ <S> Your current situation is one of the disadvantages of using Bradford Score. <S> IMHO, if you like your current company, and your medical condition is not affecting your performance when you at work, you should send a letter to HR / Direct Manager, explaining your absence and stating that your score is affected only by your temporary medical situation and that should improve (here should be time-frame when you all better and not affected by it) <S> Also, in this link description, only unplanned absences are counted, so if you informed your employer, it should not count in to your score P.S. <S> You could also look in to "Reasonable adjustments" section <A> The Bradford factor is just a way to quickly gauge for potential issues. <S> If this issue was a genuine injury that you were signed off of work by a doctor, and lets say you had another injury and were signed off again resulting in your dismissal based on the score that would be a large cause for concern and in the UK you could potentially have an Unfair Dismissal case. <S> But in terms of a warning - there is nothing legally wrong with them giving you a verbal warning for going over a particular score sadly. <S> (Though they should do a more care check into the reasons why the score was over the threshold) <A> Ethically wrong, certainly, legally, it depends on your jurisdiction. <S> If they're not going to take into account your medical reasons, then it's time to move on. <S> The reason being that they just demonstrated to you that they care about the numbers and ONLY the numbers. <S> There is an old saying, "The map is not the territory". <S> Things like the Bradford factor are supposed to be used as tools to aid in analytics, not as artificial intelligence. <S> I suspect that your manager is using it as artificial intelligence because he has precious little of his own. <S> You should go to HR for clarification on this matter and see if you can get it removed from your record. <S> Then update your resume and send it out to see if you can find a better position, just in case this is not a fluke and is instead an indication that your company has more serious issues.
| Realistically if someone looked at the case and you had a valid medical reason for the absence they shouldn't give you a warning - but that's just it, it's really something that depends on if someone just saw the score and gave a warning because they blindly follow the score.. or if someone uses the score and then assesses things in more depth.
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Are workplace reorganizations that result in a change in job duties without employee consent a violation of the original job contract? There was a reorg at my company and my job duties changed. Pre-reorg I was doing data analysis (I'm a statistician), post-reorg I was assigned non-data analysis duties (more like a business analyst). To me it seems like a breach of contract if your employer changes your job duties following a departmental reorganization. You sign on with a company to perform a specific duty unless the job description explicitly states you may be reassigned without warning. I can imagine how my supervisor would feel if I told him "There's been a reorg, I'm no longer going to do x, instead I'm working on y now." :-) Am I missing some fine print somewhere that allows a company to reassign job duties without the consent of the employees? I do not have a formal employment contract, but I did receive an offer letter that stated salary and job duties, which I assume is the de facto employment contract. I understand finding another position either within or without the company is (sometimes) an option, but that places the burden on the employee, when it ought to be on the employer in my estimation. <Q> Am <S> I missing some fine print somewhere that allows a company to reassign job duties without the consent of the employees? <S> I do not have a formal employment contract, but I did receive an offer letter that stated salary and job duties, which I assume is the de facto employment contract <S> In general, your employer can change the assignments without your consent. <S> That is not a breach of contract. <S> An offer letter is not a legal contract, but instead a form of communication that expresses interest in a particular candidate. <S> Many times you can discuss the proposed change in duties before they take effect, indicate your displeasure, and work toward a mutually-satisfying solution. <S> I've done that many times over my career. <S> But that's not always possible. <S> Your recourse, if you no longer like the assigned job duties and you can't come to an agreement, is to find a new job. <S> If you actually had a formal work contract or collective bargaining agreement that spelled out the specifics of your job and indicated that it couldn't be changed without mutual consent, things might be different. <S> But in general, that's not how it works in the US. <A> employer changes your job duties following a departmental reorganization <S> Well, it was documented many times that jop duties sometimes change even before starting work, after getting hired. <S> The interview goes in one direction, and the actual job might prove to be different. <S> So what you described is a bit wider topic than you presumed initially, even though correct. <S> Are workplace reorganizations that result in a change in job duties without employee consent a violation of the original job contract? <S> If the contract merely states "software engineering", then a large number of tasks can be performed under this title. <S> So the department can reorganize many times in many ways, without any breach. <S> If the contract uses specific wording, then changes without consent might be a violation, based on the locally applicable laws and regulations. <S> I can imagine how my supervisor would feel if I told him "There's been a reorg, I'm no longer going to do <S> x, instead I'm working on y now." <S> Well, if the manager was not introduced to jokes, you might need to swim in hot waters after saying that. <S> Otherwise, the manager might just welcome a good smile / laugh. <S> but that places the burden on the employee <S> That is called life, whether private or professional. <S> Everything will feel like a burden, especially if it is not welcome. <S> Options Just go along with the e-organization. <S> Discuss with your manager to find a job in the company which does not violate the contract. <S> Find a job that you like outside the company, and move ahead. <S> However, the contract will be different, and it carries a burden also. <S> Changes are sometimes good. <S> We feel them a a burden if we are not prepared. <S> A very good book (funny, easy to read and small, as well as helpful) is " <S> Who Moved My Cheese" by Spencer Johnson. <S> It is a great read, which would help almost anyone. <S> It might even help you, if you give it a chance. <S> I already introduced this book to my colleagues at work, and they were all equally impressed and satisfied with its contents. <S> I am not a manager, and they read it as their own option / decision. <A> The key point is to look what is written in your work contract. <S> If it is very specific about your role than you only have to do what is described there. <S> It is a lot more common though that the job description is very general, so you usually have to go along with changes in the organization. <S> That being said, your job has to at least roughly fit your qualification. <S> If you were hired as a software engineer there are lot of software tasks they can assign to you <S> but they can't just put you in HR (or vice versa). <S> If your previous role was in house in the office and your new roles requires you to travel through the country to different customers this also looks tricky and legality might depend on the fine print your contract (This paragraph is probably somewhat jurisdiction dependent, in general in Western Europe employers can get away with less than in the US).
| In the US, your offer letter does not contractually guarantee that the job duties remain the same. Well, it depends on the exact wording of the contract.
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Re-applying for the same company after rejection. Email the prev. recruiter or apply in the website? Scenario: You apply for a job, do seemingly well in the hiring process, go all the way to the end, but the stars don't align and another candidate gets the spot. A few weeks later another position open in the same company (an even better fitting role). Do you re-apply through the website or send an email to the recruiter you were talking to? <Q> There's no right or wrong here, but usually we follow the same route thought which we received the information. <S> If the open position was informed by a recruiter, go through them. <A> Generally, when applying for jobs, regardless of any prior knowledge or existing relationships, the first step should be to respect the employer's process. <S> If an employer has a jobs portal, or all their positions are posted through some specific jobs website (i.e. linkedin or whatever), or the employer uses a specific third party recruiter for their hiring, then you should apply through that channel, no matter what. <S> Besides simply showing that you can understand and respect a process they've put in place, this will prevent your resume from falling through the cracks. <S> A resume in an jobs portal will ultimately be funneled through the hiring process. <S> A resume sent to a person may or may not actually get into the official process (for one thing, <S> what if that person is on vacation?) <S> Then, as a follow up, if you have a contact at the employer that you have a positive relationship with - such as a recruiter you've spoken to about a different role - reach out to the contact, supply your resume directly, and mention to them that you were happy to have the chance to apply to X position. <S> This way, if they did feel highly of you, they can help push your application along. <A> Jobs are found in various ways, but are offered based on relationships (existing or developing a new one). <S> If you liked the recruiter and genuinely feel the previous job was a "near miss" but this one is a much better fit, reach out to the recruiter. <S> Having a human advocate is far better than getting lost in an automated processing bin. <S> Also, a good recruiter can provide more feedback on how to re-write your resume, reinforce what you did well before and help you avoid pitfalls that may have hurt you previously. <S> If you have a contact within the company (like from HR), that might be better. <S> If you found the job without the recruiter, there is a credible position to apply via the same route. <S> However, recruiters are paid to be sure that your application is seriously considered... <S> a portal has not such bias in your favor. <S> Good luck!
| If it's a direct communication from company, or you noticed the job post on company website while following up, apply in their portal.
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Ethical to interview after accepting verbal offer? Company A offered me a deadline to accept a verbal offer (email). It was pretty detailed regarding salary, benefits etc. I have accepted said offer using email. Now Company B wants to have a final-round interview with me. Is it ethical to make it to their interview? My gut says "no", but I've been reading up and it seems like a verbal offer isn't really an offer until it's a contract. Thus, from a pragmatic perspective, it makes sense to keep interviewing until I've signed the contract. Am I thinking correctly about this? TLDR; should I continue interviewing after verbally accepting an offer? <Q> Yes , not only that, but recommended. <S> The advise on pretty much all questions on this site (over and over) is: <S> Don't change what you're doing until you have a signed contract in your hand. <S> I.e. <S> A verbal offer is only worth a strangers-word and is not concrete. <S> Don't change what you are doing until you have that document. <A> No, it's not unethical until your seat is firmly planted behind the desk at the new job. <S> I've seen 11th hour retractions of offers <S> , you owe the companies nothing until you are actually an employee <A> You asked, should I continue interviewing after verbally accepting an offer? <S> And you made a good point when you said, I've been reading up <S> and it seems like a verbal offer isn't really an offer until it's a contract <S> Ultimately, in a black and white world, that's basically true. <S> Until you have a signed contract, you should continue to pursue options. <S> However, practically, that may play out differently in different scenarios. <S> In some cultures/industries/areas, it's not common to <S> ever get a signed contract - <S> the closest you may get is an offer letter, which is usually not even legally binding - <S> so in a sense, it's really no different than a verbal offer. <S> If the verbal offer contained enough detail that you are 100% sure you are interested, and you're able to quickly get at least some degree of confirmation in some written form (an offer letter, or email, etc), then it may be time to commit and take yourself off the market. <S> However, if the verbal offer was very high level - it didn't include the full benefits package, or it was otherwise a "rough" offer, then you should absolutely continue pursuing other opportunities until you feel that you have a firm, and detailed, commitment from a given employer. <A> Ethics : <S> However, there is nothing wrong with going for an interview unless you said that you would not do that. <S> If something happens to stop you attending the first job, you might be able to proceed with the second and avoid unnecessary suffering. <S> But, you must not be going to that interview with any other intent. <S> If you're going because the money, job, or working conditions may be better, then you are being dishonest and acting unethically. <S> Law : <S> In the UK at least, the agreement between parties is what matters, and the contract is just a memorandum of that agreement. <S> It holds great weight in court and other matters as evidence of the agreement, but that's its only role -- as evidence of an agreement. <S> So, your verbal agreement is legally binding against the terms you discussed. <S> If those terms change, then you are no longer bound by that agreement. <S> For example, if you agreed to £100/hour for your time, but the final contract says £50/hour, then you are under no obligation to move forward at that time. <S> But, if everything is in order, then you are required to sign the contract because the agreement has already been made.
| Until they have sent that contract to you and it has been signed, everything is still up in the air. You are ethically bound to be honest (in most situations) , and if you agreed to work for someone then that's what you must do.
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Reviewing old code database, how to start interacting with the dev team? TL, DR: There was this software product being developed in my company, I needed to review a lot of the codebase. How do I talk to the development team? The not-so-short version: Due to several reasons (which include lack of documentation, not knowing the programming language, travels and vacations making people unavailable), I had decided to do a lot of code studying on my own. Now I need to start communicating more properly with the devs, but I’m unsure what the best approach would be. I’m sensing that “my homework” to understand their codebase is nearly done, with “question-time” approaching. Without sounding invasive, nor bossy, nor overcriticizing, how can I approach them to: 1-Ask questions about specific code parts (I have a big pile of notes full of them) 2-Inquire about features and parts, which are I believe are mostly unfinished 3-Ask about maintenability concerns I’ve raised. 4-Point out quality problems that might have come from open-source tools. 5-Ask for better documentation. Context notes: I’m suspecting they are overprotective of their code I know they are not used to having a manager (not for reviewing/criticizing or pressing for deadlines) I don’t know them well personally, and I’m not their boss, we don’t work in the same room nor have lunch together. I know they’ve had lot of issues with their development, most is not their fault, yet I’m not exactly there to help. They have some limited reviewing process, which basically amounts to checking if the code works on someone else’s machine. They’re not used to someone checking code quality. They often give dismissive answers to questions during meetings ( “do you have a function for doing X?” - ”We have functions for anything we want.” ). Other people have even pointed this out during meetings. Their product is severely behind schedule. I haven’t spotted any actual bug, nor something obviously wrong. I’m guessing I have nothing helpful to offer them in exchange for their attention.Ideally, an answer that does not involve expecting management to intervene is preferred. Most of the parts that would reach the interface between our products are apparently not done, yet they aren't reporting this. So a few practical approaches could be: 1-I randomly mention pieces of code and bring up questions, as if I was casually walking by and remembered to ask a question. This would sound weird, maybe invasive, and I’d likely receive dismissing answers. Also, they're known to give dismissive answers. 2-I could schedule a meeting with the junior dev, and walk with him through my notes. The meeting setting would provide more focus on the conversation, but I’d understand if he felt like he was being over criticized. I could split the notes over a few meetings, but then every meeting would be harder than the previous. 3-I start posting issues in the versioning tools and/or making silly pull requests to their code base (typo fixes, insert better comments, so on). I guess this would be annoying for everyone, and if they actually rejected or stalled a pull request with no explanation, I’d feel quite offended. But a few of my complaints might call for a “then do it yourself” response. What I want/need to achieve is: I want to know their code base relatively well and have them recognize this. I need to be able to ask delicate/specific questions and receive honest, concrete answers. I would like them to improve their coding standards and documentation over time. <Q> If you need to integrate with their code, why not treat it as a black box? <S> If you specify what outcomes you need to achieve and ask them to outline how to interface with their code to achieve the desired outcomes, rather than reviewing the code itself. <S> In other words, ask them for a detailed spec (similar to a service contract from an API perspective) rather than to explain how their actual code works at a detailed level. <S> Is that viable? <A> I think you are approaching your task from the wrong end. <S> If your goal is to help drive better coding standards, that won't be done by questioning the existing codebase. <S> You have to lead by example to achieve that, and be able to explain why the way you did a specific piece of code is better than the previous one. <S> There is no reason for you to learn the old code, or to question all of it. <S> It's not like there is a budget to go and rewrite/refactor all of it, now, is there? <S> Although if there is, then my focus still would not be on the existing implementation, but instead on gathering business requirements and then validating whether the code meets them. <S> This will also create clear action points of what has to be improved and how, and as the new code is written - that is the time to enforce better coding practices through pull request reviews. <S> But just questioning the entire codebase <S> I don't think is productive, and your current goal will only earn you ire from the developers, not awe and respect, because criticizing is easy, guiding, and mentoring towards the better, often by example, is hard. <A> Only by scanning through the comments I found out what apparently your problem is: You need to write software that integrates with the existing software. <S> You shouldn’t have to look at their code at all, and the code quality shouldn’t matter to you. <S> What you need is clearly documented interfaces. <S> And if those clearly documented interfaces are not there, someone has to create them. <S> What you need to do is to talk to someone who is in charge how you get what you need. <S> Someone who can say to the team “xyz needs to be documented, and that has higher priority than tasks a, b and c”. <S> And you would probably the right reviewer for this task. <A> What’s your goal here? <S> All I’m seeing from your question is personal education as I’m not seeing a business goal (e.g. need to learn the code base because I’ll be developing the product with the group, writing test cases etc). <S> The developers only have a certain amount of time in a day, and given the choice between the goals put in front of them by their boss OR satisfy your intellectual curiosity, which one would they choose? <S> and if the developers see some upside to the idea, they would highly likely work with you to get that accomplished. <A> First of all, the project needs documentation - not just documentation for users, but documentation for developers. <S> This documentation is not simply a list of classes/functions, not simply a doxygen-generated list of comments from the code, it needs to have a good general overview of the architecture, the modules of the application, then down to the next and next level, components, classes, their interactions etc etc <S> If that documentation does not exist, that's the first point that needs to be corrected - they need to make it. <S> If the company does not want to allocate the time even for the basic architectural documentation to be written, then they probably won't allocate time for anything else either, and then the situation is hopeless.(and <S> the question is why are you doing it at all?) <S> The question is whether the developers did not write docs because they did not want to... or because the company did not allow them the time to do it, and kept asking for more and more features, ignoring the long-term needs for documentation, automated tests at all levels (unit, component, integration etc), proper code review and everything else... <S> If the company did not allow them the time for it, and now you come and ask them for it, they will (understandably) not like that one bit.
| That's where you're supposed to start, by reading through the documentation. Communicate your goals on why you’re doing what you’re doing
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Should I tell recruiter where I have decided to go? I accepted an offer from Company A. Company B is asking where I decided to go and what made me make that decision. Is there any harm to letting them know? <Q> Should I tell recruiter where I have decided to go? <S> No, it's none of their business. <S> Information is valuable, you don't give it out without a clear reason and idea of how it will benefit you. <S> Additionally you would be giving away information that involves your employer to another company. <A> I wouldn't tell them where, but telling them why may help them. <A> Should I tell recruiter where I have decided to go? <S> If he asks: <S> sure, why not? <S> I liked the recruiter for Company B, so <S> I'm willing to talk to him. <S> As it happens I told him I was going to Company A because their product, and therefore what I'd be working on, better aligned with my interests. <S> I'd tell anyone that, even a bunch of unknown people on the internets. <S> It's not a big secret that I will be working for Company A. <S> In a short time it's even going to show up on my Linked-In page, which is how the Company B recruiter found me in the first place. <S> (Answer based in very recent fact) <A> If Company B decides to hire someone else instead of you, should they tell you who they hired and what made them hire that person? <A> Should I tell recruiter where I have decided to go? <S> Yes, you can tell them where & why you want to go. <S> This shall lead to a healthy conversation about why you decided to go and maybe your present employer can come up with a new offer to retain you. <S> Or it will also help the present employer decide actions for future cases. <S> Is there any harm to letting them know? <S> This purely depends on your relations and how you are ending up with the present employer. <S> If you are parting nicely and ethically then there should not be any problem on company level <S> (your HR or manager's individual level response cannot be predicted on such short info mentioned in question). <A> It's just like when a stranger you've just struck up a conversation asks where you live. <S> You give them a general answer, but not your exact address (even if they keep on asking for a more detailed location). <S> Call it healthy paranoia or a healthy boundary. <S> But if they really want to find out the name, you can just tell them to follow you on LinkedIn. <S> You'll post that information eventually on there. <S> And like someone else on here has already said, it's not like they themselves routinely give out the real reasons or the real name of the winning candidate to the other losing candidates when asked. <S> So whatever information you do end up giving them, even in the most general terms, I'm quite sure that it will be more than they would have been willing to give you <S> had the situation been reversed.
| If they're honest about wanting to know why so that they can address their deficiencies then that certainly can't do any harm. You can tell them in the most general terms, but you don't have to name the other company.
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Why would a president director also needs to interview candidates? I have little work experiences (2 years). In my first and second company the final interviewer is always the manager of the unit i will work with. Currently I'm applying to a new company, I'm a bit surprised that my interviewers are the recruiter(HRD)-> technical lead -> the manager -> vice director -> the president director. It's a mid-class IT company. I'm just wondering why would the VP and president director also need to interview me? I assuming that this company is in crisis of engineers that even the president director needs to involve in the interview process. And I also don't even think that I'm that good that even a president director needs to find out about me because as I remember the technical test is quite hard, I skipped the challenging parts to save time. If this position is for higher position such as a manager that might be reasonable but in my case it's a junior software engineer. I hope you could help me to clarify this. <Q> I'm just wondering why would the VP and president director also need to interview me? <S> Some executives like to keep their hand in as many details as possible. <S> I worked for a VP like that at one point in time. <A> I'm just wondering why would the VP and president director also need to interview me? <S> There could be a number of reasons. <S> We can't answer why this specific company does it this way. <S> Maybe they like to meet candidates personally. <S> I assuming that this company is in crisis of engineers that even the president director needs to involve in the interview process. <S> Don't make assumptions. <S> 9 times out of 10 they're incorrect. <A> There are lots of potentially valid reasons. <S> Or even that they don't have anyone else available on short notice <S> and he's replacing a manager off on leave. <S> Engineering <S> it's reasonably common if an executive has an engineering background or has something specific in mind for his engineering dept. <A> I'm just wondering why would the VP and president director also need to interview me? <S> In a vacuum those titles mean nothing. <S> That president director can have a total number of employees in the dozens. <S> Or the company could have 100,000 employees and 25,000 are in their division. <S> The smaller the company the more likely that you will be a few doors down the hall with somebody with an impressive sounding title. <S> Even large companies sometimes distribute impressive sounding titles around. <S> I worked with one company with tens of thousands of employees but there were multiple VP's in our building. <S> And our building was typical. <S> In another company of a similar size <S> the only VP <S> I ever met in 10 <S> + years was the retired astronaut who did nothing, but they need an impressive title to recruit them. <S> That VP showed up at every awards presentation and project celebration, because it made the award seem much more impressive. <S> In my current company of 50 employees the owner interviews everybody. <S> will he do the same if it grows to 500? <S> Hopefully I will still be there to find out.
| It could be normal company procedure or just that an executive has a special interest.
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Telecommute - How to complain about selective telecommute privileges I work in a company in USA where some teams or individuals are fully remote. Our company is trying to get people to work in an office whenever possible, even in situations where it would not make sense to any reasonable person. For example, there are some employees whose entire team works at an office in a far away state. Yet, those employees are expected to come to a company office in their own state on some days. They are really just working alone and hardly interacting with the employees from unrelated teams in that office. Moreover, they lose at least 1.5 hours on commuting each day. Sometimes, they have to come late to office because of early morning meetings which have to be attended remotely. Moreover, my previous manager has been working remotely for 10 years. He does not even live within commuting distance from any of our offices in the country. There are many other employees also who are allowed to work 100% remotely all the time. I requested to work remotely due to solid personal reasons. In fact, another employee had been granted remote work for the exact same reasons. The company acknowledges that I have a good work ethic and I have also received good performance reviews each year. But, my request was rejected. After rejection, I mentioned the above arguments also, but my request was still rejected. Now, I have accepted the company's decision. But, I believe that it is unfair to allow many people to work 100% remotely, even when they don't have any disability/personal situation which would require reasonable accommodation in the form of telecommuting. Heck, I know disabled employees in our company who commute long distances to come to office regularly. I'd like to complain to the management about this unfairness without naming people, because unfairness breeds resentment. Is that advisable ? What is the best way to complain ? I am also considering leaving the company because of this reason, besides others. <Q> I am also considering leaving the company because of this reason <S> Excellent answers already, I upvoted all three. <S> But I don't use any of these strategies, I let others pop their heads up for the group efforts and will watch in interest if they get their heads chopped off or quite happily take any benefits gratefully. <S> There is another angle. <S> Unfairness to others and solid protocols are great. <S> But personally I always discount all that and negotiate quietly for my own wants and needs. <S> In your case you're thinking of leaving over this, I would be forthright and use this in terms of a personal ultimatum as I have nothing to lose if I'm prepared to leave. <S> Give me remote or I quit. <S> Simple. <S> I don't care about reasons, what anyone else is up to, or anything else. <A> They are most likely trying to get more people to the office by following a policy of "let's not drive away old timers by taking away their remote time but let's also not allow people who normally work at the office to start going remote" <S> It's not about fairness, it's about strategic goals. <S> Upper management could be more aggressive and risk senior people leaving for greener pastures, or they could be more lenient and end up having their goal of having more people in the office on paper only. <S> They are somewhere around the middle which means they are concerned remote time is taking away from efficiency but not so much that they want to disturb the veterans. <S> As for complaining, you could be vocal about it not bringing value for someone to warm seats at the office vs at their home since they are teleconferencing anyway <S> and something along the lines of "not understanding what would make me qualified to work remotely" (as opposed to coming across as whining by outright saying it's not fair) and enough people sharing the sentiment could eventually cause them to lax <S> but if you already said you accepted their reasoning, there is not much left to do. <A> Is that advisable ? <S> It sounds like you already did complain ("I mentioned the above arguments also, but my request was still rejected.") <S> but it didn't get you anywhere. <S> Repeated complaints aren't advisable. <S> What is the best way to complain ? <S> You should explain why it's good for the company, rather than just good for you. <S> I am also considering leaving the company because of this reason, besides others. <S> Then don't bother to complain. <S> Just find a new job and leave this one. <S> Make sure your new company intends to allow you to work remotely, if that's what you want. <S> Then hope things don't change again. <S> Lots of companies are rethinking their remote work policies. <A> Unless remote working provisions are built into your employment contract I would be inclined to tread carefully. <S> I've dealt with several companies whose workforce are predominantly remote workers however they've tended to be in the consulting space where collaboration between employees (on internal company objectives) seemed rare. <S> Most employees were "farmed out" on client assignments. <S> I've managed employees in the office and remote workers. <S> In my experience remote working and other flexible work arrangements are a great way to entice and retain high talent individuals. <S> It can be tricky from a team cohesion perspective though. <S> There's alot of communication within and between teams which remote workers can miss out on. <S> Some employees are better suited to remote working as well. <S> I found that some were disciplined and reliable and others were very difficult to get a hold of, <S> would regularly miss meetings and often try to do personal errands during their work day which interfered with their work. <S> Also some would happily get distracted with non-core "alternative" tasks requested by other employees or PMs and their own work would suffer. <S> I don't mean to sit on the fence <S> but I can see both perspectives. <S> I think flexi-time and some remote working can work well as long as the team are clear on core hours and communication channels are open. <S> I don't think that there's anything wrong with making your feelings known if you feel that remote working treatment has been unfair or inconsistent, however if you cite specific examples (especially if any of those are informal arrangements) then the risk is that management potentially wind back on some existing remote working. <S> I'd be inclined to ask if a remote working policy can be developed in consultation with staff in order to provide clearer guidance on the who, what, when and how.
| The best way is to make a good business case for why you should be allowed to work remotely, rather than just saying "not fair". I'd like to complain to the management about this unfairness without naming people, because unfairness breeds resentment.
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Is it okay to negotiate salary and remote work at the same time? When negotiating for a new job, is it advisable to negotiate one thing at a time, or is it okay to try multiple things at once? For example, if one requests higher salary than what was offered, in addition to having several remote working days written into the contract, would that come off as too demanding? At the same time, I feel that if one negotiates one thing at a time, the hiring manager may think there will never be an end to the requests. What is the typical protocol here? <Q> Is it okay to negotiate salary and remote work at the same time? <S> TL;DR: <S> Is is OK and it is expected. <S> Think about this: in the job offer, if the organization mentioned only one responsibility and after accepting the offer, they tell you about another responsibility, and after joining, they tell you about several more - how would you feel? <S> Have the discussion (multiple is necessary) and settle down on what is acceptable from both sides. <S> Once agreed upon, please stick to the finalized terms and conditions. <A> Negotiate for everything you want at the start. <S> It's best to lay your cards on the table <S> so everyone knows what is happening, no surprises further down the line. <S> That just makes you look like you didn't think things through seriously, which is unprofessional. <A> You wouldn't like it if said company kept surprising you with new contract terms every time you've agreed on something. <S> Especially in this stage of your relationship, it's best to be transparent and open about your requests. <S> There's also an added benefit to this transparancy; if the company is unable to meet one of your requests, let's say there's a maximum of two remote working days per week, they might compensate for it by increasing their salary offer. <S> Chris Voss, an ex-FBI hostage negotiator, wrote a book called Never Split the Difference , which covers negotiating salary and contract terms. <S> I found it a very useful book, and this excerpt might answer your question: "... <S> the more you talk about nonsalary terms, the more likely you are to hear the full range of their options. <S> If they can’t meet your nonsalary requests, they may even counter with more money, like they did with a French-born American former student of mine. <S> She kept asking — with a big smile — for an extra week of vacation beyond what the company normally gave. <S> She was “French,” she said, and that’s what French people did. <S> The hiring company was completely handcuffed on the vacation issue, but because she was so darned delightful, and because she introduced a nonmonetary variable into the notion of her value, they countered by increasing her salary offer."
| Put all terms and conditions and requirements and expectations from your side on the table at one time, in the very beginning (before negotiation starts)
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What is my last working day if my one month's notice falls on a Sunday? I handed in my notice on the 15th of November. I'm required to give my employer one month's notice. From my understanding this would make my last day the 15th of December which happens to be a Sunday. I don't work weekends (it's not part of my contract). Is my last working day Friday the 13th or Monday the 16th? I'm in the UK. <Q> Notice period is calculated in calendar days (not working days) <S> so the weekend is included, the notice period begins the day after you give notice (not the same day) so if you gave notice on the 15th of then the first day of your notice period is actually the 16th making the last day of your notice period the 15th of December <S> i.e. your last day of employment would be the Sunday but your last day in the office would be the Friday. <S> In practice this makes no difference unless your new job was starting over the weekend. <S> It's always a bit weird when it's done in months rather than weeks <S> (given months are different lengths). <S> With that in mind it's worth asking the question of "what's my last day?" <S> , you can even ask it as a bit of a cheeky leading question if you like "I assume the Friday the 13th is my last day in the office?" just to clear it up since regardless of the specified notice period if you and the company mutually agree the 13th as your last day in the office then it is . <A> Seems like you are mentally checked out from the company and moved on, which is even more reasons to have that discussion with your current boss. <S> Explain that you just want to move on, asap, and ask how this can be facilitated. <S> Usually, that means compiling a list of things that need to be delivered, and after that, the company can just let you go. <S> In the end, the notice period is (almost) always negotiable when both parties agree. <S> And they will likely agree as you will not be performing at your best now, and keeping you on for longer than absolutely needed is not good for anyone, including the morale of other employees. <A> Check with your employer, but almost certainly Friday.
| So talk to your boss and agree together on a leaving plan, rather than arguing over Friday/monday as the last day.
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How do I negotiate salary when returning to a position I just left? I graduated from college a few months ago and started a great job at a defense contractor. While I was there I met some great people and the work was very satisfying. About six months in I received a call from a recruiter who had a position that seemed great and I ended up taking the offer. Unfortunately the new job isn't going well at all. I have reached out to my previous employer and admitted that I made a mistake. Luckily I left on extremely good terms with all of the management, the company I left was great and I had no ill will towards them when I quit. So I have now started the process of returning. Although this feels very embarrassing I think it is the best decision I can make right now. I want to chalk this up to being young in my career and making a mistake out of ignorance, but there is only so much I can do that for. I should also mention that I will be at the same company, it would be with a new contractor who does not know how much I was making before. Regarding salary, is it okay for me to ask for more money since they are offering me my old position back, or should I only ask for what I was making before? Should I just take what I can get? <Q> FWIW, I knew someone a few years ago that was in a similar situation, and he actually had to take a salary hit when he returned to his old place of work. <S> You're certainly not in a strong position to negotiate a higher salary here: <S> You've made it clear that you want your old job back - you've reached out to them and asked (they're not begging you to come back); <S> You've only been gone a month or so, which isn't going to provide any meaningful salary increases due to inflation; <S> You were only there 6 months previously before you left for another job, and it'd be very unusual to receive a pay rise during that time. <S> You can of course ask for more money than you were on previously, but you then risk alienating them, or them withdrawing their offer altogether (hang on a minute, we're doing this guy a favour by taking him back in and now he wants to milk us for more money?!) <A> Should I just take what I can get? <S> Yes. <S> Your goal here is to get out of a failing company and back to somewhere you enjoy working. <S> Failing to do that isn't worth a little bit of extra cash this year. <S> You're no more valuable now than you were when you left, so you've got no reason why they should pay you more. <S> Big defence contractors tend to have rigid, formal pay scales. <S> The boss probably doesn't have a lot of flexibility, and you'll probably get a raise when annual reviews come around anyway. <A> Just wanted to add that there's nothing to be embarrassed of. <S> Every step you took made sense <S> w.r.t the information you had at the time you took it. <S> Each time you switch jobs there is a risk that it will be a change for the worse. <S> The real error many people make is sticking to the new job no matter what because they are unable to admit they have made the wrong call. <S> Regarding salary negotiation. <S> If you're getting hired by a new contracting company who has the same client as the old one used to have, you're not "returning to a position that you just left", <S> you're getting a new job . <S> You may be surprised by how much money contracting companies keep to themselves, to the point that there's almost no correlation whatsoever between what the client pays for your services and what you receive. <S> You might as well get a pay raise by leveraging the fact that the client already knows you and wants you, which is very valuable for contracting companies which hate to hire someone only to find out that their client doesn't want them after a few months. <S> In case you're actually getting hired by your old employer, I would definitely try to get your old salary back. <S> This sounds fair to everyone. <S> You're already taking a hit because you have lost 6 months which would count towards your seniority if you didn't quit. <S> Personally, I wouldn't offer a pay hit when re-hiring <S> someone: I would either give them the old salary if they're worth it or turned them down if they're not. <S> A pay hit is a sure way to demoralize an otherwise good employee and get a similar productivity hit in return. <A> it would be with a new contractor who does not know how much I was making before. <S> Regarding salary, is it okay for me to ask for more money since they are offering me my old position back, or should I only ask for what I was making before? <S> Should I just take what I can get? <S> The customers knows how much they were paying for your services. <S> That amount covered your salary, your benefits and the companies profits. <S> The new contracting company has bid positions like yours. <S> They have a pay scale, so unless you have some skill set that they must have or they will be in violation of the contract, you have very little leverage. <S> If you are lucky the rate they bid leaves enough room for you to get a decent salary. <S> Unfortunately in some cases the new company wins the contract by underbidding, if that is the case you might be facing a lower salary. <S> You have to decide how much you should push for. <S> Make sure you get everything in writing before quitting the job you have. <A> I should also mention that I will be at the same [defense] company, it would be with a new contractor who does not know how much I was making before. <S> You can ask for more, stipulating that it is contingent on the benefits they offer (showing that you're open to negotiations). <S> I worked for a US contractor a while ago that had the award for a [non-defense] federal agency. <S> That agency paid the same cost for each "position" in accordance with the contract - if it works the same way it used to work, you're just attempting to get a bigger piece of that pie from company B. <S> You're the one that wants back in though... don't ask for too much more than you were making before.
| If you can't get your old salary, it's up to you to decide how much of a hit you are willing to accept, but remember that your old employer is not a charity, they are taking you back because you're more valuable to them than a new guy they could get by calling a recruiter, not because they pity that your job hunt didn't go well.
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No References in Job Application. How bad is it? I got my PhD 4 years ago in operations research, and I have been working as a data scientist since. I am looking to switch to careers to software development. However, I am leaving my current company on somewhat hostile terms. I don't think I will be able to get any references from them when I apply for new software development jobs. How big of a deal is this in software development? Is ace-ing the coding interview enough to make up for this? <Q> How big of a deal is this in software development? <S> Is ace-ing the coding interview enough to make up for this? <S> Usually, references are used for Background Check purposes mostly. <S> To judge the actual skills of a candidate, in Software Development, coding tests and interviews are more useful tools to find about that. <S> Having a public repository or code portfolio to showcase what you've done is also helpful. <S> Now, regarding your situation. <S> With 4 years on the company you surely must have at least one person that will gladly help you as reference. <A> It's a good idea to leave references off your resume <S> If you're adhering to a 'two pages max' CV - then listing references is going to take up precious page real estate. <S> You don't know where your CV will end up <S> The main reason to leave references off your CV is to protect to privacy of your references. <S> Especially if you're applying for jobs with recruiters - often what recruiters will do is use the phone numbers you've listed in your CV to call them asking if they're looking for new hires etc. <S> Your CV may stick around far longer than your job search does, and your reference may be receiving unsolicited phone calls for years to come. <A> No References in Job Application. <S> How bad is it? <S> Not bad, in my experience. <S> The primary criteria is for you to get the interview and get the job is to have the required capabilities and knowledge for the job and match the requirements. <S> For the background check and verification, the references are used. <S> So, even if it's not directly mentioned in the CV, they can ask for it when / if they need it. <S> For example, I have in my CV (and seen many more) mentioning: <S> References: <S> Available on Request
| Typically references are used in the final stages of the hiring process - and given that the CV is the thing that kicks off the first stages of the hiring process - it's not actually needed. It is likely that at least someone in your current company will agree to be your reference (perhaps a coworker you are in good terms with).
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What is a polite way to clarify my gender in phone calls? Naturally in my native language my voice over the phone is sometimes closer to a female voice. But my natural voice is sounding completely normal. The problem is the listener in the other end of the phone will misunderstand and address me with "Miss" . I always want to tell him/her, hey please don't address me as "Miss" , call me "Sir/Mr/or name". What are polite and nice ways to bring my point across? <Q> Most of the time, the nicest way is to be straightforward. <S> If this happens in middle of a running conversation, just say: <S> Excuse me if you got confused by the tone of the voice, but I'm Mr. X here, not miss X. <S> Another way, lead the conversation by saying: "Hello, <S> Mr.X <S> here / speaking" include the salutation on purpose so as to leave no room for interpretation. <S> [Clarification after the comments]: <S> Based on culture, <S> the X can be your firstname, lastname or full name, <S> whichever does not sound egoistic and rude and super-arrogant. <A> I'm trans <S> so I have special experience here <S> , I guess... <S> Whenever I get misgendered I have three options: 1) Say nothing. <S> 2) <S> Immediately correct them. <S> You have to figure out how much it bothers you. <S> It's not worth the bowing and scraping and apologizing that follows. <S> If I correct people right away I usually say something like "Actually, it's ma'am. <S> ", or just interject "She" right after they say "He" or whatever. <S> I have yet to have a single person <S> say anything beyond "Oh okay sorry"... if they start falling over themselves to apologize excessively I usually add "Don't worry about it, it happens all the time, its no big deal. <S> " to put them at ease. <S> My goal is to clearly communicate my expectations without placing blame on them. <S> Sometimes I'll decide to say nothing, but it will keep coming up in the conversation and I will decide to correct them. <S> This is usually the most awkward way to go about doing it - there's always a pause where they count up in their head <S> how many times they misgendered me already. <S> I try to stick to the same non-confrontational attitude with this, but it's always at least a bit awkward. <S> So I'd say either correct them right away politely and try to downplay it <S> (after all, they're not trying to insult you or anything) or don't say anything if it isn't worth the effort. <A> I'm assuming here that these are one-time failures by people you don't know to correctly identify you, and not coworkers calling you incorrectly on a repeated basis or with intentional rudeness. <S> Try not to dwell on it, and if the caller apologizes, make your response to that polite but brief as well and try to move the conversation on to reduce embarrassment for both parties. <S> For example:"Sorry-- <S> I go by Mr. X""Oh <S> , I am so sorry!""No problem. <S> You were saying...? <S> " <S> I agree that Sourav Ghosh's idea of getting ahead of it by introducing yourself as Mr. before the caller has a chance to make assumptions is a good plan as well, unless your company culture on usual phone etiquette discourages such formality. <A> Why do you need to correct them? <S> I have the same problem--my phone voice sounds female enough that I will generally be assumed to be female even when they don't know my name (I have the male spelling, the female Lauren is far more common.) <S> Unless there's some reason they need to know my gender <S> I just let it be. <S> It's not worth trying to correct people. <A> When this happens on the phone, and someone calls you "Miss" or "Mrs." <S> your reaction shouldn't be "please address me as..." <S> but "I am ...". <S> You are Mr. Dhammika. <S> You don't want to be addressed in some special way, you want to be addressed in the correct way, according to who you are. <S> So if someone guesses incorrectly that you are female based on your voice, you should say "I'm not Miss Dhammika, I am Mr. Dhammika". <S> That clarifies who you are. <S> How they address you is then up to them. <S> (For example Mr. or Sir). <S> Now if they didn't address you as "Miss / Mrs." but as "Ma'am", in that situation they guessed wrong, and if they had guessed correctly, they would have addressed you as "Sir". <S> In that case, you can say "It's not Ma'am, it's Sir". <S> Most people will now address you correctly. <A> Another thing to try could be to explain <S> Hi ... btw. <S> I know some people think I a woman when on the phone <S> but I am male, just to add... <S> That's an interesting option in situations like a first business call where you want to avoid expecting upcoming embarrassing situations for both of you.
| For one-off mistakes, an immediate, quick, but casual correction is usually effective. If they don't, you stop them and say something like "Excuse me, but I said it's Mr., not Miss". 3) Correct them if they continue to do it. Usually if I'm say... talking to a vendor that I'll never speak with again, I just ignore it.
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What is the better career strategy? Stay at one company long term or switch often to get higher pay I am in my current role 1.5 years. It is my first job after graduating. I have 3.5 years total experience full time in the software industry. I feel like I could get a better salary if I applied for another job. I think I could get 30% more if I looked elsewhere. Is it better to stay at one company long term and try to progress there or move around basically promoting oneself? Some of my friends have taken the latter approach. It seems to be working for them. I did better at university but they are earning a higher salary. One friend earns 30% more than I do. He has moved 2 twice since graduating. I graduated with a better classification than him. I'm not jealous I'm just curious into how he has done it. At an early stage in your career is learning more important than salary? <Q> Getting to the gist of the question: What is the better career strategy? <S> Stay at one company long term or switch often to get higher pay. <S> There is no one strategy to rule them all. <S> If you want a higher salary, generally switching jobs laterally is your best bet. <S> Companies tend to offer new hires higher salaries to attract them. <S> If you want to move into more senior position or manage people, I recommend staying put. <S> It's an easier to promoted within your company into a more senior or people management role than get hired externally. <S> But your mileage may vary. <S> As a lead and someone who's managed people before, you haven't listed anything that is promotion or salary bump worthy to me. <S> How have you help moved the product and company forward? <S> What are some statistics you can provide to that extent? <S> I recommend you figure out your work achievements first (sorry your school competitions and hobbies don't count here) and use that to discuss a raise with your manager. <A> "Better"? <S> What do you mean by "Better?" <S> From your question, I'm going to assume you just mean "Higher Salary". <S> I mean, that's literally the only thing you mention about your job - nothing about benefits, corporate culture, personal happiness, technologies that you use, etc. <S> Right off the bat, this makes you look incredibly myopic - especially for someone only 1.5 years out of college (early in your career, skills development is far more important than maximized salary.) <S> So, anyway, along that 'higher salary' front, your "Better" strategy is two-fold: <S> Read up on Salary/Raise Negotiation. <S> Upskill yourself (both technically and soft-skills) <S> ... <S> because at the end of the day, you're not good at one of them. <S> The reason I'm saying this: someone you insist you're "better" than is earning 30% more than you. <S> Either you're not good at negotiating your salary/raises, or you're not as valuable of an employee as you envision. <S> Whether you switch from one company to another, or try to move upwardly in a single company - neither will matter all that much compared to the gains you'd get improving those two aspects above. <A> You are clear about this: you need more pay. <S> There's nothing wrong with needing more pay. <S> Here's a question to ask your supervisor. <S> Hey, boss, what does it take for me to get more responsibility in my job? <S> Most companies appreciate people who want more responsibility, so this question is unlikely to give offense. <S> The same is true if he doesn't take the question seriously. <S> If he does take you seriously, you can use that information to help make a wise decision. <S> That being said, you haven't given us nearly enough information for us to say "stay in your current job and work up" or "change jobs to get the pay increase you need." <S> What information is missing? <S> Here are some things to think about. <S> Are you learning a lot technically in your present job? <S> Is it still a good investment of your time? <S> Are you learning a lot about the business of your current company? <S> Do you like the current company's business? <S> Can you imagine yourself in this business ten years from now? <S> Does your current company offer a decent career path to people like you? <S> Is it the custom in your company and your country to offer short pay to people fresh out of school? <S> Do other people like you have to get new jobs to get pay increases?
| If the question does offend your supervisor, you have your answer: change jobs to get more pay. It really depends on your end goal.
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How to communicate to my boss that I will quit if they do not grant me a more flexible schedule? In my company we all work remotely. We are located in different time zones. There is however, one of the time zones where most of the people are located (not all). I am not in that time zone. Other people either. Most of the people adapts to that time zone (not all). There are someemployees who are in other time zones and are granted. For me, it was agreed since the beginning that I would also stick to the main time zone. However, after some time I realized it does not work for me. I really need to work normal office hours. I told my boss about it in a soft manner, and was discussed to find out solutions but this was like very soft. In general he prefers me to stick to the main time zone to increase the chance to have calls with other people, synch etc. Now for me this has become a deal breaker. I.e. If I cannot work on office hours of the time zone I am located, I would quit for another job. On the other hand, the other conditions of my current job are better than the other, so I would stay in the first one, would it be possible to change this thing with the time zone. So I want to talk to my boss but not just tell him I am a bit uncomfortable with the time zone issue, but to tell the straight message: Either I can have a schedule that matches my current time zone or I will quit. Question: How can I tell this, in a very clear crispy way, without sounding rude, impolite or pushy? I.e. I want the message to be totally clear. However I would like to make it sound polite and considerate, and not to make it sound like I will quit tomorrow but within the next couple of months. Communication would be in English. <Q> First thing first, be careful with ultimatums. <S> If you really want to make it clear that it is a deal-breaker to you, here's what I'd do ( <S> and as a manager, how I'd like it to be done): 1. <S> Send an e-mail for an appointment to your manager <S> Hi/ <S> Hello [Name/Surname <S> depending on how close you are] <S> Can we schedule a meeting between the two of us to discuss the timezone issue we already talked about? <S> I thought I could continue this way <S> but now, I'm not sure <S> , I really hope we can find a solution together to enable me to work in the local timezone. <S> Regards, ... <S> This e-mail makes it clear you can't continue working in this timezone but also that you want to sort things out. <S> 2. <S> The meeting Explain the reasons why you can't continue (family/personal constraints etc.) <S> without saying bluntly you'll quit if they disagree. <S> Instead, phrase it this way: <S> I don't think I can continue this way, but I [like/love] (your call) my job <S> and I really hope we can find a solution together. <S> You're basically saying you'll quit if things don't change - but the important point is that you want to continue with them <S> and you're a team player. <S> Highlight <S> the fact that you want to continue your job with different modalities, not the fact that you'll quit. <A> OK, so you had an agreement, and now you want a change, and you want it bad . <S> Considering the local-zone work time is the priority for you, this time, have a formal discussion and firmly put the proposition on the table. <S> Point to Note: Ensure that you have other job opportunities lined up, before getting into the "all-out" mode. <S> Remember three things (applicable for any general negotiation): <S> Never say / utter the words "I'll quit" while you're throwing an ultimatum. <S> Always have an alternate suggestion ready, make the chances of acceptance higher. <S> Following the above guidelines, you can say something like: <S> "Hey Boss, I know we discussed this earlier, but more recently, due to some personal obligations, I need to re-schedule <S> my shift timing to be aligned with my local timezone. <S> This will have an overlap with the main timezone for X hours [put exact hours here] , so that I can communicate with the team and vice-versa, and I expect to make myself available for any occasional exception to that routine." <S> --- Show that you're not doing a one-sided demand, you've thought about the company and the team, too and you are committed to ensure that this change from your side does not impact the existing productivity / outcome. <S> "At this moment, this change has the priority to me. <S> Just to make it clear, I'm very much interested in continuing with the team and the organization, if this change could be made, it'll be possible for me to continue the engagement." <S> --- There, you've said it, without saying "quit" "Finally, if you feel that this change could not me made permanent right now, with your approval, I'm willing to take this as a trial it a try <S> and we can have a review on the outcome in a month or two. <S> After that, if we both feel the outcome is satisfactory, we can have this change be made more permanent. <S> Do you agree?" <S> --- <S> An alternate, instead for an immediate change, propose to try it out first, if it works." <A> it was agreed since the beginning that I would also stick to the main time zone. <S> However, after some time I realized it does not work for me. <S> I really need to work normal office hours. <S> Now for me this has become a deal breaker. <S> So I want to talk to my boss but not just tell him I am a bit uncomfortable with the time zone issue, but to tell the straight message: <S> Either I can have a schedule that matches my current time <S> zone or I will quit. <S> Question: How can I tell this, in a very clear crispy way, without sounding rude, impolite or pushy? <S> There's no need to be rude, impolite or pushy. <S> But you do need to clearly explain how important this is for you, and that you need to know if it will work out or not. <S> You need to be direct and clear in what you want. <S> Something like:"Boss. <S> When I started here I agreed to work on during the main time zone hours. <S> But I've come to realize that it simply doesn't work for me. <S> I need a job that works on normal office hours. <S> I like working here <S> , I like working with you, and other than the hours, I like the job. <S> I'd like to stay if I could be moved to normal hours. <S> Can we work this out, or should I start looking elsewhere? <S> " <S> Then listen to the response and act accordingly.
| Always make sure to convey that the changes you are proposing are not going to affect the team / organization in a negative way. Also show that you're ready to go the extra mile , as and when needed, to cover up for any issues that might occur because of the change.
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Should I put an old programming language to my CV? I made several applications years ago programming in Visual Basic. Should I list that on my CV in part programming languages? The language is old and not developed anymore, however a few places still use the legacy technology. On the other hand, I have built working software on that language so employers see that I am capable to learn new languages. I know also some other languages, namely Java, Python, C#, C++, C and some R. <Q> Before we answer your question, you need to ask yourself a few questions: What kind of job are you applying for? <S> What specific skills or knowledge are required for that job? <S> Does X help an employer evaluate my skills against their requirements? <S> Sometimes, even if X isn't directly listed in the job requirements, telling an employer that you posses skill <S> X can be useful - for instance, if it helps paint a picture that you can learn new things, or that you've been in the industry long enough that you've dealt with changing trends. <S> Or some other reason. <S> The important factor to realize is that resumes are sales tools. <S> You are literally selling yourself to a potential employer. <S> So, think of decisions about what to include through that lens - you want to include details that will make you look valuable, but just as importantly, you want to leave out meaningless fluff or things that could detract from your value. <S> You should always be truthful in a resume, but you should also always be focused in a resume. <A> This answer isn't just for " old languages " but basically for any skill. <S> If it is a skill you have, if that's relevant to the job you want, list it in your resume. <S> If it's an irrelevant skill, a skill you don't want to use anymore <S> (do you want to develop in Visual Basic?), remove it. <S> So, if you're aiming for a Java Software development job and you dont want to do VB again, you can remove it as it has no relevance here. <S> Important point is: adapt your resume to the job you want <A> It can be applicable even if the job you're applying to does not need it, depending on how you spin it on the interview. <S> You can present yourself as someone willing to adapt to whatever the company wants and needs at any given time. <S> My favorite saying is "If the company wants me to do C++, I will do C++... <S> and if tomorrow they want me to do D--, I will learn D--". <S> This attitude can help in getting a job, even if the specific language is not needed. <S> Having said that, unless you critically need a job, I would recommend looking only for jobs with modern technologies, not extremely old ones. <S> As time passes, if two thirds of your resume is filled with obsolete skills, it will get harder and harder to get a job, both based on resume and in interviews.
| If you're aiming for an old language development job, it's relevant so list it.
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How to let the manager know that I am available for the position I rejected earlier I am a consultant at this company for long time now. I have a very good reputation as a person with good technical know-how, highly experienced in most of the bread and butter products of the company and being a fearless speaker. In the past my manager had asked me if I am interested in the Sr developer role position but I let the opportunity go saying I am only looking for the lead position since I have so much of experience at the company. This happened about 3 years back. But I noticed that there are a no lead positions open during this time and looks like there will be none in near future. And now I think I have spent enough time in this company and not motivated anymore to go outside looking for the full time job and I am even satisfied with the sr developer role if not the lead. But now my manager is not even asking me if I am interested to join as a full timer. My question is - Since I have rejected the same position earlier, how can I let the manager know that I am ok joining as a sr developer role. I don't want to sound like a loser or that I am not competent enough to find better opportunities elsewhere. <Q> 3 years is a long time in software development to change your mind about where you want your career to go. <S> The easiest path here is to approach your manager, who has just been assuming you aren't interested for years now. <S> This doesn't have to come off as a negative and won't be considered a negative unless you make it that. <A> I'll tell you my perspective as a technology lead/delivery manager, I managed, trained, and coached multiple teams: If a person tells me that they are looking for something specific – I won't offer them anything else in future, especially if they are aiming at something that could be considered higher than offered, because there is a risk offending them. <S> As in – they think they deserve a lead position, and I'm offering a mere senior engineering role. <S> If your manager is anything like me – they might never ask you again, until they have a lead role that they think you could do. <S> So – my advice would be to be straight with them, and ask them if they have a senior engineering role. <S> Now, because it happened 3 years ago – it's pretty safe to assume that that role is long gone, but it doesn't matter. <S> If you acted politely a cordially <S> it's perfectly ok to approach them, if they don't have a role, feel free to ask them to recommend you. <A> Talk to your manager. <S> “Remember 3 years ago when you asked me if I’m interested in such and such position... <S> well it kinda sounds interesting to me now and wanted to check with you if that position is still open.” <S> Worst case scenario is the position is not open, but in case it opens up again, your boss is already aware that you taking the spot is a possibility.
| Be sure you only convey the positive, that you are excited to pursue this opportunity in the company, because of (name something like a company change in direction, technologies change, new people on the team, etc.)
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Referring someone whom you know personally, but not professionally I have a few opportunities to refer someone to my current employer. I know them personally, but can't speak to them professionally. If they don't work out as candidates, will this reflect poorly on me? This is for a large company where I doubt I would be more than a field in a form of a candidate tracker, but one aspect of this is small vs. medium vs. large company. And this is a referral, not a reference. Obviously, I wouldn't give a professional reference for someone I don't know professionally, and a reference for someone who doesn't would out could definitely reflect poorly on me, depending on the circumstances. <Q> I have a few opportunities to refer someone to my current employer. <S> I know them personally, but can't speak to them professionally. <S> If they don't work out as candidates, will this reflect poorly on me? <S> No, as long as you make it clear that you only know them personally, but cannot vouch for them professionally. <S> This happens all the time with companies that pay referral bonuses. <S> Many people apply for a given position, but only one gets accepted. <S> Nobody blames whoever referred the ones that don't make it. <A> Referring someone is different from hiring someone. <S> In referring someone, in the context I surmise from your question, the organization acknowledges that you are not necessarily privy to all the intricacies and needs of that open role. <S> You merely recognize that someone you know may be a potential match. <S> It can be surprisingly difficult to find interested candidates. <S> From the point of view of hiring teams, every little bit helps. <S> Feel confident in referring your contact, and if you wish, provide your organization with some context, e.g. <S> "Although I don't know him in a professional context, I have spent time with him doing X. His background seems to be a match for the role, thus I thought I'd make the referral." <S> Also, if you get a referral bonus, collect it free of guilt. <A> You are just referring someone, the company still has their hiring process. <S> So there's still the same evaluation, if the candidate is a good fit. <S> The advantage for the company is that they get willing candidates for less money than with a recruiter etc. <S> My company has a referral program, which is more or less "send your friend an email with a link to the job ad". <S> My company asks in the web form, how you know the candidate (friend, former coworker, family, etc.) <S> and optionally you can add reasons why you think the candidate would be a good fit.
| It is not your responsibility to vet that person--that is the responsibility of the hiring team.
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How to get my colleague to work with our new Supervisor? Me and a group of colleagues now friends work for a medium sized start up. We were all working fine until our manager changed. We were given various assignments to complete before and after the change we are still given various assignments. One of my friends who works in coordination with me has stopped working, citing that the new manager is not giving us the opportunity to pursue better assignments etc. We went to directors and while they listened to us because of our previous experience with the company they are not much help. I have finished my end of the assignment and asked him to finalize things at his end however he refuses to work until he believes that the assignment is better and maturer than before. How do I make him realize the importance of the assignments and make him realize that every assignment is different and we'll surely get better assignments as the manager settles in his position? I don't want to leave the manager with a negative impact on our first assignment together since he may lose interest and/or gain doubt in our capabilities. <Q> You can have a whole discussion about how to talk to management to get nicer assignments. <S> However, your first responsibility is to protect yourself. <S> Your colleague is going to get into trouble He gets paid to work <S> and he's not working. <S> And he's sulking instead of speaking up, which is going to create an unpleasant surprise for a supervisor/manager at some point. <S> Don't let his problem become your problem <S> If your project fails because he's not doing his part, then you're in trouble too. <S> At this point, the "colleague now friend" is not a friend anymore; a good friend doesn't go sabotaging your job because he's sulking. <S> You need to tell him (in a nice but quite clear way) that you're not going to let him drag you down with him. <S> If he's not going to do his part of the project, you're going to have to tell your supervisor that you can't finish the project because of him. <S> This is not Agile Agile methodologies depend on open communication, not on passive-aggressively sabotaging projects because you're unhappy. <A> How to get my colleague to work with our new Supervisor? <S> It's your colleague not your child, exhibiting unprofessional behaviour that impacts directly on you. <S> You have already spoken to the directors, and tried without a positive result. <S> You now need to protect yourself instead of focusing on protecting someone who is proven fully prepared to throw you under a bus. <S> It's only a team if it works together. <S> Your supervisor needs to be made aware that your portion is finished and you're not responsible for any hold up. <S> It's up to the supervisor to then develop a resolution strategy. <S> You're other option <S> would be to complete the whole project yourself. <S> This is obviously unfair unless you also take credit for doing so. <A> Depersonalize this. <S> If you're doing anything resembling agile <S> you have a short daily meeting where you mention "blockers. <S> " <S> A "blocker" for you is the incomplete task presently assigned to your co-worker. <S> You can't do a system level test of your work until his task is complete, so you're blocked. <S> Mention that in your daily meeting. <S> It's not on you to get him to do his assigned work. <S> It is on you to bring your "blocker" to the team's attention. <S> It's on the team and the supervisor to figure out how to deal with your blocking issue. <S> Maybe they'll ask you to do that work? <S> Maybe somebody else can do it? <S> If you were a supervisor or startup founder asking this question, I would offer a different answer. <S> It would involve explaining to him this fact: almost all startup software development work is painstaking and maybe even a little boring. <S> But success means getting it done well enough to get something useful into your users' hands. <S> Your company is burning precious time and startup capital to get that done. <S> And, it's likely that everybody has a (stock option) stake in getting that done. <S> You're investing your only irreplaceable resource, your time, in this company in return for your stock options. <S> This bad behavior is wasting your investment . <S> If your founders refuse to deal with this problem, their startup probably will fail. <S> Don't let those founders waste any more of your precious time.
| It would involve either persuading your colleague to do his work , or removing him from the team .
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My Programming Manager constantly asks for updates and is never satisfied with my performance. How do I approach this? I am an experienced Software Engineer and I have never faced this in my earlier roles. My Programming Manager does not have the tendency to wait. He is constantly asking for updates and never seems satisfied with my performance. We have to work 6 days a week and he wants us to stay late on top of that. Deadlines are sometimes unrealistic as well. I have two options, to resign or stay here because this is getting on my nerves. I don't have any outlet to breathe. <Q> You (and your manager) seem to be in urgent need for a proper management process. <S> What you must do do avoid just the scenario you mentioned: Have a proper work plan. <S> Have a pre-decided acceptance criteria for each and every assignment. <S> Have scheduled review meetings. <S> Use a project management tool (if not already in use). <S> This way, there would be no confusion about the target deadline, and the need for your manager to reach out to you (and others) for status update would no longer be there. <S> Note: <S> If this is not taken up as the most priority items, combined with the work schedule you mentioned, I'd suggest to polish your resume and look for job elsewhere. <S> Update: as your clarified in the comments: we started to have those, the manager thinks it's all a waste of time. <S> Now we just do everything without a plan. <S> Leave everything, find a new job and move on as soon as possible. <A> we have to work 6 days a week and ... stay late on top of that <S> We know from experience that this can end in two ways: the work schedule returns to "normal values"; the employee leaves. <S> I know from my workplaces in 19 years. <S> Also, the Internet is full of similar statements. <S> In a comment you said: the manager thinks it's all a waste of time. <S> Now we just do everything without a plan . <S> That is a clear case of an incompetent, "tough guy" manager. <S> There is no such thing as management , without planning and tracking . <S> You may want to discuss with HR about it, or with the boss of your boss. <S> And there is a (small?) <S> chance that doing that will turn against you. <S> Sooner or later, you will get there anyway. <A> Saudi Arabia specific answer <S> I'm assuming you are a migrant worker since you aren't a manager and it would be very unusual for a Saudi national to be treated this way. <S> Unfortunately this is normal and part of the working culture, workers come from abroad and are often pushed to their limits for as long as they can take it. <S> The pay is very good <S> but there is almost no chance of career advancement <S> , you work as long as you can and then move on. <S> If your boss is a Saudi national that would explain his behaviour, Saudi managers don't work, they just manage, so they constantly check on their subordinates and demand more even if more isn't possible so they can feel important. <S> If you're actually underperforming expect to be yelled at with as many witnesses as possible <S> so they are seen to be doing something about it. <S> If they aren't a Saudi <S> I'm surprised by this behaviour <S> but there isn't much you can do about it. <S> Going to their manager almost certainly will cost you your job. <S> Ultimately it comes down to money, working in Saudi Arabia is a good way to earn more money for the same job but unless you are really lucky or have a manager from a country where this sort of treatment would get you fired on the spot, you will have to put up with a 2-class working culture where workers are more like servants and managers are masters. <A> Disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about working in Saudi Arabia and the culture surrounding it, my suggestion is based on my experience in Europe and the USA. <S> You are in a position where both your manger and you, are unhappy with the current arrangement. <S> You don't like to be worked around the clock, six days a week, and he doesn't like how little is delivered. <S> Seems like a perfect case to grab his attention and say something to the following effect " <S> Hey X, Listen, I see that you are unhappy with what I am delivering every week. <S> I am also unhappy with the work around the clock, and the fact that, in the end that's still not enough. <S> Because if things just stay as it is, you will keep getting pressure from upstairs for late-delivery, and I will keep getting stressed over the long hours. <S> So let's sit down and resolve it, one way or another, so we can either start working towards improving this situation or on finding my replacement." <S> You should be honest with the guy, and since you are already considering to quit, this is very much a last attempt to reconcile between you two. <S> I also specifically formatted it so you will only talk about your performance, not the team as a whole - as you should focus on what you, and you only. <S> It also frames the expectations in no uncertain terms, and you've mentioned that finding people to join the team is hard, so this is his incentive to try and figure it out. <S> Of course before doing anything drastic like that make sure that you actually can quit, especially check your legal/visa situation.
| Estimate the work before you actually start working on them. Bottom line, the most sensible thing you can do is to prepare for a new job. I think we should talk and either figure out a plan to make a clean break and part ways or revamp both the long hours and your expectations around my work.
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Dealing with nosy co-workers We have cubicles at work with low walls to help with collaboration. However, this also invites other behavior from nosy people too. For some reason, someone likes to listen to me when I ask questions, read things from my screen behind or beside me, etc. and I'm trying to figure out what I can do before escalating. I don't know if they do this with others but I notice it with myself. Case 1:A couple times I asked someone else for help and to come to my cube to see what I'm doing/talking about. The nosy person would roll over by my cube to watch and listen in, sometimes ridiculing me for my question and the solution I was proposing to the other co-worker, sometimes proposing a possible viable solution. Case 2:A few times I was asking for help from someone else at their cube on a project that doesn't involve the nosy person but for some reason, they stopped what they are doing and roll over to the cube I'm at to listen in. Case 3:Several times I've caught them walking by and staring at my screen (I have 2 monitors). I would ask them if they needed something, to which they would say no, and keep walking. I'm sure there are other times they were staring at my screen without me being aware of it. Maybe I'm being overly sensitive but for case 1 and 2, I don't want them to know about details of my work projects and either take credit for them or use them against me if I do things "wrong". I know this is what collaboration can look like, but sometimes they are giving input on issues that don't concern them or laughing at possible ideas being bounced off the wall that don't concern them. For case 3 if I'm looking at something personal that requires attention during work hours, I don't want to be looking over my shoulder for someone nosy to protect my privacy. Short of being a snitch and escalating above, what other measures can I do to minimize my annoyance / exposure to them? <Q> Short of being a snitch and escalating above, what other measures can I do to minimize my annoyance / exposure to them? <S> The easiest is to ask that person directly to stop doing what they are doing . <S> People can't guess that this sort of behavior bothers or distracts you. <S> Regarding Case 1 and 2, it seems a bit invasive and intrusive for my taste what this person is doing. <S> If this happens again (after you asking them to stop) and they interrupt or join without invitation, feel free to politely ask them to give you a moment, as you are discussing important work-related stuff. <S> If these sort of behavior continues after you have asked them to stop, and if this is really something that is affecting your productivity, then it will be time to escalate. <S> But remember to talk to this person first to try reach a peaceful solution. <A> You already have good answers on how to communicate with that colleague. <S> However, before talking to them, I would like to suggest you separate the destructive behavior that should be stopped, and destructive behavior that could be transformed to the good. <S> All of the following points are clearly destructive and unacceptable: read things from my screen behind or beside me staring at my screen ridiculing me for my question and the solution <S> take credit for them <S> use them against me if I do things "wrong" laughing at possible ideas being bounced off the wall Rational reasons to put an immediate end to such behavior are that it discourages you from seeking the best solution for your project, discourages you from learning, and makes you feel uncomfortable distracting your attention from the tasks at hand . <S> So it's clearly bad for you and for the company alike, and these reasons could be taken to the manager, if it comes to the escalation. <S> However, the following points might go well with your company culture (*), on the basis that one of the goals of having an open workplace setting with low walls is to promote and facilitate knowledge sharing : roll over by my cube to watch and listen in <S> they stopped what they are doing and roll over to the cube I'm at to listen in <S> *) <S> Provided, of course, all of them stay within reasonable limits: not crossing any privacy borders, not pushy, not annoying, not offensive, not disruptive. <S> I think the best way would be to ask that colleague to change their attitude (rather than stop completely): to listen with an intent to learn, joining in an open and unintrusive way, never interfering with your question, in no way discouraging you from asking, and staying within reasonable limits. <S> Just like they would join a university lecture. <S> After all, the whole SE network is about people learning from other people' questions :- ) <S> I don't want them to know about details of my work projects <S> This could be the root of the problem if the management holds a different view. <S> Because from the company perspective cross-project knowledge sharing might be a good thing (bus factor, resource flexibility, etc.). <S> Perhaps you should find a way to check this with your manager before making a complain. <A> Talk to the person in question privately. <S> Prepare a bunch of ready-made phrases to tell that person when his help is not wanted. <S> Install a convex mirror (to know when that person is looking at your screens) <S> Ask that your cubicle be moved away from that person. <S> You don't need to fully explain yourself. <S> You can just say that you find that person distracting. <S> When asking for help from a co-worker and that other person is budding in, don't be afraid to snub him and suggest a more private space like a conference room for the other person and you to talk. <A> First - Don't make it personal. <S> Make it Business. <S> Reading data from your screen is kind of serious security problem. <S> What if you have some data "For your Eyes only" and they stand behind you? <S> What if the problem is to be shared only beetwen you and the person YOU CHOOSE to share it with. <S> Ask, or buy yourself, privacy filters and set your monitors the way that someone standing outside would not see them. <S> Loudly (so to them and anyone next to you) notice that it's nice that they have nothing to do that they can waste time on problems that don't affect them. <S> Without really helping. <S> If they ridicule your problem ask them to take it over. <S> They clearly have A)free time B <S> ) know how to do it. <S> In general, make people aware that this person is wasting company money. <S> Either they are paid and do nothing or they do what they're supposed to in less time <S> so there is no need to employ them full time.
| Only if you express it, and politely and professionally ask them to stop, will they know this is something you don't like. Impose some personal boundaries. Install screen privacy guards (that you can remove, or adjust when a coworker looks at your screen, but adjust back when the person in question looks at your screens).
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What to do when employees are dissatisfied with the salary, however there is no possibility to increase it? I work as a consultant, and conduct an organizational climate measurement for a client company. What I found is that the workers are not satisfied with their wages (which is understandable since most of them receive the minimum wage). The problem is that the CEO is not willing to make salary improvements. So what would be the best way to approach this problem from a human resources perspective? The most logical thing would be to work on issues related to emotional salary, but I would like to hear other opinions. <Q> Hire 14 year-olds and replace them with new 14 year-olds every year. <S> (examples: McDonalds, Girl Scouts) Automate. <S> Tell them they're contractors now, but that they'll make serious cash recruiting others. <S> (examples: <S> Avon, Tupperware, Uber) Outsource the work, or part of the work, to your own customers ( <S> examples: Ikea, Waze, Hot Pot City, StackOverflow) <A> What I found is that the workers are not satisfied with their wages <S> Is this ever not found in a company? <S> Who does not think they should get a raise? <S> So what would be the best way to approach this problem from a human resources perspective? <S> The most logical thing would be to work on issues related to emotional salary, but I would like to hear other opinions. <S> Emotional salary works when the trade off is being happier at work instead of buying a new boat. <S> The challenge with minimum wage is that for many, it is a survival wage, so having a nice Christmas card isn't a motivator. <S> You do not state your industry, but figure out what types of people end up working at the particular company. <S> Are they young single uneducated men? <S> Single moms with children? <S> Seniors looking for something to do? <S> Felons stuck in the job? <S> Students at the local university? <S> There are lots of low-cost perks which could be offered. <S> Moms could be given more flexibility. <S> Seniors could be offered chairs if they are at the cash register. <S> Felons could be offered easy access to a reference or flexibility to see their parole officers (this is an actual problem for many of them who work regular hours as often they must check in during regular hours). <S> Students could be given scholarship lists. <S> Figure out why your workers work there and find a perk which benefits them. <A> This is clearly an issue with the wages. <S> Minimum wages means CEO is trying to get away with as little wages s/he can give. <S> This is not your problem to handle. <S> Report the feedback from employees to the CEO, without throwing any of them under the bus. <S> Its the CEO's decision to make. <S> It's affecting morale and soon people will start to leave and you will be left with mediocre staff that are stuck because they cannot get a better job. <A> -One possibility is to outsource the departement to a country with lower minimum wages. <S> like a transportation subscription might be win-win subsidised food in the canteen <S> Also the notion that increase is impossible has to be tested. <S> Does the competition pay more?
| also, if legal, one can allow the workers to do more paid work, so they can get a living wage by working more hours tax free benefits (if legal)
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How to dress for a office Christmas party? I recently got my first job (internship) as an engineer and it is my first time that I am going to participate in a Christmas party where all of my officemates and my boss are there. I wanted to dress up and look conservative a little bit. I wanted to wear a little black dress like this: https://ibb.co/Mp141vn Do you think this dress is appropriate to wear for an office Christmas party?Please consider that I am a student and my job is like an internship and the way that I dress might affect my future career. EDITED: hey guys based on your suggestions, I decided to not to buy that dress. I have this dress in my wardrobe, which is red. The length is knee length. Will you wear a red dress like this for a company party? https://poshmark.com/listing/KATE-SPADE-Red-Angelika-Dress-Size-8-women-5bd6156959ea85e21394bed0 <Q> Ask your boss - your impression on him is important for your well being in the company. <S> Ask your colleagues <S> - maybe they have some "plans" they did not share with you yet. <S> Also, they might have the experience of the previous years. <S> Ask the organizers for advice: they might have decided for a dress code. <S> At the end, analyze the info and make a decision based on that. <S> That is what I always do when I am invited somewhere. <S> I do not want to show up dressed Hawaii style when everybody wears tuxes. <S> Or the other way around. <S> I wanted to dress up and look conservative a little bit. <S> The dress you presented in the picture is acceptable for "western" cultures, especially for parties. <S> But I would definitely not consider that conservative. <S> It is actually at the edge of being provocative, while still being decent. <S> A very interesting input from @MartinVéronneau in the comments: maybe you are able to see some pictures from previous events, to have a better idea what is "expected". <A> Office culture varies widely enough that there's no such thing as a universal answer you can get from the internet. <S> To get a good answer to this sort of question, you really need to talk to a coworker or two about what they normally wear and how formal the event is. <A> The other answers already said to talk to your coworkers. <S> Some of my colleagues <S> and I have a private groupchat where we send each other photos of different clothing options before special company events. <S> Depending on your colleagues and company culture you could suggest something like this. <S> Another thing to consider is how you want to present yourself in the workplace. <S> Do you feel comfortable in short clothing? <S> The dress you linked looks rather short and like your behind could be showing during certain moves. <S> I would suggest wearing it with dark (not see through) stockings or resort to something a bit longer. <S> I know, this is full of stereotypes, but I always ask myself if someone passing by would think I am here for the looks, or because I am intelligent.
| If you have female colleagues around your age you can ask them what they usually wear to such events to get some insights.
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Co-workers used a bot to have my pitch win the people’s choice award for a conference. I have conflicting feelings and don’t know what to think Last week, there was an industry conference where I was selected to pitch for my company. Things have been difficult for me professionally recently as I didn’t get a major contract and keep worrying that I can’t keep up. I was really putting in the time for the pitch, hoping that it would give me some clarity. I’ve never been a confident person and never really got away from the feedback cycle in university, where there were always little bits of good news. I do my pitch. It goes fine, but there was no obvious love from the audience. The applause sounds socially obligated. I thought that I had failed and wasn’t in a good mood. The voting URL was put on the projector with a code and everyone was to vote while we got dinner. We were going to go as a team, but two devs said they had to deal with a “server problem” and took out their laptops and went to the corner. Not too unusual so far, as things happen. We eat and go back to our seats. 15 minutes after the voting closed, they announced that the process “had clearly not been fair” so they decided to redo the vote in a 10 minute window. The two devs had another “server fault” and went off again, returning 15 minutes later, just in time to be there when I won. I was so happy for the first time in a long time. No longer trapped under the rubble of past failure. There was joy in my heart and confidence in my voice. Because I didn’t feel obligated to keep working late, I went to see my mom over the weekend and we celebrated with drinks. Chatted with a friend as well and told them the good news. Today, the boss bought me lunch, some of the guys brang a cake, and everybody gave me hugs. Life was back on track! Later today, the other female employee came and told me about how the two male devs who suddenly had to deal with a tech problem during the event had actually gone and used a bot on the form, which is why the first set of votes were invalidated. She thought that I should know the truth. On the one hand, I’m grateful that they cared so much (I’m one of just two women at a tech startup of 20 and have struggled to be accepted) but also concerned at how easily they congratulated me about winning and easily used it as proof that I “had what it takes” and “just had a run of bad luck.” They casually lied to my face about how I was great and had won over everyone at the conference when I probably would have come in 5th had they not used the bot. My confidence is gone again. But had I lost, I also wouldn’t be feeling good about myself. They also had no confidence in me that I could win it by myself. Was the bot a vote against me? Something to use to push me out later? I also feel bad for the person who lost as he seemed so nice and genuine. I also feel like a fraud to my mother and best friend and really don’t want to have to tell them I lost (again). Should I just keep quiet? Ask the guys about it? Talk to the boss/CEO? Should I still consider quitting? Could two software engineers even build a bot to fill in a form in 90 minutes? <Q> There are a few odd things that come to mind and a few questions. <S> However my main concern is: If two guys wrote the bot and deployed the victory, why did the other female colleague know about it? <S> Must have been told and possibly told because you would then hear about it. <S> There is a potential for it to spread and a future potential for it to be used against you if so chosen. <S> What do the two guys have to gain with this act? <S> If it were 100% to help, it would have\should have been kept 100% secret. <S> My spidey sense is tingling over this one <S> The important thing here is that you did absolutely nothing wrong up to this point. <S> Now you know. <S> I do not know if there was a prize in the conference <S> so there was remuneration or items involved, or if this was purely a recognition thing. <S> Renounce on the basis that there are rumors circulating that there may have been some voting issues with the system doing the tallying. <S> You do not need to reveal who mentioned it, you can simply defer and say that nothing is substantiated so you do not want to continue to propagate the rumor but you feel that just in case, the results should become invalid. <S> Perhaps a revote could happen. <S> Perhaps the boss/CEO or whoever is in the position of authority will say that your presentation was good and deserved it anyways. <S> Then if things come out later on, you have already freed yourself of any guilt at all. <S> You had your suspicion, you felt the needed to renounce, it was accepted, or not <S> and it was nothing to do with you, <S> so you are all good - on record. <A> Should I just keep quiet? <S> Ask the guys about it? <S> Talk to the boss/CEO? <S> Should I still consider quitting? <S> You should tell the cheating coworkers that you don't want to win that way. <S> Your decision to quit or not should have nothing to do with this silly incident one way or the other. <A> Was the bot a vote against me? <S> Something to use to push me out later? <S> Why would it be? <S> They're from your company. <S> They're your friends. <S> Could two software engineers even build a bot to fill in a form in 90 minutes? <S> Let me put it this way. <S> If there was little to no security on the form itself, it would take a non-programmer about 2 to 30 seconds to record such a script if an automated web testing tool like Selenium was already installed on their browser. <S> Should I still consider quitting? <S> Was prize money involved? <S> I assume not. <S> Assuming you trust your CEO, you should consider telling him privately about this without naming the person who told you. <S> He's the one who can advise you on this, but he's also the one who can make sure this doesn't happen again. <S> And who knows? <S> May be the higher management instructed those two developers to develop and run the bot. <S> – Sara <S> One party who did know was the organizer(s) <S> that ran the contest. <S> The organizer(s) knew about the irregularities and they still chose to announce a winner anyway. <S> In any case, if it also turns out that the CEO was also aware, or that he doesn't want to reprimand the two guys that did this, then you may want to consider finding a new employer. <A> I would raise this with a manager. <S> This is called whistle blowing, and the correct course of action is to inform the company before notifying external bodies so that the company has a chance to defend itself and investigate. <S> It may turn out it wasn't rigged; and you were lied to... Interacting with the external body directly would be very unwise and could have you fired on the spot. <S> You are protected from retribution when you whistleblow internally or law enforcement bodies. <S> You are not protected when you go to other 3rd parties. <S> Remember - you did not attend this conference personally - you attended it professionally; as such it is your company that will be impacted.
| You should tell the conference organizers that you won the Bot's Choice Award through your coworkers cheating, so that they can award the rightful winner. Don't break their trust. Regardless, if you feel that you should not have won, you can simply renounce your victory .
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Is two days an acceptable amount of time to catch up when working overnight? I'm typically an 8-5 worker, but recently I found out for one day I may have to work overnight. This is due to a customer that doesn't want to close during the day for an upgrade. I've never worked 3rd shift in my life so I have no idea how long it will take for my body to transition from overnight to day time again. I plan to work the day before, do things around the house after work, then just stay up until 7am while doing the work. I don't think that will be a problem, but I will be dead tired when I go to sleep. If I sleep at 7am, I'll probably wake up at around the time I would normally get off work. So that's one day gone, then I can sleep late (3am) that night because I won't be tired for a while. Wake up earlier, but still too late for work (noon-1pm), then go back to my normal schedule the next day. So is it acceptable for me to ask for 2 days off after the overnight work or would an average boss most likely think I'm taking advantage of the situation? <Q> In my experience, there have been two main ways this is handled <S> Go in halfway through your normal shift and end at the normal time (working 4 hours). <S> Start your day normally on the second day, and leave early (working 4 hours). <S> This ends up evening you out. <S> Do your normal shift, start your second shift, go home and sleep, and don't come in for your normal shift that day. <S> Return to normal your second day. <S> This is my preferred. <A> Is two days an acceptable amount of time to catch up when working overnight? <S> It depends . <S> For example, me (and some folks I know), pulled many all-nighter (production upgrade activities), took a day off (the next day), and we were back to work the day after that. <S> So a 1-day off was enough for us to be able to get back to the flow. <S> On the other hand, I've seen people, who needed the remainder of the week to get back in rhythm. <S> Even after the day-off, for the entire week, they arrived at work looking sleepy, leaving early and appearing distracted - they needed the weekend to get over with the dis-balance. <S> In my experience, there's no silver bullet - just do what you feel right for you. <S> If you need 2 days of time to get back in the natural flow - ask for it. <S> A sensible manager would understand that - as a fully charged engineer after two days off will deliver more work in the end, than a distracted engineer returning to work after one-day off. <S> ( See the second part of my example ) <S> Considering that the extra shift day is in the first half of the week <S> (and you're got following workdays), the most common pattern for these sort of activities (my personal experience, again): Day 0 - Working <S> the extra shift(s). <S> Day 1 - Off-work. <S> Relax ( don't open your mailbox ) and unwind. <S> Day 2 - Use the first half for a slow start . <S> Start working in the second half. <S> Day 3 - Business as usual. <A> Assuming: Monday, normal day Tuesday, normal day + working until 7am of Wednesday <S> Then I would expect you back on Thursday, at your usual start time. <S> I would, depending on your age/state of health, expect you to maybe have a little weird time-zoneing around thursday (maybe turning up at 11am instead of 9am say, and working until your normal end time), and that would be the end of it. <S> If you're quite old, or quite infirm, then I probably wouldn't expect you in on Thursday, or if so at something like 1pm.
| Do your normal shift, do your second shift, go home and sleep. Transitioning back to a "normal" schedule after one overnight is not an undue burden, unless it becomes a regular thing.
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Dealing with conflict in matrix management I'm a technical lead who also line manages developers. One of the devs (lets call her Alice) I manage works in a separate scrum team to the ones I'm the tech lead for. The teams do all work on the same project. Alice was recently placed into a team which has not been performing very well and has begun to directly highlight ways they can improve. My equivalent in that team, lets call him Bob prefers a very top down technical lead style and has not taken well to this new arrival in the team. He also happens to think the team are performing well. There has been quite a few disagreements, several times Bob has used his authority to silence Alice and prevent further discussions on ways to improve the team. I have also had feedback about Alice complaining that she is disrupting the team and that if she was a contractor "she would have been let go". Conveniently we also have a consultant/coach in the team looking to improve their ways of working who I have been able to discuss this with to get a more balanced picture. Their view is that Alice is correct 90% of the time and that the team needs some healthy disruption, however Alice could look to make her points in a more diplomatic manner. I have also spoken with Alice and suggested she start to list down all of her points of where the team can improve, look to prioritise this list and then work with the coach to figure out the best way to communicate these one by one to the team rather than highlighting each issue as and when it comes up. While Alice agrees with this approach for most things she does not feel she can fail to highlight and keep highlighting an issue when it is in her view a significant problem e.g. disabling failing tests or considering a ticket complete despite a failing Jenkins build. I completely agree with her view on this but Bob is continuing to be frustrated with Alice and I fear the situation is moving from a healthy disruption to simply disruption. I have no authority over Bob because he is an equivalent and I do not think it would help for me to get directly involved with each and every point raised by Alice, I also do not have the time to do this. I have setup a sit down with Me, Alice, Bob, the teams scrum master and the coach to see if we can find a way forwards and to discuss some of the points Alice feels she can not fail to highlight. If this meeting does not go well and I have every reason to suspect it wont then I am slightly at a loss as to what to try next and am currently feeling very much caught in the middle. There is no real higher technical authority that this can be escalated to due to a quite flat technical management structure while a corporate re-organisation goes on. <Q> That's a tricky situation to deal with. <S> I think the easiest way out of this (for now) would be to move Alive out of Bob's team back to yours or a place that's more compatible with her style & values. <S> Maybe there is a swap that can be orchestrated. <S> In the long term, there needs to be a way to address the mismatch between Bob and you/Alice. <S> That will be difficult without a higher authority but maybe this will change after the reorg. <S> Until there is a unified culture, best you can do is to minimize the contact points. <A> Bob wants to "fire" Alice, over what sounds to be disagreements of substance not just expression. <S> Meanwhile you think Alice is accomplishing good work, but perhaps could use some coaching on communication. <S> Trying to force "help" where it isn't wanted just won't work. <S> It doesn't even matter who is "right" in an objective technical sense <S> , it's enough that there just is not a fit. <S> Ask Bob if he wants to release her. <S> Then his team's problems or progress can be his problems or accomplishments, and you can help Alice be even more effective in presenting and applying her solutions in a context where their intent is generally welcome. <S> If your organization can't transfer Alice out of a situation where her help is not welcome and into one where it is, then it will probably lose her as a resource to some other organization where her contributions will be valued. <A> "several times Bob has used his authority to silence Alice and preventfurther discussions on ways to improve the team." <S> "separate scrum team". <S> ` A scrum team is a team of developers without roles. <S> This should be raised by the scrum master to the dev team on whether this is how they would like to operate. <S> On a different path, Alice would be best server by bringing this up with the scrum master as well and during the Sprint retrospective with the entire dev team. <A> According to the OP it's a scrum project, so my first hint is to use the scrum tag which allows to find the posting easier. <S> The second critique is that the initial sentence doesn't make much sense. <S> quote: “ <S> I'm a technical lead who also line manages developers. <S> One of the devs (lets call her Alice) <S> I manage works in a separate scrum team to the ones I'm the tech lead for. <S> “ In the scrum management technique, the manager is equal to the external customer, but in the OP it's claimed that he is a scrum manager within the company. <S> The reason why Scrum is called agile is because the product owner isn't part of the team but he creates stress from outside the organization. <S> Instead of referencing to the team members by name, the better idea is to address the users with their social role. <S> Each team member is located in the hierarchy according to the annual salary. <S> And the guy how gets nothing is on top of the pyramid, while the person who earns most has to do all the work for the others. <S> One explanation for the confusion with matrix organization, social roles and missing hierarchy can be explained because scrum is a very new management concept. <S> It's normal that at the beginning most classical managers struggle to find into their role. <S> A recommended way to understand scrum during a practical project is to imagine that the team has to solve a task in the emergency operation center. <S> Such an environment has the tendency to go alone into the direction of scrum, especially if the stress level to the user is increased, the number of resources is limited and conflicts become visible.
| Sounds like what you really need to do is move Alice off Bob's project team and onto yours. You need to build a consistent culture and set of values or you will continuously have conflicts like this. Talk to the scrum master for the dev team that Bob is part of and let him know of the current state of the dev team.
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Complicated working experience on LinkedIn I would like to ask, how would you deal with this not that important situation, that I am dealing with right now. I was working for one corporate for year and a half now and I would like to place this experience on my LinkedIn. However there is a little problem with that. I originally came to company Example Industries LLC . Our department was moved to child company Example Salesmen LLC after couple of months for legal purposes. This change changed literally nothing for me. I stayed on the same position, office even the same chair. I will be leaving the company now, but after couple of weeks there will be merge with another company (owned by same corporation) so the companies names (both of them, parent and child) will be changed to Example Sample Industries LLC and Example Sample Salesmen LLC . What would be the best way to place this on my LinkedIn? Thanks! <Q> Whatever name changes, mergers, splits, etc. occurred after you were hired don't matter as it relates to your work experience. <S> It has nothing to do with you <S> and it's not a reflection on you or your work experience. <S> If your job, or title, or duties changed as a result of any of this activity then list that, but you don't need to say that "Company X changed it's name to Company Y <S> and then they merged with Company Z."... or whatever the case is. <A> You have a couple of answers about how you should do this on a resume <S> but I think the fact that you're asking about LinkedIn changes the advice since ideally your entry for your current job will link to your current company. <S> Assuming both entities have a LinkedIn presence that is well maintained by the company, I would use the most recent version of child company name: That should be the version that actually exists on LinkedIn. <S> If they've set it up right, the child company's page will show as being affiliated with the parent company's page. <S> If they decide to create a new company page for the new name, then the old company page is going to stop getting updated and eventually get wiped/deleted. <S> To be clear, you shouldn't worry about name changes that happen well after you've left. <S> If only the parent company exists on LinkedIn, seek out co-worker's profiles to see how everyone else is doing this. <A> The most important is to provide the name of the company the same as it was when you worked there . <S> If the company changed its name, and you want to show this, you might write: COMPANY_A, named COMPANY_B since (date) or COMPANY_A, part of COMPANY_B since (date) <S> It is mostly irrelevant if the name changed WHILE you worked there, or AFTER. <S> You are not forbidden to make a very short notice of that. <S> Alternatively, you can update your CV as: worked at COMPANY_A from ... to ... <S> worked at COMPANY_B from ... to ... <S> However, while correct, this might send the wrong message, that you left one job for another. <S> Therefore, this could be tricky.
| Just put the name of the company as it was when you were hired.
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Could a repository I created years ago reflect badly on me? I have a repository on GitHub, which I created when I was learning some technology- it is web app. It has around 100 stars. Now, clearly after years probably both my development skills have increased as well as knowledge of that technology. I don't think the project has crappy code in it, though I try to clean it from time to time and improve. Given these facts, I fear that this "old" repo and the code it contains could backfire on me when trying to apply for jobs. Could it be that keeping that old repo will reflect badly on me? I wonder how people deal with such situations, when they created a repo when they were less experienced developer than they are now. I am hesitant to delete it because of stars and people seem to visit it. On the other hand I don't want a project which could be referred as bad code or something like that (even though I believe it isn't such). On the README it's clearly stated that this project was created for learning purposes, though. <Q> On the other hand I don't want a project which could be referred as bad code or something like that (even though I believe it isn't such) . <S> So which is it? <S> Everyone is insecure about their work. <S> And everyone understands that old work doesn't represent ones' current level of knowledge. <S> Leave it up. <S> If they ask you about it, you can always suggest ways it can be improved. <S> Better they ask you about a project you've actually worked on than some random coding problem they found in a book, or on the internet. <A> It may, or may not, rattle you, but most tech leads that are forced, by the company's pipeline, to take part in the recruitment pipeline <S> don't really care about you OSS projects. <S> I know I didn't when I was tasked with such chore. <S> Yes, companies like saying OSS contributions are an advantage and "We look forward to what you are about to share with us", and I guess HR goes ga-ga over such entries (even if all the repo has is a readme), but, look at it from the TL perspective: <S> s <S> /he has their own tasks to clear at work, on top of that, now they have to squeeze in interviewing and grading the candidates', plural, take-home tech challenges and prioritize which one to call for an on-site... <S> do they really care, like <S> really care about your OSS repos, old or new? <S> What do you think? <S> Only, o-n-l-y, time I took a look at a candidate's GitHub profile <S> was when I didn't like his coding, but I saw the guys has some chops and figured maybe it was just time constraint ont the take-home task <S> , he has a day-time job as well, so maybe that coding, while showing promise, is just stress and exhaustion combined. <S> Candidate had about 3-4 projects in his repo total, not one of them even with 1 star, and all abondaned at some stage or another. <S> You can guess what I decided about him, but the point is, that was <S> the one and only time I felt the need to burden myself with looking at a candidate's OSS efforts. <S> To finish my reply off, I would say, like the rest of the answers here, that as long as that project is old, and you feel, and can prove by demonstration , that you have grown as a developer from that time, and hey, 100 stars is no small feat either, in such a grand "universe" as GitHub... keep the repo and be proud of it! <S> Those are the things you cut your teeth on, trying out new tech, and you grew because of it. <S> That is your coding legacy. <S> Do you think is ashamed of his/her rookie years? <S> Or are they proud to reminisce upon them, thinking " <S> Wow, did I come a looong way from then"? <A> Your old code may harm your future career only if it contains things code shall never ever contain under any circumstances. <S> I do not mean " while(true) <S> " loops, " goto " mazes, " \\ let miracle happens " comments and other coding sins. <S> They are more like jokes or pranks. <S> At least it may show that you have grown from such jokes and code responsibly. <S> I mean racist comments, mockery variables and other displays of misconduct. <S> As many others noted, you were years younger back then. <S> I personally consider my masters thesis poor and when thinking of my bachelor thesis, I wish I could bury myself in sewers. <S> Do not hide your old code. <S> It works and is not crappy, as you stated. <S> It therefore displays that you had a good start and that you have improved. <S> So your employer-to-be can expect that the future you will be even better than today you. <S> There is no room it could backfire at all. <A> Don’t delete it. <S> It can even work for you if you can demonstrate code improvement over time to indicate that You keep pace with the technologies that are relevant to you <S> You improve your code base as you improve your knowledge <S> Code we wrote in the past always look worse compared to the code we write today... that just comes with the territory as we keep on learning new stuff. <A> Now, clearly after years probably both my development skills have increased as well as knowledge of that technology. <S> I don't think the project has crappy code in it, though I try to clean it from time to time and improve. <S> These are positive things. <S> If someone ever brings this code up in an interview (or even if they don't) then you have a great example to use of why you made the decisions you made at the time, what you've learned since then, and what you'd do differently if faced with the same situation today. <S> You've given yourself an amazing tool to use in an interview. <S> It's only bad code if you don't learn from it.
| It is quite expectable that you will see your old code as poor - you have learnt a lot since then and this is the proof of your improvement.
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17 years old - made a mistake and got fired for stealing $50 at my first job - what other job options could I have? I used to work at a fast food store and I made a really stupid mistake by stealing $50 and had to suffer the consequences of being fired. Now I'm worried if i can't or won't be able to get hired anywhere else. I had good things ahead of me - I'm in a welding tech program getting certified to weld and my grades are always low 90s. Does anyone know what jobs might take me as a 17 year old with my problem? <Q> Unless the issue is being followed up on by the police, the matter is closed. <S> You may want to change your username for this question, as I Googled the name you have and can match certain identifying information to details. <S> Use this as a guide: https://meta.stackexchange.com/questions/85818/how-can-i-change-my-name-on-a-stack-exchange-site <S> Deleting the question is not enough as others on this site can still view a deleted question. <S> Some future employer finding this could be extremely consequential for your future. <A> I'm assuming you were just caught and fired on the spot. <S> If so, that is likely the end of it. <S> Unless you were arrested, indicted, found guilty, or have a warrant out for your arrest, you should be OK. <S> Otherwise, if it was a juvenile conviction, your "record" goes away when you reach a certain age ( <S> or so I'm told - this may vary depending on which state you are in). <S> But you may want to leave the grocery store off your resume. <A> There are good advices in this answer , just adding a specific point: From my own small experience in a big well known fast-food brand when I was student (starts with "Mc", actually in France <S> but I assume it's the same in other countries) <S> , they keep internal records of past employees and share them at least nation-wide. <S> So if it's a big fast-food brand you may not be able to work in another restaurant in the same brand. <S> In another brand it should be OK. <S> To be more precise, in my case it was very benign: I had resigned from a position in one restaurant without being very arranging in the time between prior notice and effective departure. <S> When applying in another restaurant later, I was told by the interviewer I was "kind of blacklisted" for that (actually still managed to get the position because it was benign <S> and I showed motivation). <A> Do you have a criminal record for that? <S> Do you want to work in the same industry? <S> If both the answers are negative you are most likely okay and may live happily ever after. <S> Even if you had the record there is still a chance the employer-to-be won't be that much concerned about it. <S> The longer record of jobs without issues, the better. <S> You did a really stupid thing. <S> Shit happens. <S> Everybody makes mistakes, some more serious some lesser serious. <S> If you have learnt the lesson, good for you. <A> First off, it's a great sign that you recognize that stealing your company was a terrible decision. <S> Some people never acknowledge their mistakes and end traping themselves in a endless circle of self justifications. <S> Second, we all make mistakes. <S> Some even break the law and, as you experienced, all, in a way or another, suffer the consequences of their actions. <S> You did break the law, but don't let this one mistake define you or let people define you by this one mistake. <S> Now care to never put yourself in a situation like this again. <S> Do walk under the law of your country and walk under wherever company policies you work in the future. <S> About new job opportunities, you will find a new job, just take this experience out of your professional life <S> and you are good to go. <S> You are young and there is a vast way ahead of you. <S> Lots of mistakes to do and lots of opportunities to amend thoses mistakes. <S> Amend this one, raise your head and move on.
| Fast food is entry level work and presumably you are seeking to obtain similar work, so just leave the job off your resume and apply to other places.
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Which resume format should I use when applying to a local branch of an international company? I'm applying to work at an office in Germany of a company who's head office is in the US. The expected resume format is quite different between these locations. German resumes usually include a photo, hobbies, nationality and marital status, for example, while at least some of those things definitely shouldn't appear on a US resume, and whether to include the others would be arguable. So which format should I use? Does the company size matter? This particular company is quite a small startup (less than 50 people in total) that might not even have an HR department in Germany, but I've wondered the same thing about much bigger international companies with 100s to 1000s of employees in a local branch. <Q> So which format should I use? <S> I suggest you contact this company and ask if they have a specific resume format they expect. <S> Then you can see if you need to adapt yours. <S> If you are unable to get this information, it would make more sense to use the Germany format, as their offices are located there (and is where you will be working if accepted) even though their head offices are in the US. <A> Historically, almost all hiring would be managed and reviewed locally, even with an international organisation. <S> I would say that this would still be the majority case where a local branch doing the hiring. <S> This is because the local branch is familiar with their own culture and needs. <S> If it's a remote position, however, that might be trickier. <S> One thing to consider is that other applicants will likely send the resume in the same format as they would to a local organisation, so it probably wouldn't hurt if you did the same. <S> If you would like to be sure, though, you could try and reach out to the company and ask them what their own preference is. <S> A reasonable person would respond fairly positively to this kind of enquiry. <A> I would choose the format based on the name of the recipient. <S> If it's a german name, the german format would probably suit them better. <S> By the way, naming hobbies is pretty outdated for german applications by now, so you can leave those out if you prefer. <S> The picture is most important.
| So, I would assume that it is the local branch reviewing and deciding on applicants and provide what would be the format most as appropriate to your local culture.
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Colleague fixes my bugs I value my free time and try not to work from home on weekends as one of my colleagues. Recently I got into following situation: Friday evening (after working hours) QA hit me up on Slack about a small bug in the feature that I've worked on. Before I had time to answer, my colleague replied that he 'will look into it' because it was the only thing that blocked us from shipping next release. Few minutes later I've promised to fix it, reminding everybody that we will not ship next release until Monday. He agreed that it would be better if I will look into it instead. Saturday afternoon I've fixed the bug and was checking if everything worked as intended and soon after that I got message from the same colleague in the Slack leaving me completely speechless: I've fixed it I remember that this kind of thing already happened in the past: me (clueless about my colleague intentions) and this exact colleague are working on the same problem in parallel. So, the question is: Should I talk to my colleague and ask him not to do that? At least ask him to notify me about his intentions. Or should I swallow my pride and not to take this personal? <Q> Unless his fix is flawed you should thank him and move on. <S> Even if the bug is in code you wrote <S> , it's not really your bug nor is it your code. <S> It is the company's code and the company's mission is to deploy that code without bugs. <S> Your colleague is doing the company a favor by fixing bugs. <S> It's great that you want to be responsible for all code you release including bugs, but it's also a bit of an ego issue if you have a problem with colleagues offering assistance. <S> Again, it's not really important what you do (in the big picture); it's what the company as a whole does. <S> If you are concerned more about the company's mission than your own, you would not have a problem with this. <S> Also, you mention that the bug was discovered on Friday and you were not able to look into it until Sunday. <S> If your colleague was able to work on it Friday you should not have disagreed. <S> Also you say that the code was scheduled to release Monday, and fixing it late on Sunday night doesn't seem good enough IMO. <S> Your fix would need additional testing that should be started as soon as possible, not late the night before. <A> Your team needs to get organised better. <S> Two people trying to fix the same problem is a waste of time. <S> And the way you tell this story, it seems you don’t do code reviews - <S> that’s something you ought to change. <S> Apart from that: The bug is fixed, so what is the problem? <A> I am going to tackle this from the organizational side. <S> The way this should be done, even for bugfixes, even for small ones, is via ticket/issue. <S> If this was the case, make sure a person is assigned to a ticket <S> and it is clear whether or not the ticket is currently in progress. <S> Make sure to put a policy in place, in case you want multiple people to work on an issue, which I personally advise against. <S> If you have to assign multiple people, because the issue is large enough, subdivide into subissues. <S> In any case, this will at least prevent unnecessary work. <S> Ensure this does not happen. <S> Other than that, I have been on both sides of this over my career <S> and it is definitely considered rude, this is if there is a clear assignee. <S> I understand one should not emotional about such things, but I have seen conflicts arise from this, so it simply does happen, therefore it is necessary to deal with this. <S> You could tell your coworker, friendly, that you felt this was rude. <S> I am not sure if there is value in confrontation, however, depends very much on how such things are handled at your place. <S> Be that as it may, I still advise to put procedures in place. <S> If you were assigned that ticket, even though you were not in over the weekend, then your colleague has no business interfering without your consent, i.e. if the policy you put in place is such.
| The only potential issue I can see with this is if your colleague is falling behind on their own responsibilities by offering unsolicited assistance to others, in which case that is not your concern unless you are their manager. It can easily happen, that two people waste time fixing the same problem in different ways, because of a lack of communication.
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Will interning in a small company on a more interesting subject hurt my career? I am a M.S student in data science/machine learning. I will have to start an end-of-studies internship in a few months. I have several offers in my area and am at a loss about which ont to choose. My long-term goals (in a few years at most) are to move countries (within the EU), and I would like to work at a large tech company in R&D . My current short-term goal is to find a challenging and rewarding position and gain experience . During my internship search, I felt that my application wouldn't be strong enough for the most famous and competitive positions (at Google, Amazon, etc.), and so I aimed for the ones focused on my domains of interest that were at my school's career fair. I have two offers (both in my home country): One is at a local very small implantation of a very largeforeign company , which you have heard of. I would be working with asmall team of engineers on a subject that is related to my domain,but maybe not ideal . It is mainly about computer vision, whichis interesting to me, but not my core topic . The other is at a comparatively small company (a few dozen employees) that seems cutting-edge in their domain . They heavily usedeep learning and are focused on R&D, which is a large part of theirstaff. When I interviewed there, they also told me that they werefirst on their main market (quite specific, but important). They havelarge clients in the telecom industry, but arecompletely unknown to the average person. Overall, I feel better about the second offer, and had a good impression when I interviewed there, but several things bother me: The first internship would enable me to have a famous name on my CV . I don't know how much this is worth, but I have read that having worked at a big-name company will be an advantage when passing the CV screen in future applications. I don't know exactly how well-known the second company is in their domain, and I find very little online about them. I am sure that they are active and do research, and have been told that they publish papers and go to conferences, but I am not sure how to evaluate the impact that interning there would have on my career prospects. I am having regrets about not looking abroad more. I couldn't find many internship openings that seemed both interesting and not too competitive for my current profile. I worry that, by choosing the second offer, I will be at a big disadvantage in the future compared to people who moved countries to work at bigger companies. The final problem is deadlines : I could lose one or both offers if I wait long enough to sign. I don't think I have much competition right now, but the recruiters in the first company have asked me to answer quickly. Considering my goals, what would be the pros and cons of each offer? Should I keep looking for offers abroad, taking the risk of losing these two? Is there one in the two I mentioned that would put me at an obvious advantage when applying abroad in the future? <Q> Take the opportunities you have in front of you when they are there to be taken. <S> You never know when another will come along. <S> As for the decision between small and interesting, and big and pedestrian, I would choose the interesting. <S> That's not to say you can't do interesting things at a big company, but when they're taking on hundreds, if not thousands, of interns each year, it's a lot harder to rise above the herd and be involved on more interesting things. <S> So, to summarise, interning at the smaller organisation won't hurt, and it may well be better for you. <A> The question to ask yourself is what do you want to get hired for? <S> There will be company's that will be, for want of a better word, starstruck seeing an impressive name on the CV and will let that unduly influence the hiring process. <S> Even without that there is some kudos to having an impressive name on the resume. <S> However a more savvy hiring manager will look at what you've done rather than who you've done it for . <S> If your goal is to work in an area that more closely matches the work you'd be doing at the smaller outfit <S> and you feel that the work there would better develop your skills in this area then that is likely to be more valuable. <S> An internship is part of your education - in particular it's about making you the best possible candidate you can be for your future career. <S> There's also a lot to be said for the relative fame/reputation of a company within the industry - you mention that the smaller outfit has some major telecoms customers. <S> For a pertinent anecdote, some years back I worked for an outfit that had done significant work with pretty much every major telco in the western world, but I can virtually guarantee that no-one outside the industry would have ever heard of them. <S> Unfortunately as you're discovering evaluating this from an outsider's perspective is very difficult. <S> What helps you here is the research aspect - if they are publishing papers and going to conferences then scour Google scholar etc - see what they have done, where they have presented it and who's citing the papers. <S> If they're presenting research papers at conferences and these conferences are being attended by "famous name" companies than they chances are they've got a decent level of awareness in the domain. <A> Far from a complete answer, but generally speaking if your goal is to work at a large multinational company in R&D, then the hardest part(s) will be: Getting a work visa for the country you want to move to. <S> Getting a job in that country. <S> Getting a job in your field/discipline. <S> Once you have those 3, getting a job at a different employer is not so different from a normal job switch (depending on the country's visa rules), and working for the Multinational in option 1 <S> can potentially get you all of them, making it the much safer option. <S> However, the biggest thing you need to research first is whether the particular multinational you'll be working for: Has an engineering presence in the country you want to move to. <S> Is known for being particularly supportive (or not) of internationalrelocation within the company, and if so for what level of employee <S> If the answer is yes to both, then based on your long term goals I recommend going with the Multinational.
| While there is some currency in saying "I interned for big multi-national", you're almost certainly going to be asked "and what did you do there", because that is really what hiring managers are interested in.
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Dropping out from an interview for a job you don't want Once upon a time, a temp agency sent me on a job interview. There was a miscommunication (perhaps a mental glitch on my part) about the nature of the client's business.As soon as I became aware of that, I said “I don't want to waste any more of your time.” Apparently the client was furious about that, because the agent was furious (and never called me again). Evidently I had committed a serious breach of job hunting etiquette that no one had told me about. I guess this question is for hiring managers: Would you be offended if a candidate said, “No thanks, I don't want to waste any more of your time”? <Q> You did the right thing as long as you told the interviewing company as soon as you realised the mismatch, and explained there has been a miscommunication. <S> The interviewing company probably weren't angry at you directly (a reasonable person wouldn't), but they almost certainly were unhappy with the agent who sent a mismatched candidate. <S> But that's not your problem. <A> It depends on the nature of the "glitch". <S> You say that the issue was with the nature of the client's business. <S> Was this issue something that should have been obvious to you <S> had you done a bit of research on the company before showing up? <S> Or was it something that you realistically might not have understood prior to the interview? <S> If I'm interviewer for, say, the Royal Bank of Canada, a candidate shows up and ends the meeting 5 minutes in when they find out that the company lends money at interest, I'm going to be upset. <S> I'm perfectly happy if people have moral issues with banks. <S> But I'm going to be pretty upset if I've gone to the trouble to clear my calendar for an interview, review a resume, etc. <S> only to have it end over something that should have been obvious from a basic Google search. <S> Think of how upset you'd be as a candidate if you went to an interview that ended 5 minutes in because of something that was obvious from your resume. <S> If, on the other hand, the candidate realistically learns something in the course of the interview that they couldn't have known earlier, I'm perfectly happy for them to end the interview early. <S> If I'm interviewing for a law firm that has a bunch of different practice areas <S> and I happen to be looking for an administrative person to work in the criminal defense practice <S> , that may not be obvious from the job description. <S> If someone has been a crime victim and isn't comfortable working for the defense, that's a perfectly reasonable objection. <S> I'd be happy for someone to excuse themselves once they find out that they'd be working in an environment they're not comfortable with. <S> In either case, I'd rather the candidate end the interview when they know they're no longer interested in the job. <S> No sense in wasting more time. <S> But if the candidate and the recruiter aren't doing a basic level of due diligence, I'm going to be upset with them. <S> If that happened, I'd certainly expect that there would be a conversation with the recruiter about doing some basic vetting of candidates before sending them for an interview. <S> That's what it sounds like happened here. <A> Would you be offended if a candidate said, “No thanks, I don't want to waste any more of your time”? <S> No, not at all, rather I'll thank the candidate for their attempt to not to cause any further damage than what is already done. <S> As other answers suggested, being careful about the job post, nature and other applicable terms and conditions is the best way to avoid any confusion and potential loss of time and energy on both sides, but given that an honest mistake has happened and some amount of time is already wasted, the next best way is to let all the stakeholders know as soon as possible and stop wasting everyone's time. <S> In short: You did right this time, no worries. <A> I guess this question is for hiring managers: Would you be offended if a candidate said, “No thanks, I don't want to waste any more of your time”? <S> I value my time and I appreciate those who don't want to waste it. <S> Thus, I most likely wouldn't be angry with the candidate. <S> I might be furious with the agency and perhaps the agent - which is what I expect happened in your case. <S> That said, you and the agent share responsibility for understanding enough about the position before you are sent. <S> Next time, make sure you understand what you are getting into without mental glitches, so that you aren't wasting your time or the hiring manager's time and you aren't putting the agent in an awkward position. <A> If I were a hiring manager, I wouldn't be angry with the candidate if they're upfront and honest in saying so. <S> I would say, "That's alright - this job isn't for everyone, and I respect your honesty in saying so. <S> Let's end the interview here. <S> " <S> I would also contact the agent and say, "I just had a candidate end an interview because they had doubts about the position. <S> Can we review the job description? <S> Maybe there are some things we need to clarify to avoid giving out incorrect and unclear information for our candidates." <S> The angry reaction from the client and the agent was not necessary. <S> You're better off moving on and finding a better agent who understands your needs and spells everything out for you, rather than berating you because you spoke up and said it wasn't right. <S> I had an interview last year in which the position wasn't bad, but it was so remote and inconvenient <S> I couldn't go further in the process. <S> I told my recruiter this, and I never heard from them again. <A> Offering a differing opinion here. <S> I would not advise ever just walking out of an interview. <S> Some people will take offense. <S> I've seen it happen, and you've experienced it. <S> Complete the interview unless there are extraordinary circumstances that justify you ending it. <S> There are some people who will take offense if you end the interview prematurely, as they WILL feel that you are wasting their time, or worse, feel that you think that THEY are wasting YOUR time. <S> That's likely what happened to you. <S> Finish the interview, and THEN decline the job, if offered.
| I'm perfectly happy if a candidate finds out in the course of an interview that the position isn't for them.
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Should I add a month only employment in my CV I rushed into employment after I was made redundant which turned out to be a disaster because the job description posted, mentioned and the real work was totally different and it affected my health as well. The job didn't last for a full month and ended at a 28 days and now I am back onto the market and recruiters want a full description of what happened, ending with "We will have a look around". I feel I am wasting my energy with them. Should I mention it in my CV or not as prior to that job I was made redundant after 6.5 months. Will it make me look like a job hopper? <Q> Don't put it on your resume <S> A resume is a marketing document. <S> You wouldn't put in a sales brochure that the prior owner of a house left after only a month. <S> Something should only go on the resume if it makes you look good. <S> Just leave it off. <S> It will seem like you were unemployed for two months (assuming your prior job search took a month). <S> Should I mention it in my CV or not as prior to that job I was made redundant after 6.5 months. <S> Certainly. <S> Even better would be a not your fault reason why you were made redundant such as company bankruptcy or mass layoff or division sale. <A> The job didn't last for a full month and ended at a 28 days <S> Should I mention it in my CV or not as prior to that job <S> I was made redundant after 6.5 months. <S> Lies can be uncovered, and the hiring managers I know don't like to employ liars. <S> Also consider that for some hiring managers you will appear to be deceitful while explaining any omissions. <S> If I were the hiring manager, I'd prefer to see all of your jobs on your CV. <S> And when I asked you why your most recent jobs were so short, I'd prefer to hear a well-thought-out reason that didn't just blame others. <A> You can put it to your resume , because HR can see that you have experience even that for only a month / 28 days. <S> The point is , if you put it to your resume , you must can explain what you are doing in that job for a month , and the most important thing : <S> Don't Lie and it should be fine .
| You'll need to weigh the relative benefits of being open and honest by including all of your jobs, versus having a more sparse CV by excluding one or more jobs. You can choose to leave anything you like off of your resume. Just be prepared to explain what you have been doing for the past month without lying about it.
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My boss copied all his files from his cell phone - with some inappropriate content - to a public folder on our company. Should I delete it? We have a file server on our company network with a public folder for employees to share files. Each folder is based on the employee's name, but it's read/write accessible to all. It seems that my boss has copied all his files from his cell phone to his folder, and with it many images from downloaded Facebook messages. This happened 2 years ago, and it's obvious he left it there and forgot about it, and probably never knew they were there. I was searching for some images when I stumbled over some inappropriate pics in this folder, along with lots of personal images, in this folder which is publicly accessible. I am not a network admin, but I have duties that have to do with IT. I'm considering deleting these images as a courtesy so other people don't stumble on them and start talking about them behind his back. What should I consider to decide if this is a good idea or not? <Q> No. <S> 2) <S> How do you know what's appropriate and what's not? <S> You'd have to go through all of his files. <S> It's not your job and <S> actually worse IMO. <S> Additionally, you can't be sure if you've removed all of it, you could be hiding the issue. <S> Bring it up to him privately instead <S> You've mentioned other personal files <S> are there that aren't porn. <S> Could you use that information and bring it up to him privately? <S> E.G <S> "I noticed you have X personal file listed on the shared folder". <A> As much of your statement and comments are indicating, this seems an oversight. <S> I could dream up scenarios where the boss wants to assert his authority and show that he can put whatever he wants out there, but I highly, highly doubt it. <S> There's also the point that while he'd probably be quite glad if it were removed for him, you are messing with "his stuff" though technically it's on company property. <S> Perhaps the simple way to handle it would be to make a bit of a white lie and tell him you found something more innocuous like kids' pictures in his gallery or Facebook when you were searching for images (within the scope of your work). <S> And tell him you thought he might like to know that it appears he has personal items visible to everyone. <A> Why not do this? <S> Have a quiet word and inform him that you found those images. <S> Tell him to tidy up <S> and you are having a long lunch break. <S> End of story. <S> We all make mistakes. <S> Give him slack. <S> He might give you slack in the future. <S> We all make mistakes. <A> It's his business in the end <S> You would have to be the one making the call to perhaps delete files, that aren't stored anywhere else. <S> I'd be upset, if you just deleted my personal files. <S> I'd be catious about coming of as snooping around. <S> But if you had to check on his files then politely notice the mishap. <A> I am surprised that, in addition to telling him about the situation, no one mentioned that he might temporarily hide(given he has the user permissions to do this) the files, so they still exist, but are no longer searchable. <A> Just tell him. <S> It will likely be an embarrassing and/or funny moment. <S> Or e-mail him at least. <S> Keep it private obviously. <S> There is nothing else for you to do. <S> It's mostly just an interpersonal matter. <S> I don't know how this raises any difficulty. <A> The situation is rather embarrassing... <S> I am not a network admin, but I have duties that have to do with IT. <S> Do your duties entitle you to coming up with a public <S> untargeted suggestion that having a lot of work files out of version control system isn't good for the company? <S> And that the company should consider either: making regular backups of that network share, in which case everyone should check their folders to make sure no obsolete files are left there; starting a regular cleanup script to make sure those folders are used only for temporary file transfer, in which case everyone is encouraged to check their folders to make sure that every valuable file is transferred to the VCS. <S> Hopefully, your boss will discover his mistake himself, saving everyone the embarrassment. <A> Now this is a conundrum! <S> I would dismiss your own suggestion to simply delete the files on two grounds. <S> Firstly, it is unethical to tamper with someone else's personal files without their permission. <S> And secondly, it implicates you in your boss's unethical behavior, possibly in a legal sense. <S> In my mind, you have three quasi-ethical options: Follow company policy with regards to pornography. <S> This likely means reporting it, and might get your boss fired for storing pornography on company assets. <S> People might attribute responsibility for their dismissal to you. <S> Arguably, this is unethical because it negatively affects your boss, and possibly you. <S> Pretend you haven't seen any pornography. <S> Inform your boss that you noticed he has left his personal files on a public drive, strongly suggesting that he should remove them. <S> Arguably, this is unethical because it does not respect your personal integrity, the rights of the owners of the company, and the rights of your colleagues to a pornography-free working environment. <S> Do nothing. <S> Of course the previous ethical objections apply, but from a certain perspective it is arguably the least unethical because you don't actively do anything. <A> If you are not a network admin, stay out of it. <S> Seriously. <S> This has the potential to be more dangerous for you, because questions will be raised at how you knew about his folder, and why you were going through the files. <S> Danger, Danger Will Robinson! <S> (fifty cool points to whoever is the first to get the pop culture reference)
| If you are 100% sure that you had permissions to access the personal folder in the first place and there's no doubt about that, I'd tell him in person and not do anything about the files myself. 1) You cannot delete the whole folder, as it contains some appropriate files.
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Is it reasonable to ask a Front Desk Receptionist to arrange own vacation cover? Whose responsibility is it to provide back up coverage for a front desk receptionist when she is scheduled for vacation or doctor's appointments? As a rule of thumb, most companies have the admins rotate lunch and breaks, or some kind of arrangement. At my company, management has not designated anyone as a backup. They expect the receptionist to go around asking people in the company if they'll volunteer to be her scheduled backup, which puts her in an awkward position. I think it's not her role and she's not in a position to assign someone within the company. Management needs to decide how critical front desk coverage is, and come up with a working permanent solution. Am I right? <Q> Welcome to the site! <S> It seems like you're answering your own question <S> : Management needs to decide how critical front desk coverage is, and come up with a working permanent solution. <S> I would suggest the receptionist talk to his/her supervisor about this. <S> Perhaps when requesting the vacation or sick leave, also ask: "Who will be covering for me while I'm out? <S> I would like to meet with them to be sure they have all the detail needed to step in." <A> You have answered your own question Management needs to come up with a solution depending on how critical coverage is. <S> The receptionist has no formal authority. <A> You're right, but the question you really have, is how to convince management to do their job? <S> You may or may not be successful in that, but here is one method to try. <S> Explain that since you have no authority to assign a backup person, or even require a rotation, you are left asking each time, and only those who are willing are going to say yes. <S> That alone makes it less fair. <S> But over time, those who say yes are going to see the unfairness of that as well, and are going to be less and less likely to say yes, leaving you with fewer and fewer people to cover. <S> At the same time, those fewer people are going to be spending more time covering for you, and less time doing the more highly paid work they are supposed to do. <S> That also means that some departments are getting less work done, simply because they have someone who is willing to help co-workers. <S> All of that is inefficient and mostly ends in bad feelings and an uneven workload. <S> Suggest that a better option is for them to find a process that makes the backup process more equitable, and <S> since they also have authority, they can make it happen. <S> Don't hold your breath - management that is unwilling to manage doesn't usually correct itself just because that is pointed out, no matter how well it is done. <A> However, I feel this is not the actual question you are after. <S> Does this task from management come with the indirect implication that if she doesn't find anyone, she can't go on vacation/take the doctors appointment? <S> Or does it simply mean, there will be no replacement in this case. <S> In the latter case, she does what she is told and that's the end of it. <S> In the first case this is a legal issue with depends on jurisdiction. <S> In most European countries vacations are a legal right and doctors appointments take precedence over work, so this kind of implication would be invalid. <S> If she can't find anyone to replace her because she has no authority to compel anyone, she can still leave. <S> The consequences are not her problem. <S> This may be very different in the US <S> but I don't know the law/ interpreation there.
| If management asked the receptionist to go around and ask people to cover for her, she should do that, simply because management gave her this task.
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I'm not being given much productive work to do, so I may be looking to move on but my skills are deteriorating meanwhile -- how to resolve? I am working for a small but good software company with solid products in the US. I really like what we do here and my specialized education in one form of computer science is a very good fit for the company. However, I was initially hired to work in a specific team inside the company and for about 4-5 years I've been stuck in the same team (since I joined) because the manager there doesn't want me to join any other team. He is keeping me as a special talent in the team to do specialized research etc -- but I get hardly any productive work to do. Most of the time I have to invent things to work on. Also, I have to join a daily standup in the company and report what I did the previous day. I get very uncomfortable talking about my work because the work is most of the time something that is irrelevant or doesn't really fit in anywhere. Meanwhile, because I don't get to work on real production code actively much of the time, my skill level has deteriorated and I am now finding it hard to move to a different company without making a serious time commitment to improving my skills first. I am currently 34 and had to stay with the current company this long because they processed my green card. I'm looking for suggestions on how to move on from this situation, possibly to another company. <Q> As a first step this calls for a conversation , or maybe a series of conversations, with your manager. <S> They should be private conversations, and you should ask your manager to allocate time for them, to reduce the chance of interruption. <S> Tell him you can do more. <S> Present the situation as a problem for the two of you to solve together. <S> Tell him you want to take on more responsibility . <S> This is the positive way of saying "I'm bored and underutilized. <S> " <S> Ask him what it takes for you to do more for your present company. <S> You might offer a couple of suggestions for projects or temporary assignments that might work for you. <S> Asking for more responsibility is almost always a positive thing: companies like it when their people want to do more. <S> Managers get a lot of credit when their people get promoted and/or start doing good things for their company. <S> Another idea: in the conversation, ask what your manager thinks about training somebody to do at least part of the work in which you are expert. <S> Again, this is positive: it's good for the business if more than one person has business-critical skills. <S> There are plenty of online tutorials and training classes you can take. <S> Many of them are free. <S> Others are inexpensive enough that you could pay for them yourself. <S> If they're programming-type training, you can work the problems in your idle time. <S> Finally, if none of this works, it may be time to move on to another company. <S> If you do that, be positive about yourself. <S> Keep in mind that you have lots of experience and rare expertise; focus on what you know and what you do, rather than on what you wish you were doing. <S> You might write a draft of your resume with several statements like this one. <S> I applied my sss skills to do xxxx project. <S> It enabled my department to finish yyy on time and under budget. <S> The result was increased sales (or whatever). <S> Three or four of those statements will (a) be a good start for your resume and <S> (b) get you thinking positively about your present job. <A> the manager there doesn't want me to join any other team. <S> Your manager doesn't want to lose you, but the company as a whole would rather you moved team than left for another company. <S> If you want to move, talk to the manager of your target team and get him to organise it. <S> That would give you something interesting to do, and they may make the move official after a while. <S> I have to join a daily standup in the company and report what I did the previous day. <S> If you weren't given anything to do, just say so. <S> It's your managers fault not yours. <S> It might encourage a team member to ask you for help, or to suggest something useful you could do. <S> More importantly, it protects you if HR or your boss's boss notice that you're spending a lot of time on non-work stuff. <S> Similarly, if this has been going on for years, there should be a written record of in your annual review. <S> hard to move to a different company without making a serious time commitment to improving my skills first. <S> If you're inventing things to do, you have plenty of time to improve your skills. <S> There are several coding practice/puzzle/test/game sites that can teach you a lot (especially if you want to pick up a new language), look like work, and help you build a public profile. <A> Right of the bat I got to thinking: you work for you, not your boss. <S> It's you who is investing time in exchange for money. <S> As such, if you think your time is, essentially, wasted, why would you stay? <S> I'm not suggesting you leave the company <S> , I'm suggesting you force the issue of you <S> become less valuable for any other opportunity in your area, whether or not those are in the same company. <S> Also take note <S> : the longer you let your skills deteriorate, the less valuable you will also be within the company until the only thing you could possibly be helpful for, is that specialised niche of yours. <S> What I would suggest is you get yourself a meeting with your manager and his colleague managers of other teams (or at least the ones your interested in). <S> Make sure you lay it out extremely clear that you demand opportunity to keep on developing your skillset. <S> (I chose demand specifically, you sound fed up with the non-opportunities there) <S> They can then choose to either cave in to your demands, or you can find greener pastures elsewhere. <S> You will most likely have to branch out from your niche, but it sounds as if that's also what your after. <A> Is your specialized skill set close enough to the skill set required for you to work on production code? <S> If not, is your manager ok with sending you to a training class? <S> It feels like he’s going to hit two birds with one stone to me. <S> He gets to keep you for special research <S> AND he gets an additional development resource as well. <S> You also get to work on production code and keep your knowledge base updated.
| In most companies, the key is that the manager of the other team must want you, and you want to move. If you really are without much work to do, spend your time learning new things. If the other team doesn't have an actual vacancy, you can try asking if they have any tasks you could take on in your spare time.
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Resigned after working at company for 2 months. A year later, I would like to apply for a different position there I resigned from a job after working there for only 2 months. I hated the job scopes and the micromanagement from my previous boss. Although I've worked there for a short while only, I did everything by the book, giving proper notice and all. After resigning from that job, I've been working at my current company for around one year now. But the pay here is too low, I'm barely scraping by every month with my rent and stuff. Hence, I'm planning to reapply for that company again since it pays extremely well. It will be a different position. My previous role there was engineering/statistics but this time I will apply for a programming/IT role. It will be on a different campus/site as well. (still in the same city though) I'm wondering should I even bother? Do HRs have some sort of employee blacklist? I've made many good friends while working there and they are willing to refer me. Not sure if that helps. My main questions are, How do companies respond to people applying who have worked there before? If so, is there anything special I can do during the hiring process in order to address this? <Q> What’s the downside of applying again? <S> If you apply and get declined, the end result is you wouldn’t work there. <S> If you don’t apply, you also would end up not working there. <A> I'm wondering should I even bother? <S> Do HRs have some sort of employee blacklist? <S> It's unlikely that you are on a blacklist, but certainly both HR and the hiring manager will know that a year ago you left your 2-month stint. <S> Just be sure to have an excellent answer to the inevitable question of "why did you leave us before? <S> " Make sure your answer is clear, but doesn't throw anyone under the bus. <S> You might want to try to understand why the job scope for this position would be acceptable where the scope of the last job wasn't. <S> And you might want to determine ahead of time if the micromanagement of your previous boss is the norm at this company or not. <S> References from your former coworkers could help. <S> You can't get the job if you don't apply. <S> The worst that could happen is that you aren't accepted. <A> You've received several good answers, but I feel there is an important point that hasn't been emphasized enough. <S> Hiring managers are generally looking for individuals with the skills to complete job tasks, but also for individuals who will be happy, productive, and (ideally) long-term team members. <S> That's hard to ask directly about in an interview, so hiring managers often ask soft, indirect questions <S> - they may ask why you are leaving your current job, or why you left their employment after your two month stint. <S> So - before you consider applying, make sure you have good answers for those questions. <S> That said, by reading your question here, I'm not sure you will have good answers. <S> Telling them <S> I want to work for you because you pay well <S> might not be very convincing. <S> You've also mentioned a change in jobs from statistics to development. <S> These things may not seem damning on their own, but combined with your prior 2 month stint (which they will certainly know about), you're left being labeled as a job hopper. <S> No one wants to hire someone who might leave again after a short period. <S> It wastes resources and can put projects at risk. <S> How do you avoid being labeled as a job hopper? <S> First, you need to ask yourself a few important questions. <S> What motivates you? <S> What is your ideal career path? <S> How are you helping yourself make progress along that path? <S> A candidate who has a career path in mind, is working towards it, and can describe how the position they've applied to helps them achieve their personal goals will be much more desirable than someone who is applying for a different role than they've held in the past because they've heard the employer pays well. <S> So, in addition to the advice you've received in other questions, make sure you do the following: Understand your own motivations. <S> Determine if the position you're applying for fits well against your goals. <S> Study the job description. <S> Be ready to talk, in specifics, about how this position fits in your plans for your own future. <S> Study the employer. <S> Be ready to talk about how they are a good fit for you. <S> Do these things well, and no one will care about your prior two month stint. <A> Apply. <S> They'll notice your stint on your resume as soon as they glance at your resume anyway. <S> Let them make the decision. <S> At one company I was at, one Vice President was famous for driving away his underlings, and no one blamed his underlings for quitting. <S> In fact in that specific case, surviving more than one week under him was seen as a net positive by anybody that knew of his reputation. <A> As you mentioned, last time you were dissatisfied with your boss, not the overall company policy and/or work culture - so I do not see any downside in applying again. <S> However, if possible, this time during the interview, if you make some initial progress, ask to be introduced to the team you'll be working with, and try to have a discussion about the work culture and the process followed for team management. <S> This will clear things up upfront, before you can make a decision. <A> If you have access to a copy of the company's employee handbook (or similar document), you may want to review it to see if there is any policy regarding rehires. <S> An employer of mine had a paragraph dictating that terminated employees should not reapply as they are ineligible, and another paragraph clarifying that "terminations" included layoffs and resignations alongside firings.
| I've seen people quit and rejoin the same organization (even the same division) many times, unless you were fired for any breach of contract, in general no one holds grudges for leaving the company. Some companies won't rehire as a general policy, some will rehire as long as you weren't fired or forced to resign, and some might not care at all. Understand what career path(s) would help you feel motivated and happy. It sounds like you gave the proper notice and left on good terms.
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How can I manage an impossible request? I work with a team of GIS analysts. Increasingly, our work is moving online. The industry-standard software (ArcGIS) allows us to make and publish online maps without coding. We have limited experience in coding - we can customize pre-built systems given enough time but we are not web developers. We have a request to build complex functions into our existing web app. It is my professional judgment that these changes are beyond our capability, especially in the time period allowed. We have < 2 weeks to do this. Guy who knows JS better (not a dev though) is out for a week. Supervisor avoids coding as much as he can. We had an extremely tight deadline on an earlier phase of this project a week ago. We were able to successfully complete the work with 2 major caveats: Almost all changes made were based on appearance, not on tricky app functionality We didn't implement these complex functions then either. How can I communicate this to my supervisor? In the past, we've semi-successfully customized web apps, but this is another level entirely. Here are my thoughts on what to do: Keep trying to build out this system. I have only a passing familiarity with JavaScript so I sincerely doubt that I can finish this task on time or at all. Express the above to my supervisor. We've had this talk many times: I've had 2 in-person and 1 email conversations, as has the other employee in our group with more JS experience than me. My concerns (and that of another analyst who's better at web dev than me) are dismissed, sometimes in a condescending manner. Push for hiring a subcontractor. We have the budget to do so. My "best" idea: do my best within the time allowed and be honest about my progress or lack thereof. I'm tired of being constantly stressed about this project due to the unreasonable expectations and my supervisor's unwillingness to say no to the project manager or take my concerns seriously. What can I do to make this situation tolerable and productive? Update: Thanks for all of your helpful responses. I'm going to send an email outlining my concerns - it is unlikely to change this process but it will provide me with a bulwark when I don't finish this on time. In the meantime, I'll use this experience to get good at JS (I've focused on Python but the web = JS as far as Esri is concerned). More recent update : last month, I told manager in person that I was spinning my wheels on this project. I was able to work on other related tasks that did not involve hardcore JS. The other employee actually had more experience with JS than he let on and was able to kludge together a product, though in 8 as opposed to > 2 weeks. Manager finally pushed back against unreasonable demands, though his unwillingness to be honest with project managers continues to damage our department's productivity and morale. I enrolled in an online web dev with Flask course (want to use python as much as possible!). <Q> Make sure that you express this in writing (email), to your supervisor and to whoever else is applicable in your situation. <S> Tell them very clearly that this job requires a real software developer, which you aren't, and that if they insist that you do it, you're certainly willing to try and to learn it, but it will take some time to learn, and you cannot guarantee any sort of a deadline, especially not a two-week one. <S> The rule of thumb is to never outright reject to do what they want (except for something really illegal, which is not the case here) but never say that you can do something you can't, or that you can do it in the time frame that's not possible for you. <S> Then save a copy of that email. <S> In this way, when later you're way past their deadline and they start accusing you of not having told them the truth, you can pull that out and prove that you did. <S> In the meantime? <S> As Matthew Gaiser said, use it as an opportunity for a paid training. <S> Learn JavaScript and whatever else is needed. <S> It can't hurt to expand your qualifications, can it? <A> Choose option 4 with a modification. <S> Use it as an opportunity for paid training Assuming that you want to learn JavaScript and it would benefit your career <S> (if GIS is moving online, I’m sure that it would), say that the project is beyond your existing capabilities and that time will be required for you to learn the skills to build the features (don't make it too long, start with a few days). <S> Then enjoy having the opportunity to be paid for learning JavaScript on Udemy or FreeCodeCamp. <S> You aren’t a web developer now, but you can probably get paid to become one, at least for ArcGIS systems. <S> Make it a possible request and boost your future at the same time. <A> It's too subjective and easy to dismiss. <S> Instead, look at what it would take in order to do it. <S> You've already identified some of the factors. <S> Build out an estimate of the time and money necessary to execute the request if it's all done in-house vs. with contractors. <S> Outline the necessary training to build and support the system. <S> Include estimates on project management efforts with a team in the office vs. an external team. <S> Factor in the cost of remote team members, where relevant. <S> I would avoid "this is what we could do with the time allotted" in the first instance. <S> The scope of the project will definitely creep and nobody will remember that you told them what could be done. <S> Instead, come up with an estimate on what is needed to execute what is requested and then work with your team to reduce scope or increase resources. <S> Heck, you never know - your company might pony up for some training and you'll get to develop your skillset. <A> I second what Mathew wrote about the paid training. <S> By all means pursue this. <S> However, a short, online class will probably not gain you the skills needed immediately. <S> Writing code at a professional level takes time. <S> For this reason hiring a contractor for the short term to work with you (your option 3) can help you with both the learning aspect and producing acceptable code. <S> As an aside. <S> My son is a junior and has declared for GIS. <S> He's now has lots of computer classes. <S> Heck, he texts me 2-3 time a day with questions. <S> I don't give him the answers but point to where he can look. <S> I guess I'm a mean dad (wink, wink)... <A> Assuming this is unrealistic and you've already had this talk with supervisor, one approach: Provide a written (!) <S> status update on this project where you succinctly state that there is currently no capacity on the team to complete the project in current form within stated timeframe. <S> Propose alternatives (I see two): <S> Either hiring a short-term subcontractor to complete the work, then transfer the code to you guys along with related documentation and training to perform basic testing/maintenance on the code, or Change the score and timeframe to allow for reduced functionality, and/or additional training to complete the work as currently scoped out. <S> This assumes you are generally not opposed to learning new skills in this area and will be open to training, however keep in mind that it could (and likely will) lead to similar projects in the future. <S> This could be that 'teachable moment' when you get to fail in the short term on this specific project, in the name of keeping your sanity in the long term. <S> Sometimes it is better to be honest and put your foot down than allow unrealistic expectations to make you miserable. <S> If your supervisor feels it is beneath him/ <S> her to learn to code and support you guys with this task, then they need to provide other supports to help you ramp up. <S> Even more so if this is new territory for you and you feel unprepared and uncomfortable diving in with zero support. <S> If you are honest upfront and put your concerns in writing (via email), then you can point to your written response later if they try to accuse you of sabotage or insubordination. <S> You can then take your response to the PM and put the ball in supervisor's court to explain to the PM why no course correction was done sooner. <S> Good luck!
| You'll never get anywhere with a "we cannot do this" argument.
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If I talk to my mothers boss about the way he treats people could I get her fired? My mom is a store manager at a big dollar store corporation. She has worked there nearly 5 years and has loved it however, she recently got a new district manager. He moved her to a different store that was completely trashed and gave her no help to fix it. She has been trying her best and he has been honestly what I consider to be bullying her. He has called her in the exact words he used "useless" multiple times and it's wrong to me no one should be demeaned like that. So if I was to talk to her boss and tell him that he is seriously messing with her mental health (which she has a bad history with and I'm scared this is going to push her over) would I potentially get her fired? Is it wrong for me to say something? I honestly don't know what to do but I'm immensely worried. Please help <Q> So if I was to talk to her boss and tell him that he is seriously messing with her mental health (which she has a bad history with <S> and I'm scared this is going to push her over) <S> would I potentially get her fired? <S> Yes, you could. <S> Whether she would be fired over this depends on location / culture / how much of an arse the boss is, but it certainly strikes me as something that's more likely to harm, rather than help the situation. <S> Instead, I'd recommend talking through possible lines of enquiry your mother can take, herself, with you acting as an advisory (if that's what you both deem appropriate.) <S> If it were me, I'd recommend two separate angles. <S> Firstly, she needs to ensure she's being pro-active in requesting the help that's required to get the store up and running well, and actively following those points up if that help isn't provided. <S> Secondly, she needs to record everything (including the above requests / responses for help, and every time the boss calls her useless or something equally as demeaning.) <S> After a while, there's then two potential options: Being pro-active and disciplined in creating that paper trail has lead to a better outcome, where she's more on top of the situation and is able to turn the store around - fantastic. <S> Everyone's a winner. <S> Nothing has changed, her requests for help are ignored and the manager is still an arse - in which case she has a fantastic paper trail for going to HR and filing a complaint. <S> This shouldn't be used lightly of course, but if he's treating her like dirt anyway, there's not much to lose. <A> Short answer: <S> Say nothing, as any action you can take will only hurt your mother. <S> Putting on evil, bullying manager hat <S> If I were a bullying manager, and I was calling someone "useless", and her son came up and said something to me, I'd think even less of her. <S> Worse, I might simply make her life hell until she quits. <S> Here's just one thing such a person might say to your mother. <S> are you really so weak and useless that you have to have your kid fight your battles for you? <S> Any problem she has I would say "Do you need your kid to handle that for you too?" <S> Remember, you just told me how to get rid of her. <S> She's getting sick from this, so <S> I can just play on that, then she'll quit. <S> So yes, it is absolutely wrong of you to say something. <S> If this manager is as much of a jerk as you say, said manager would absolutely use that against you mom in the ways I outlined, or worse. <S> This is a battle she needs to fight on her own. <S> You cannot help, and can only harm things. <A> I honestly don't know what to do <S> but I'm immensely worried. <S> Any issue that your mother is having is between her and her boss. <S> If she feels that he is being demeaning, she can and should be able to speak up for herself. <S> If the boss continues his behavior, she can and should escalate through the appropriate channels within her company. <S> You can speak with her and remind her of the options that are available to her, but at the end of the day she is the one that needs to talk to the boss and/or whomever else within the company that can help resolve her issues. <S> Your mother is a store manager, she should be sufficiently capable of managing her own problems without your intervention. <A> It may or may not get her fired but it's almost certain to make it works <S> and it's damn sure not going to help resolve her situaion, which is undeniably extremely unpleasant. <S> I can sympathize, I really can - I've been there where I'd have liked nothing more than to ride in like the wrath of god and lay down some harsh words on someone mistreating loved one at work. <S> It's a totally understandable urge - it's also one you absolutely have to fight so for pity's sake <S> don't do this!! <S> This doesn't mean you can't help though - you just can't act on her behalf directly. <S> Even a good manager wouldn't take the sort of interference you're proposing well, and nor should they - the employment relationship is between the employer and the employee. <S> What you can do is help and support your mother to do this on her own. <S> Work out a plan of action with her (which may include her talking to her boss) and help her with all the preparation she'll need. <S> If she's going to talk with them you can help her work out what she's going to say, how she should respond to any push-back etc. <S> If she's going to send some written communication then you can help her word it, heck you can even write it yourself if you want (as long as she knows what you are writing and is happy to put her name to it) <S> but it has to come from her. <S> If she needs to consult with anyone outside of the business then you can (most likely) go with her and offer support. <S> If she decides to look elsewhere you can support and encourage the job hunt. <S> So there's lots of things you can do to help - but talking to her boss for her is not one of them.
| I might fire her outright, by noting everything still trashed, and documenting that as evidence of her being useless, and firing her on the grounds of incompetence. YOU ABSOLUTELY can get her fired Longer answer.
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How do I respond to performance review pointing out me being behind schedule and directing my focus towards meeting deadlines? In the context of performance appraisal I have an option to sign the document electronically to acknowledge that performance has been discussed. I can Agree, Disagree and also have an option to enter a comment. My plan is to click Agree, since the appraisal is considered to be an accurate reflection of performance from management standpoint due to being vetted by more than two upper managers, even when listing some of the unfavorable characteristics of my performance. I am not sure that Disagree will help me, I do not have a good defense to disagree. My question is in regards whether to leave comments on the appraisal, and if yes, what exactly do I comment. The review in question in particular has the following in management comments: Completes assignments thoroughly, but often behind schedule. Improvement Opportunity: make more accurate schedules to completion. Establishing and meeting deadlines. ^ This does not go into detail, but aside from a general concept of "being behind schedule", I know that there was a particular project X that took most of the year and was very late due to many various things, and not all entirely due to my contribution, but my partial contribution to it being late was that I made a decision to use new technology to implement the project, rather than reuse old technology. This resulted in extra delays to the project that could have been avoided had I used old technology instead. I did not properly communicate this technology change to other team members, and their expectations were that project should be completed sooner on my part, not later like it turned out to be. This project being so big (& prominent) likely resulted in general manager frustration with deadlines, and likely is a big contribution towards the above comments on my performance review. I could be also wrong however, in a sense that review may be targeting "everything" and not this one specific project, or maybe that is a way to direct my attention in general towards deadlines, and schedules. I'm not sure. My question here is: Since that project X was NOT mentioned by name in the review despite likely being a major reason for this review comment, do I need to explain myself for the purpose of the review like I am explaining myself here now? Or do I instead just sign with Agree, leave no comment, and "move on with my life"? If I do need to elaborate, what do I say, and if I do say anything at all will I only be hurting myself in the process by bringing attention to project X or to me knowing where I was behind schedule. In legal-speak, if I comment the way I envision commenting now, it will fall into the category of "Guilty with Explanation", where my Explanation may be used as cause to "incriminate me". This is why I am questioning if I should comment at all. P.S. My performance Review also states that I need to be available during core hours and that I often fail to be at my desk during the entirely of core hours as it hinders teamwork. I am not sure at all how to comment on that either, or if I should comment at all. Thus I have basically the same question on the "core hours" as I do on the "scheduling and deadlines". Please let me know if that warrants me to ask a separate question for that. <Q> I did not properly communicate this technology change to other team members, and their expectations were that project should be completed sooner on my part, not later like it turned out to be. <S> It sounds like there's a legitimate issue here, so <S> it's not clear what there is to disagree with or comment on. <S> Speaking with your manager and assuring him/her that you've learned from this would be a better option. <S> This is also a fairly typical mistake. <S> Large projects are complicated and I wouldn't worry about it too much. <S> My performance Review also states that I need to be available during core hours and that I often fail to be at my desk during the entirely of core hours as it hinders teamwork. <S> It's not clear from the question whether or not your guilty of this or if it's a common practice at your company, but this is possibly something you should be concerned about. <S> I would probably talk to my manager rather than commenting on the review, however. <S> I will add that it's a bit hard to answer this question without knowing the process or expectation within your company, so perhaps you should ask someone how to best address any concerns you have. <A> Agree and move on. <S> That's not an overly negative performance review (completing tasks <S> thoroughly is a good thing!) <S> and you acknowledge it's at least broadly accurate in regards to this particular project. <A> But it sounds likely that the major example to which you speak is front and center in the review. <S> Done right, it might help you a bit to respond along the lines of what you’re asking. <S> It demonstrates that you are giving thought to the issues and have identified paths to improve upon those issues. <S> I’ve heard many comments through the years from managers finding it positive that employees are actually engaging in the process. <S> You might also lightly defend what happened, BUT I caution against making that your focus. <S> Don’t let alluding to a good long-term decision overshadow that the key point is you now recognize that more and sooner communication of the value and risks of the path would have helped. <A> often behind schedule <S> Is the word 'often' fair? <S> If it was only one project, and you were on schedule for the others, you'd be right to disagree. <S> Estimation is hard. <S> You could comment on what you've learned from that project, or just learn from it and move on. <S> often fail to be at my desk during the entirely of core hours <S> This is more of a problem, as it requires a change of behaviour. <S> You don't explain why you were away or if you've got any choice in the matter. <S> If your responsibilities require you to be off-site visiting clients, or in long meetings, you can't change. <S> Agree if it's a fair complaint, and you can easily address it. <S> Comment <S> if you can't help being away from your desk. <S> Disagree if you spend as much time as everyone else at your desk.
| Accept it and learn from the experience. If you have opportunity and appropriate rapport, I’d suggest talking with the reviewer first rather than just assuming. The more you try to comment on it, the more you're likely to seem like you're shirking responsibility, and that gives more of a negative opinion than a positive one.
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How to take my pads with me to the toilet subtly? How to take my pads with me to the toilet subtly? I work in an all male office/open space and everytime I get my period I go through the awkwardness of trying to take them out of my bag and put them in my pocket an go to the toilet. I can't really take my whole bag, nor can I carry all the pads I need in my pants during the day. <Q> Having your period is part of being a woman and completely normal. <S> There is nothing to be ashamed of. <S> You can also consider placing a box of pads in the bathroom with a sign that reads Emergency stock. <S> Help yourself and consider filling it up if empty or something like this for all women in the office space. <S> I bet some of them will be really thankfull if their period hits unprepared. <S> To include the suggestion from the comments, if there is no space available to put a box of pads, you could request a shelf or something like this from your management or facility management. <S> As a side note: there are ways to manage the flow that don't include pads that need to be changed regularly. <S> A cup just needs to be emptied once in a while (up to 8 - 12 hours if I remember correctly) and that can be done in the bathroom without carrying anything. <S> There are also period panties one can wear if the cup is not enough. <A> I think small metal boxes are available at most apothecaries to store and carry pads. <S> I use them and they are quite practical. <S> But, seriously, there's nothing embarrassing in having the period. <S> If a group of grown men are feeling awkward for this reason, it's definitely their problem, not yours <A> I personally use a small, decorative travel makeup bag that holds my sanitary supplies and some single-use packs of Advil. <S> I fill it at home and take the whole pouch with me to the restroom, so there's no smuggling supplies from one bag to another or into my hand. <S> In the fairly unlikely chance that someone even notices what I am carrying, it can easily be assumed that it's just to freshen up. <S> Even though I don't usually wear makeup at work, I doubt the men in the office overthink me sometimes entering the restroom with a travel makeup kit. <A> Talk to your office manager to organize sanitary packages for the bathroom. <S> That should include things like disposable tooth brushes, antiseptic mouthwash, pads, toilet disposable wet naps (alternative to dry toilet paper), etc. <S> Having those things in the bathroom is not only a great convenience, but also a subtle way to remind everybody about hygiene. <S> Now, despite people telling you to "not be embarrassed," the reality is that the human brain is a bit more complex than that. <S> Trying to simply overcome something you're uncomfortable with doesn't happen by sheer brute force. <S> While I don't have to deal with it with pads, somewhere around spring and fall, I usually have a couple of weeks (perhaps due to temperature changes) where I have a perspiration problem. <S> Imagine wearing a t-shirt in the cold and still having sweaty armpits. <S> It can be really annoying and embarrassing. <S> If somebody tells me that I shouldn't be embarrassed about it because it's a normal human reaction, it's not just going to make it not embarrassing. <S> I have to take my medical-grade antiperspirant, walk myself to the bathroom and apply it out of sight. <S> So if you don't think you'll simply become the brave person that everybody says you should be ( <S> like I'm not), then feel free to adopt some strategies <S> : Put it in your jean pocket; if you have a switcher with pockets, use those pockets. <S> Proceed to the bathroom. <A> You could treat them as what they are: Normal hygiene items. <S> Just put a Box on the toilet. <S> I know a lot of people doing that already, in the guest toilet, as well as restaurants/cafes having those available for their guests. <S> If you have female visitors/clients on site, they might appreciate it in a time of an emergency. <S> Get one of those larger handbags for work, put your personal stock in there as well as other toiletries you might need (comb, toothbrush etc.). <S> Make a habit out of it to carry this bag to the toilet with you.
| If you feel uncomfortable taking out single pads from your bag bring a small purse that holds your pads in your bag.
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Issues with estimating deadlines and communicating setbacks I'm the sole developer and my responsibilities include development, maintenance, communication about new requirements and some consulting. I should add that I report to board member who supervises the financial results, and who don't get involved in the planning. Estimating development tasks is the biggest issue for me as I tend to commit to the nearest possible deadline, but then get sidetracked by maintenance, consulting or higher priority tasks. I miss deadlines constantly. I feel overwhelmed. In a different environment I could afford to have longer queues, stronger lines of communication, and more accurate requirements, but the environment is too dynamic for it. How can I go about introducing more organization into all this? <Q> Get a little app to log your time. <S> Use it for some weeks. <S> You should get a metric for how much development work you really did. <S> From now on, estimate in hours / days and multiply by this overhead. <S> Communicate this to your boss, i.e. "I need 20 hours pure development, so that´s <S> 2 weeks with overhead ... <S> " <S> One thing that is not immediately apparent to non-developers is the cost of task-switching. <S> That is the second thing you can use your log for. <S> Every time you have to halt your development to deal with something else, account for 15 minutes of lost development time. <S> Add that up and if it accounts to something meaningful, talk about that figure with your boss. <S> If he questions this overhead, show him some resources on that. <S> You probably won´t get off the maintenance duty, but perhaps you can help the higher ups to understand the cost of that kind of assignment. <S> Maybe there is a way to organize the tasks better (Maintenance on Mondays, development the rest of the week etc.) <S> or at least to get an understanding why you struggle with timing tasks. <A> Well - if I were in more certain environment I could afford to have longer queues, stronger contracts and more accurate requirements, but the environment is too dynamic for it. <S> Sometimes I have impressions that the chaos is the only solution. <S> Is that really possible? <S> Or is it possible to introduce more organization into all this? <S> Most folks have multiple tasks that need doing every day. <S> If you are feeling overwhelmed, talk with your boss. <S> Perhaps a ticketing and/or scheduling system could help. <A> I tend to commit to the nearest possible term as the deadline for my development tasks, but then the maintenance, consulting and requirements tasks intervene and sometimes I even take on some development tasks from more important clients and <S> so, I am missing my deadlines constantly. <S> It sounds as if you promise people "it'll be done by X", where X is when you could get it done if nothing else unforeseen happens. <S> Don't do that. <S> You've discovered that you have on average Y amount of unforeseen things. <S> So when asked for an estimate, tell them X+Y+Z. <S> Not just <S> + <S> Y, because the nature of averages is that much of the time, you're above-average. <S> So if you want to guarantee people "it will almost certainly be done by...", then you need to name something higher. <S> In practice, people are unhappier about missed deadlines, than they are happy about early deliveries. <S> Missed deadlines cause problems. <S> So set your estimates so that you're almost never wrong. <S> If that means delivering early much of the time, wonderful; but don't let people push you into offering more optimistic (riskier) estimates. <A> I’m hearing 3 things here... <S> You have a lot of planned things to do on your plate <S> You get a non trivial amount of unplanned work 1 and 2 are causing you to miss deadlines <S> You need to put 1 and 2 on a view that you and your manager can see so that you both can see what’s on deck and take appropriate actions (e.g. change deadline, prioritize urgent things, etc). <S> A 3 column Trello board should be a good start. <S> To-do, doing and Done. <S> You and your manager add cards (tasks) to the To-Do column, ordered by descending importance. <S> Your manager arranges the cards according to priority. <S> You pull the top card on the to-do column and work on it, then move it to done when you’ve finished the task, then pull the top card from the To-do column... <S> repeat. <S> Tweak as needed. <S> That will at least allow you and your manager to see the same things and see patterns in your workload <S> that can be / should be addressed ( e.g. you’ve fixed X 10 times for the same thing...maybe we should make code changes to handle that). <A> Just try to find an average duration that your task increases by, compared to your estimate. <S> For example:You estimate 5 days to complete, calculate 1 or 2 buffer days for life cycle of other projects, different clients, administration,... <S> That's the easiest way to handle this and if you are done earlier GREAT the client will be very happy.
| Ask for help estimating your work and setting your priorities, so that you don't constantly miss deadlines. The terms for the development tasks are the biggest issue for me. You can also talk with your boss about organizing your work better.
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My employer is setting up a portal on their computer for me to see my weekly checks My employer is setting up a portal on their computer for me to see my weekly checks. The portal will require me to sign in with my employer number and also four digits of my Social Security. I receive a hard copy of my check weekly and have no plans to get inside the portal. Is it legal for the employer to use my Social Security number to set up this portal for the first time? My concern is if I never get in and change the password anyone can have access just knowing My employee number and my Social Security number. <Q> How many of your coworkers know your social security number? <S> This isn't an unusual thing by any means. <S> I've worked for companies with time-clock software that use last 4 of SSN as the login. <S> If you're that concerned about it, then just sign in once and change the password. <S> But realistically speaking if someone had your SSN and a vendetta against you they could do much worse to you than just looking at your pay stubs. <A> This is absolutely normal. <S> Many insurance, HR, etc systems use this as a first time verification because it’s the one confidential bit of information that the company has collected from you. <S> Some systems use is persistently - <S> this is sketchier but people should not know your SSN, you should keep that like it’s a password. <S> And if you can change to a real password, then do so. <A> My concern is if I never get in and change the password anyone can have access just knowing My employee number and my Social Security number. <S> Your concern is valid. <S> It should never be used as a secret because it was not designed for that . <S> Your instinct is right. <S> If you cannot - for any reason - the privacy concern is big enough to raise this with HR. <S> If that happens, I'm sure we'd welcome another question here. <S> Setting the initial password the same as the 4 digits of your SSN is bad practice, but not necessarily "evil". <S> It's common to set initial passwords to something already known to the recipient, and the person who made that decision might not have been technical. <S> Sidenote : <S> The last 4 digits of your SSN are enough to infer the entire SSN, if someone knows your year and place of birth.
| SSN is an identifier , it is not a secret . You should change your password as soon as possible.
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Wallpaper on my Computer I am working as a PCB design Engineer and I am a big fan of Breaking Bad . So can I keep an image from Breaking Bad series as my desktop wallpaper? Edit:- As I am a design Engineer my manger and my team lead might be coming near my cubicle to verify my design or to discuss work. Does it send a bad message about the type of series I watch? <Q> There is not a hard guideline on this, as this depends on the type and size of the company, who can see your screen and overall culture. <S> Some companies will be very lenient with stronger senses of humor, but if it's a tight ship, I would keep it way more on the non-offensive part. <S> IE. <S> Random screencaps from the show will be fine as wallpaper almost everywhere. <S> Scenes of murder, cooking illegal drugs, may not be as much, depends on the team. <S> Have to keep in mind that some people may not be aware of the context of the TV series in question, so the picture has to stand on its own feet. <S> So pick accordingly, make sure it won't offend anyone, and if someone complains then change it. <S> Simple enough, no reason to make it a bigger deal than it has to be. <A> Does the company have procedures in place that detail how you are allowed to use the assets they provide you with? <S> For example: I've had contracts specify that I cannot use my work laptop (even in my spare time) to view lewd, graphic or violent imagery. <S> Are there customers or suppliers that may see the picture? <S> Is office culture conductive to roughhousing and lewd jokes? <S> Breaking Bad is not a problem in and of itself, though the show deals with themes that some people may find offensive. <S> If your concern is limited to the good taste of your coworkers and managers, I would recommend that you avoid anything that obviously displays drug paraphernalia, weapons, nudity, violence, gore or large wads of cash. <S> Walt and Jesse in their yellow suits should be fine. <S> A beat-up and bloody Walt pointing a gun at the screen will be more divisive. <A> So can I keep an image from Breaking Bad series as my desktop wallpaper? <S> Question is: Why do you want to do that? <S> More than "can", it's a question of whether you "should" or not? <S> Assuming the desktop you're referring to is your office desktop and used for official purpose, try to keep it plain and simple. <S> You never know who will get offended by what content - why take chances? <S> Possibilities are there that a content which is normal to you, might be considered unprofessional by someone else. <S> While both of you might be right from your individual standpoint - it's just not worth to be caught into a conflict, over something as trivial as a wallpaper. <S> Just avoid that, use the stock wallpapers you get with you OS. <S> P.S.- <S> Customize <S> your personal devices the way you want. <A> I'm going for a different, and harsher take on this <S> I'm afraid. <S> Don't do it. <S> The only advantage is that you get to see a screenshot of a TV program you like every so often. <S> That's something you can easily do without - you don't need it. <S> The potential disadvantage, however small, is that it causes issues because a colleague or a client seems it unprofessional or potentially offensive. <S> That potential disadvantage, IMHO, is just not worth the fact <S> you want a personalised wallpaper. <S> Stick with a solid colour, or if you must an abstract pattern. <S> Keep the breaking bad theme for lunchtime chats and your free time. <A> It is unlikely that anyone will make a remark especially if you never sit with external clients. <S> What you risk is a silent negative judgement on you as immature or frivolous. <S> Or worse, being completely misunderstood because the colleague doesn't catch the reference, doesn't watch TV, or doesn't understand why someone would cozy-up their desktop. <S> Much better to use a dark solid color, patterned background, or if it's bearable, the company logo. <S> If you do ecad work you'll almost never see your background anyway.
| There is nothing wrong with watching some TV series, just make sure that whatever you put on your desktop wallpaper, which presumably can be seen by others, is fit for the office.
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Applying for a job when you have signed an offer for fresh grad? I am fresh out of university (CS degree) and was able to secure a job with the help of university with the condition that I will join it later on (as not joining strains university relations with the company although once I have my degree they can't do anything). I took it and also got the signing bonus (which I have to pa back if I leave within 1 year) and will be joining it. Call this company A. I also applied at a startup (startup B) which has a high hiring bar since I assumed they wouldn't get back to me, but they did and I am going to have a phone screen soon. Should I continue with the screen and further interviews? And what should I say when they ask about my current offers from university (as it is expected any good student will have offers). Should I hide it or come clean. Also, should I divulge the company A name if asked during the screen? The work at startup (fairly stable revenue) is probably better for my career development but if I take that job the university and the company A would be quite mad. I have got mixed reviews about (one was extremely bad and other said it was good. The bad one guy is not credible from what I've heard) company A but I would like to join and see for myself.The pay will be much higher in the startup and it will be fast paced but I'm not sure how stable the job will be. People in company A and startup know each other quite well.What's the best course of action considering I want to maximize career growth and salary but be ethical? <Q> We can´t tell you what to do. <S> First make up your mind where you ultimately want to be. <S> Startup can be quite exciting, but can also be a hell to work in an with no experience... <S> you will probably be expected to do get things done with little supervision. <S> If you want to stay at A, tell B you have singed a contract elsewhere. <S> Tell them you are sorry but the other opportunity arose <S> and you did not think they´d get back to you. <S> Tell them you´d like very much to work with them <S> but you have to honor your commitments <S> - you´ll get back to them should the other thing not work out. <S> If you want to get to B, also tell them that you have a competing offer. <S> Continue the interview process and look closely if this is really what you want to do. <S> The interview is the opportunity for you, to get a closer look at your future workplace. <S> Ask Questions and - if you can - talk to other employees about the work environment there. <S> If you are convinced that you will have a better future with B, nobody can make you work at A - although it is extremely bad style to sign something and then back off. <S> You will burn some bridges. <S> Take it as a learning. <S> You can almost always ask for more time, before signing something! <S> Oh, and never disclose the company name of any competing offer. <S> Especially if the people there know each other! <S> You could find you chances disappearing very fast. <A> Continue interviewing. <S> If company B makes you an offer <S> and you decide to take it, let company A and your university know as soon as possible. <S> Until that time, however, do not divulge the fact that you're interviewing to anyone who does not strictly need to know. <S> If asked by your university, dodge the question by pointing to your offer from company A. <S> If asked by company B, answer in the affirmative but do not provide details. <S> If asked by company A - and I don't see why they would, prevaricate or lie. <S> It may go against your instinct, but it is not unethical to keep private matters private. <S> Doing otherwise could prove a very costly mistake. <A> And what should I say when they ask about my current offers from university (as it is expected any good student will have offers). <S> Its unlikely they will ask. <S> I've seen it a few times, but its really not that common. <S> There's no good reason for them to care about offers unless they are trying to take advantage of you divulging too much information to lowball you on salary. <S> I'm not so sure about that last part "any good student will have offers", since how good of a student you were really holds little weight. <S> Jobs are jobs, not new schools. <S> They aren't going to care about your transcript. <S> They care about achievements, and that generally comes from extra-curricular activities like hackathons and special projects. <S> The work at startup (valued around 250-300 mil) is probably better for my career development <S> but if I take that job the university and the company A would be quite mad. <S> The university isn't your problem anymore. <S> Company A isn't going to be "quite mad", I think you are vastly overestimating how invested recruiters are in fresh graduates. <S> What's the best course of action considering I want to maximize career growth and salary but be ethical? <S> There's nothing unethical about taking new positions. <S> But you do owe yourself the responsibility of doing the best you can for yourself. <S> Also, the terms of Company A hiring you came with an exit clause for a reason.
| You don't owe anyone anything that isn't explicitly laid out in a contract or in your job position.
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How to warn candidate at interview without management knowing I started a new job earlier this year and I'm already about to leave. I will be starting a new job in February (accepted and signed) - the hiring manager is currently out on medical but thankfully it's not a severe situation and will be back in Feb. At my current company, my coworker resigned two weeks ago and has now worked out the notice period. Since I have to give two weeks notice as well, I'm not resigning until mid-January. So my boss and boss's boss don't know I'm leaving yet. There are now a total of 4 vacancies on a team of 7. My current position will be the 5th vacancy soon. Next week, I'm on a panel to interview my coworker's (possible) replacement. How do I warn the candidate not to work here? I want to point to specific things such as: the office is extremely loud and distracting making it very hard to concentrate; the lighting is extremely poor (basically no lighting and there are no windows to boot); they tell candidates that the company supports "flex time" and "flexible schedules" but it's not true - you can't even work from a conference room, never mind from home or from a more suitable work environment; you are stuck in the crappy office for 9 hours a day. Next week, I'll have to sit on a panel and keep my mouth shut while my boss's boss lies to the candidate the same way he lied to me. What can I do to warn the candidate? Edit: After seeing the first two answers, I've decided to resign from the company. I'm not willing to sit there during the interview while my boss's boss tells lies about the company policies. Also some answers seem to have assumed I am assessing the candidate. I am not. I am there only as a prop to talk good about the company so the candidate will accept the position. I don't have any say on the qualifications of the candidate. <Q> Near the end of the interview, offer to take the candidate on a tour through the office. <S> That's a pretty common and natural thing to do during an interview. <S> But it'll also let the candidate see the office for themselves (and the bad lighting and shouting). <A> Amusingly, the people on here would be the first to pounce on you if you lied on your resume, but if the company does it instead about the job... <S> If you go to the interview, you can learn the name and past experience of the candidate. <S> That gives you a basis for finding their LinkedIn profile. <S> Be careful in the message to not include identifying information about yourself such as "when I started 5 months ago... <S> " Be very careful about this part. <S> Maybe point them to any GlassDoor reviews which say things about your company. <S> Not foolproof, but it is a plan with a decent chance of success and one which should protect you. <A> Unfortunately, as long as you are paid by your employer you have a certain duty to present them positively and to avert harm from them. <S> That said, they can´t expect you to lie for them. <S> Be very cautious though, because some things you state can be quite subjective. <S> I see basically 3 options. <S> Let yourself be excused from the panel. <S> You could talk to your supervisor an tell them that you are not comfortable presenting the company as you yourself are not all that satisfied with the work-environment. <S> This is honest, but a little bit risky as it puts a strain on your relationship - one which you will need to get a clean exit and good references. <S> Be factual, without judgment. <S> For example the loud office environment could be described as an "Open floor plan, with easy communication as you can hear everyone" <S> When asked if that is distracting just say "It depends on your work habits"The lightning could be "No artificial lighting that distracts from your screen-work" An experienced candidate will know what that means and if that poses a problem for him. <S> I don´t see what you can do about the false promises/flex time. <S> If you boss chooses to offer such benefits, he can. <S> If you or the future candidate let themselves later be deprived of those promises that´s between them and the boss. <S> I have found that insisting at keeping such a promised perk works quite well especially if you are prepared to go and the employer is desperately understaffed. <S> So maybe the next candidate will have more luck? <S> Resign now. <S> Yes that is drastic, but as it sounds you are no longer able to see yourself as a loyal employee <S> so why not make it offical? <S> I have to advise against other, more direct actions towards the new candidate. <S> If you are found out, you will provide grounds for immediate dismissal - and that will not be on good terms. <S> I´d rather put a review on glassdoor later, once you have all the papers and a new job secured. <A> Don't. <S> The candidate is presumably an adult and is capable of making their own decisions based on the information they have gathered about the company and during that "are there any questions you want to ask us" part at the end. <S> You don't know the candidate won't thrive in loud, bustling environments. <S> You don't know if the candidate hates working from home. <S> You don't know how badly the candidate needs the job or what kind of working environment they are coming from (maybe your company would be heaven in comparison). <S> I get that your intentions are genuine and well-meaning <S> but it would reflect very poorly on you if you were found out. <S> Maybe the thing to do is write a review on glassdoor. <S> Then anybody who is interviewing them (and who does their research) can read it - but also they can decide how much weight to afford it). <A> How do I warn the candidate not to work here? <S> Maybe you should stick to the task at hand and not try to "poison" the candidates with what essentially is your subjective opinion. <S> Nothing that you've stated in your question makes this a bad company to work for. <S> These are your opinions. <A> It's not your place to make decisions/judgement calls for the candidate. <S> Your task on the interview is to determine if the candidate is a fit for the job. <S> In addition, the fact that you don't like the environment doesn't mean that the new candidate will also not like it.
| Create a new LinkedIn account using a VPN/away from work (and ideally the LinkedIn page of another country) and send them a message that has information which proves you know who they are and what you have to say about the company.
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Recommended training courses for a Junior Software Engineer? I've been working at my current job as a Junior Software Engineer for approximately 1 year. I have a performance review coming up soon and know that I will have the opportunity to request additional training if I want it. To show initiative I've been trying to find training courses that I can bring up in addition to any that my employers already have in mind. We work primarily with AngularJS and node for our web component. We also have software that is built around C#. I haven't formally studied networking. I tried to have a search for helpful courses that would add to my knowledge base from university but I can't seem to tell which courses are actually worth taking, which leads me to my question. What are some possible training courses(online or not [Based in Australia]) that you can recommend that I ask to take? <Q> If you have to choose one, The most natural feeling technology to add to your current set will be some RDBMS tech (PostGres, MySQL, SQL Server etc). <A> I would recommend gaining some knowledge in cloud computing space by studying and exploring services provided by popular cloud vendors like AWS, MS Azure. <S> This will be helpful not only in your current role but it will also increase your future job prospects since Cloud skills are really sought after these days. <S> If you are already on cloud then you can contribute by suggesting cost optimisations and security enhancement on applications already using cloud services. <S> If you are not using cloud yet then its a good opportunity to make yourself familiar with some basic cloud services offered by cloud providers so that you can draw a basic comparison between Cloud and on premises infrastructure and suggest some improvements for your on premises environment. <A> Company training dollars are extremely underutilized Company training money is often budgeted for and just not used. <S> At my company, permanent employees (So unfortunately not me as we seem to be contract to hire) are eligible for $2000 a year in training. <S> And it is apparently very easy to get. <S> Seriously, don't get a $50 course with this opportunity. <S> Have them pay for something big and permanent like a certificate or a graduate degree. <S> You can get a Masters in Computer Science for 10K USD. <A> Some good ideas in the other answers already. <S> Such as how to write good (unit) tests for components that interact with external APIs and possibly unstable network connections. <A> Personally I find most 1-week courses a waste of time. <S> By the time they come around I've already had to work out the basics, so the first couple of days don't teach me anything. <S> The middle day is useful, then the last two cover stuff I'm never going to use. <S> Instead you could go to a conference. <S> These give you short introductions to lots of new ideas and technologies. <S> If you see something interesting, you can usually look it up afterwards. <S> You'll meet other developers and build your network too.
| Another topic for training could be advanced software testing. Also, use some of the budget to get a few new books every year - much cheaper than a training course, and you can go at your own speed.
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I'm completely lost in my new job To give a little context, I'm a french software engineer, and my specialty is mobile dev (Android mainly). I resigned from my first job because I felt professionally abused, like asked to do 4 times the quantity of work that a single person can do, only because it was a really small company with projects that were too big for them. Then I went to another company, a little bigger, not Android related, where I didn't have a single bit of stress, basically because the product was internal use only. I resigned from this company too because I was very underpaid, and felt unwanted by the company owners. So I found another job a month ago. This is a very big company, with a really nice team, and I can finally do Android again. I think that the company works with "normal" methods, but I'm not used to it, due to my "ugly" work methods before. And my last job does not help, because it was kind of easy, like doing a lot of simple tasks all the time. I replaced someone who left at the start of this month, so he could teach me how things work here, but I feel like I'm missing most of everything. I can't work alone most of the time, because I can't seem to understand what I'm asked and what I have to do. My problem is that I'm constantly lost. There's a lot that I don't understand, the app is VERY complex, with some layers in languages I never worked with. My manager seems to think it will take time for me to deal with everything, and it's okay for him to explain me everything I need, and that I'm not really productive right now. Still, I feel like I'm disturbing him and my coworkers every time I need help, because I need help a lot of times. So the question is basically : Do I have to persevere, until I get to understand things better, or is it a lost cause ? EDIT : I'd like to thanks everyone who answered this question, I will persevere even though I'm not really motivated, I find really hard to get at full power into a job you can't really understand. I hope I will get used to it and to be mentally fulfilled and accomplished. <Q> My manager seems to think it will take time for me to deal with everything, and it's okay for him to explain me everything I need, and that I'm not really productive right now. <S> You seem to be in good company and management, most of the folks complains about just the opposite. <S> You manager understands your situation and extending the help they can to bring you up to the speed and make you as effective as possible. <S> They understand that you're not going to be productive from Day 0 and you need to be given due time to get an understanding of the work and the environment - <S> which will eventually make you more productive in long run. <S> Win-Win for both the parties. <S> My suggestions: <S> Don't overthink it, give it some time. <S> Follow the directions and work towards meeting the expectations. <S> That way, you'll ensure that you're working on right track. <S> With time, you'll become self-sufficient, without needing to reach out to someone else for help every now and then. <A> Do I have to persevere, until I get to understand things better <S> Yes. <S> I have been developing software, as a freelancer for *cough* decades, and there is a point in every project, usually after 3 or 4 weeks, where I feel hopeless & think that I will never learn it. <S> This passes every time, and knowing that helps me prevent depression/hopelessness. <S> It's normal - as your manager has already indicated to you. <S> Don't panic, and don't be afraid to ask. <A> Nobody can say for sure, but this is a feeling that many people have. <S> One little tip that is important: If you learn something from person X make sure you remember it or write it down. <S> I have often worked in companies where some employees(including younger me) would use 1 or 2 senior developers as personal Google and ask them things that were explained to them already 2-3 times before in the past 6 months. <S> This is terrible not just for the seniors that will be distracted and annoyed but also for you because you will never feel competent in your work if you can not do even the simple tasks without help. <S> How to best do notes is out of scope of this answer but for start you could draw diagrams, use memory palace technique... <A> Speaking as a manager of software engineers, I have to say that when we hire someone, we aren't hiring them because we expect huge productivity in their first month (or first few months) of employment. <S> We are hiring for the long term. <S> We do eventually expect productivity, but we know we have complex environments with a lot to learn. <S> We want someone who's going to be comfortable and knowledgeable over time, and contribute more on day 10 than day 1, and more on day 100 than on day 10. <S> That kind of person is going to be productive as a developer, and happy as a person. <S> And personally I like to work with happy and confident people. <S> Maybe some managers want that, but the good ones don't.
| If a manager puts pressure on an employee from day 1, and expects that developer to bang out big production features in a hurry, that's going to create resentment and insecurity in the developer. Ensure you have your work / progress reviewed by your manager (or any other superior) and seek regular feedback.
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Should I 'get something' for signing the separation agreement? [Quitting] (TL;DR The main question is stated succinctly at the end) I'm resigning from a position soon and will be asked to sign some paperwork before going; I'm generally leaving on good terms. I've seen some exit paperwork at other companies that involves a separation agreement asking you to agree to certain things, like not saying anything negative about your experience at the company, not disclosing anything about what you've worked on, releasing the company from any potential future legal claims , etc; At a previous job, they'd waived the repayment of a relocation fee that I would have otherwise owed, in exchange for signing such paperwork (For example they had experienced issues with people leaving negative reviews on sites like Glassdoor, and included a clause in the agreement saying that you agreed not to do so); I know that there's a certain value to it on their end as it resolves potential liabilities and protects their reputation, etc At the company I'm leaving right now, I don't have anything hanging over my head that they might waive in exchange for me to sign a separation agreement, and I'm wondering.... If I'm not gaining anything for my part in signing.... is there any incentive for me to actually sign? Would it be super innapropriate for me to ask for some sort of (modest) payment (similar to a severance) as consideration for signing a separation agreement, even though I'm quitting? Of course I don't want to seem like some kind of jerk when things are otherwise ending on a pleasant note, it's just a question that's been bugging my curiousity <Q> You asked, Would it be super innapropriate for me to ask for some sort of (modest) payment (similar to a severance) as consideration for signing a separation agreement, even though I'm quitting? <S> I don't know if inappropriate is really the right word, but I'm having a hard time understanding how a payment to you makes any sense, in terms of how you would decide whether or not to sign anything. <S> Basically, if you think the paperwork has merit and you can agree to the terms, you should sign it. <S> If you don't think you can agree to the terms, I don't understand how a modest payment would make that any different - so, ultimately, I don't know how a payment would change your perspective on the legal (and other) implications to signing such paperwork. <S> It's hard to consider how you would even put a cash price on the types of rights that are typically in exit paperwork, especially since you claim you're on good terms and leaving voluntarily. <S> If your manager and HR know that you're on good terms, with no outstanding issues, and leaving of your own choice, asking them for money might sound like a bit of a bluff , at best (if you've got no outstanding issues, you're not really signing away anything of value) or an attempt at ransom at worst <S> ( "Pay me now or else <S> I will find something to make into a problem!" ). <A> is there any incentive for me to actually sign? <S> The only potential incentive is some sort of reference for the future. <S> But usually it is HR that asks you to sign such documents, not your supervisor or coworkers whom you would likely use as references down the line. <S> Personally, I have never signed any exit papers as they are written for the benefit of the company, not the exiting employee. <S> There is nothing "jerk" about not wanting to sign away potential rights. <S> As pleasant as your time with the company has been up until now <S> , you never know if you will have to challenge them later in some way and cannot due to "agreeing" with them by signing their paperwork. <S> Also, asking for compensation for signing will not make up for any future rights you may have signed away. <A> If the separation agreement is overly broad, delay indefinitely. <S> Thanks. <S> I'm going to have my lawyer review it. <S> At the very least, this gives you time to sleep on it and show the paperwork to others. <S> If they press you on a due-by-sign date, just say that you're getting free legal advice from a friend and you don't want to rush him. <A> Always get a legal opinion from an expert <S> There are more surprises and hidden turns in these things that you would suspect. <S> There may be particular phrases in such an agreement that have impact on your ability to get unemployment benefits for example. <S> Or there might be a clause missing that an expert would know should be in there. <S> Get something in return <S> They want something from you, and you currently don't have any obligation to just give it. <S> So you should get something in return. <S> It doesn't have to be money Getting a glowing letter of recommendation that you can keep in your pocket <S> can be nice, and seems like a fair trade for not saying anything nasty about them on Glassdoor. <S> Getting an onerous non-compete agreement reduced in scope or waived entirely could also be an option. <S> As a negotiating tactic, you could bring up money and some of these other things. <S> The other things don't cost them money, don't change their budget, so they're less hassle. <S> They may be more inclined to give you those things which are easy for them to give, if you are willing to give up on the money.
| And if/when you do speak to a real lawyer, he'll most likely tell you not to sign anything anyway, unless you're getting something in return.
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Relocating in few weeks to start new job; family member just diagnosed with illness During the past month I (Non-EU) have been preparing for my new software development job starting in four weeks. The job consists of relocation to a country in Europe which is a total of 2 hours by flight from my hometown. However, few days ago I received the news that one of my parents was diagnosed with serious illness. This completely caught me off-guard. I did plan for situations like these, but I always thought I would already be settled somewhere when that would happen and it would be easy to just take free days or work remotely in order to take care of family errands. While I'm waiting for more detailed results regarding the stage of the illness, I outlined the following options that I could take: Cancel the new job and stay in my hometown to help my family. I doubt my current company will take me back after I gave my leaving notice, so I could look for another job in order to keep my family's finances healthy (For the record, I have another sibling and another healthy parent + relatives. Both of my parents told me that they are against me staying in my hometown because of the newly risen situation, as it might make them feel worse for me missing the opportunity) Relocate but inform my new employee of the situation. My plan in this case would be to fly back every (or every second) weekend (Friday evening to Sunday evening) back home in order to check the situation Based on the upcoming results and the stage of the illness, try to postpone the starting date of the job (For the record, we signed the contract in mid October) My impression of the company is that they treat employees well. However, in the first 6 months I'll be on a probation period, so if I have to leave, it would be easy. I have two questions I need advice on: Which of the three options you would choose if you had to and why How to go about letting my upcoming employee know about the whole situation I apologize if I asked something which clearly depends on everyone's circumstances. But this community has been hugely helpful in the past and I need every advice I could get while I'm in my current state. Thank you all. <Q> Normally I would advise against soliciting private information to your new employer, but in this case, it should not harm to discuss possibilities with them. <S> As I see it, you can not really lose anything here. <S> Worst case, they can't do anything to help you. <S> You can still decide if you want to stay and let the opportunity pass or if you can honor the original agreement. <S> Best case, they support you in being flexible with the startup date or give you some of your holidays in advance (most European countries have quite extensive paid holidays!) <S> etc. <S> Once you know what they will tolerate, it will be much easier to find the solution. <S> A good employer will appreciate the honesty and your loyalty that you show through caring for your family as well as being honest to them what the problem is. <A> How to go about letting my upcoming employee know about the whole situation <S> Talk to your employer and explain your situation as best as you can. <S> Let them know the the different errands and new responsibilities you expect to have with your family and ask them how they can accommodate for your new situation. <S> Based on their feedback, you can then determine the best course of action for yourself and your family. <S> If this company is good to their employees, they will try to work with you to help you with your situation. <A> Which option is no option: Based on possible outcomes, just staying should not be your first choice, unless for personal reasons. <S> This is because in any case, you need to talk to your new employer first. <S> Either they are sympathetic to your situation, then you can think about working something out. <S> Or they are not, in which case you know for sure. <S> But this is the same outcome as deciding to not relocate in the first place. <S> On justification: One thing I will say, from the way you are describing the situation, there are clues that you may have made up your mind and are looking for justification. <S> Clues of this <S> : You say your parents are very much against you staying, despite the situation. <S> You say you have relatives, who are capable of providing. <S> Personally I don't think justification can be provided here <S> and it should not matter, whether or not people on the internet are okay with the decision you end up making. <S> This is a very personal choice and ultimately you should make it on your own, based on your ethics and the specifics of the entire situation. <S> This does also not imply judgemental overtones, but the answer to your question must be: "Talk to your new employer, <S> see what options arise, work with that and make a decision. <S> " <S> , it cannot be: <S> "You should move, your parents would want you to take the opportunity." , or anything along those lines. <S> For what it's worth, I have been there. <S> I wish you good fortune. <A> If I were you, I'd relocate, start working, visit over weekends as possible. <S> Life is usually the best when it's balanced - don't forget your past, but don't kill your future before it even started, either.
| Talk to your employer, and see what's possible!
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Which company name to write when signing in as a subcontractor? I'll soon have my first day with my new client and I'm a subcontractor. I don't expect to have an employee badge the first day so I guess I should sign in as any visitor at the front desk (unless other instructions will be given by the manager). Should I write the name of my own Single-Person Limited Liability Company (subcontractor) or the name of the contractor that has a direct relationship with the client? The client probably has no idea that my LLC even exists. <Q> You should ask your contact at the main contractor company. <S> Most probable is that you use their name since they have the contract with the customer, but this is not a given. <S> Just ask, communication is key. <A> <A> The client probably has no idea that my LLC even exists. <S> Do not make things confusing. <S> Unless you're a plumber/electrician/tradesman with some kind of required license under your company name, use the name of the contractor that has a direct relationship with the client. <S> A badge or an attendance sheet is not a tax form. <S> Besides, if it's like in the US, the client company will most likely always invoice the intermediary contractor, not your company.
| I've always signed in with the name of the contractor company that has a direct relationship with the client.
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How to accept internship offer but keep the ability to renege? Where most questions on this topic are about how to tell a future employer that the applicant is no longer interested in the offer, I'd like to know: how can I accept an offer for an internship with the understanding that I may need to renege at a later date? I've completed multiple interviews with this company (company 'B'). It looks promising and surely wouldn't be a bad place to be this summer. Central US, IT related. However, I've been working through the hiring process with another company ('A'), and it has taken quite some time. I will be scheduling a site tour next month that will be very exciting. I'd like to make a good impression at both companies. I have been given the offer to join company B, and I would like to accept. If I do not get another offer in time for summer, this will be a good backup. However, if I eventually get an offer for A, I would prefer to work there. Furthermore, there are positions opening at a third company in a few months. These also sound very interesting, but I can always apply there in future years. Is there any way I can let HR at B know about this while I accept the offer? It's a little bit of a tough spot: I have no prior internship experience and hiring me would surely be a risk. I also don't want my reputation, or that of my school, to be damaged. Is it better to take the gamble that I will find a better internship opportunity, and drop out of consideration immediately? I have a few days to decide. Any suggestions? <Q> How to accept internship offer but keep the ability to renege? <S> and I will be scheduling a site tour next month that will be very exciting. <S> They are not going to allow this. <S> Were you talking a few days, then perhaps. <S> But you are talking timelines of months and months. <S> If you renege several months from now, they would need to restart the process from scratch to fill your spot, having missed most other candidates by that time. <S> Your choices are: Accept and go. <S> Accept and just renege later (reputational damage comes with this). <S> Decline and obtain an internship elsewhere. <S> We cannot really advise you on what to do as we don't know anything about these companies or your particular interests. <A> What I would do: Call Company A and ask them how long the hiring process will take and if they can speed it up, since you already have another offer. <S> Ask Company B how long they can wait for your final decision. <S> Ideally, you will have a time slot where you have offers from both on the table. <S> If this does not work out, you have to decide. <S> Although this is bad style and will probably burn some bridges there, sometimes a career opportunity is more important. <S> You´ll have to way the importance of this one for yourself. <S> Of course you can also reject company B now and hope that A will take you on later. <S> Only do this if you can afford do have neither of those! <A> Is there any way I can let HR at B <S> know about this while I accept the offer? <S> It's a little bit of a tough spot: I have no prior internship experience and hiring me would surely be a risk. <S> I also don't want my reputation, or that of my school, to be damaged. <S> Is it better to take the gamble that I will find a better internship opportunity, and drop out of consideration immediately? <S> I have a few days to decide. <S> Any suggestions? <S> It's risky, but you could just be honest. <S> Something like "I'd like to work here, but I'm in the middle of interviewing at another company right now that frankly would be a better fit for this summer. <S> I expect to hear from them [whatever time frame you expect]. <S> Would it be okay if I give you my final answer then?" <S> If they say No, then you'll need to be prepared to make a quick decision. <S> Decide ahead of time if this is worth the gamble or not. <S> It sounds as if you could have several other possible offers for next summer available to you. <S> So this might lessen the need to accept the offer from company B. <S> But that's a decision only you can make.
| You can surely take the offer from company B and then cancel it later, if A comes around (make sure to not sign anything that says otherwise).
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Gift from a contractor to a contractor I am an independent software contractor for an IT company and a lead for a small team. All the team members are contractors as well and we're pretty friendly bunch. We go out sometimes for drinks or simply eat together but yesterday one of my colleagues brought me a bottle of whyskey when came back from a vacation. It costs somewhere around £35 (or $46) and I am not sure how should I behave. Although I helped my colleague on many occasions, even with some tips how to be a contractor, I am bit puzzled with the situation. I am a team lead and if I accept this bottle is it ethical? If it would be someone that I could consider a friend outside work I wouldn't have to think too much about it but in this situation I am a bit lost. <Q> I would ordinally say it wouldn't be an issue, but I can see where the problem may lie with contractors as they may be looking to get on your good side to get an extension. <S> For me, as a permie (but also a team lead) I would use it to share around with everyone else after work as a Christmas celebration and thank the contractor by name for the gift. <S> That way you get to enjoy the gift (as was their intention) but also other people do too, so <S> your employer/company is satisfied you haven't been bribed and the contractor is personally offended that you've rejected their gift. <S> Plus everyone gets a nice drink to close off the year :-) <A> Usually, it's expected (and generally accepted) that gifts will flow down the hierarchy (superior to members). <S> When it's the other way around - which is this case (a team member to a team lead), you need to be a little more careful. <S> If the value is within the limit, you're OK to accept it. <S> If it is beyond the prescribed limit, I'd advise to politely ask the college to present the bottle to the team (not to you as an individual) as a souvenir of the tour , and as a lead, you can do the honor to open the bottle and share it with the team outside the work . <S> That being said, I'd second the proposal made by made by Jay Gould in the other answer , either way, share it with the team, that way you're going the extra mile to show that you choose the team over any individual, including yourself. <A> Although I helped my colleague on many occasions, even with some tips how to be a contractor, I am bit puzzled with the situation. <S> I am a team lead and if I accept this bottle is it ethical? <S> Since you indicate that you are an independent contractor (i.e., you are self-employed), you don't need to worry about violating any employer's rules. <S> Many contracting companies make their contractors follow most of the policies of the company where they work. <S> So you may wish to check the Employee Handbook of the company where you are currently working, and follow that policy. <S> And if you, as the lead, have any influence over the hiring of the other contractors, it may not be a good idea to accept gifts from them. <S> Other than that <S> , it's just a personal decision. <S> You get to decide based on your personal ethics. <A> I'd say it's definitly not unethical since it's not a client or an outside contractor that presented the gift to you, so it couldn't be perceived as bribery <S> but you could check your company policies regarding 'gifts' within the team, especially in regards to being gifted from subordinates. <S> Since you state: <S> All the team members are contractors as well <S> and we're pretty friendly bunch <S> I guess the context you received the gift is due to being friendly and helpful with each other in that team and the gift doesn't exceed two digits in worth <S> I'd say you enjoy it all together as @Jay already mentioned - <S> but after work ;)
| In most of the cases, there's a cap (limit) imposed on the monetary value of the gift which can be presented / accepted. Check your company handbook, if you have one (i.e., applicable for you).
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How to tactfully tell manager I can't start as soon as he wants me to I am starting a new job. It had been my understanding that each piece of paper work required would take at least 5 days to process. This gave me expectations as to what the start date would be. I submitted some paper work yesterday to get a message today saying I have training scheduled for tomorrow. Due to other commitments, including my previous job, I cannot start tomorrow. I can take a day off the following day, and officially begin the next week. How can I tactfully convey this to my new manager? I hate to get off to a rough start. Is this best done through email or a phone call? <Q> It's definitely best to do this through a phone call, and be sure to couch your situation in terms of your responsibility to your previous employer. <S> If part of the reason is that you have a personal commitment I'd encourage you to skip over that. <S> Focus on the professional reasons that you have a conflict. <A> Due to other commitments, including my previous job, I cannot start tomorrow. <S> I can take a day off the following day, and officially begin the next week. <S> How can I tactfully convey this to my new manager? <S> Say it exactly the way you wrote it here. <S> And make sure you say what you want your actual start date to be. <S> But you really should always come to an agreement on your official start date when you formally accept an offer. <S> Is this best done through email or a phone call? <S> On the phone, you can always answer questions, clarify things, and come to on the spot agreements together. <S> You can't do that without a lot of emails back and forth. <S> Always, phone first. <A> Your best option is to telephone first and email confirmation of that communication immediately thereafter. <S> In the telephone call, explain that there was an indication that there would be a delay between filing the paperwork and the commencement, and that you have an obligation that you cannot neglect. <S> When I commenced with my current employer, I was offered an immediate start <S> but I instead said that although my current employment was casual I would prefer to give at least two week's notice. <S> This was met with understanding and some respect, both from both employers old and new.
| It's always best to say it in a phone call and follow up with an email repeating the conclusions.
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How to deal with a compulsive talker during meetings? I have a co-worker who is a compulsive talker. He constantly interrupts others and hijacks the conversation, proceeding to talk endlessly if not interrupted in turn. If left to talk by himself, he will often ramble and even interrupt himself to start a new topic. I suspect that the roots may be stress, anxiety, or potentially some other undiagnosed condition. He is very competent and makes very valuable contributions to our projects, to the point I would regard him irreplaceable in our team. However, during presentations and meetings his behaviour is a problem, since he never lets others finish their sentences and causes trivial meetings to turn into a fight for the right to talk. He is aware that he talks too much and apparently has been told so before by other people. Sometimes when called out, he politely allows others to speak, but it doesn't always work. Moreover people who aren't aware of this characteristic of his simply don't dare to call him out. Since he is an essential part of our team, it is evident that he needs to partake in meetings, but how should we do so that we manage to discuss everything and everyone manages to get their points through? <Q> Five potential solutions: Use a talking stick. <S> Whoever has the stick gets to speak. <S> Have everyone agree to chip in $1 or 25 cents for pizza every time they interrupt someone else. <S> Have him be the note taker <S> Do a remote meeting where the software allows the host to mute whoever he wants. <S> Give every meeting participant a nerf gun. <S> Shoot whoever interrupts. <A> but how should we do so that we manage to discuss everything <S> and everyone manages to get their points through? <S> If you are the meeting organizer, you need to stop your coworker when he begins to ramble and bring the meeting back on track. <S> If his behavior persists, I would warn him first and eventually stop inviting him to meetings. <S> If you are not the organizer, there is not much you can do other than speak to the organizer and ask if he could keep the meeting on topic and within the allotted time. <S> Since he is an essential part of our team, it is evident that he needs to partake in meetings <S> The purpose of a meeting isn't simply attendance. <S> If this coworker is constantly derailing the meeting where all topics cannot be discussed, then they are of little value to the meeting. <A> Assuming that you've asked them directly to make a conscious effort to give others a chance to speak during the meeting, from experience I'd recommend a few options: <S> Keep completely silent and let them ramble on endlessly. <S> Eventually they'll run out of breath or ideas or realise they're being a prat. <S> Ask them to remind everyone what the agenda for the meeting is. <S> If they say "It's not my meeting" then ask them "Are you sure". <S> If people can't adhere to basic rules of ettiquette then they don't deserve to participate until they've learned how to behave as an adult. <S> For some people, even the most direct approach doesn't work. <A> I am not going to mention more techniques since people already did that. <S> I would say though, what is the part (as a manager), you can do yourself. <S> You can train yourself to facilitate meetings in a more efficient way, find smooth ways to direct the conversation to another person or park topics that go off-track and not related to the meeting and take them outside. <S> Give that person the feedback in private on how their behaviour is impacting others. <S> P.S. be careful not to mix praise with critical feedback <S> E.g. A good feedback here stating the behaviour and impact could be: I want to give you feedback about your contributions in meetings, sometimes you interrupt people and you go for long without giving them the chance to talk, some people are more introverted and need their space and some seconds to pick it up and talk, otherwise, they might feel overwhelmed & they will refrain from talking in meetings and then disconnect from the rest of the team. <S> And you can of course wait for them to acknowledge the baheviour before you give some of the options like others mentioned in their answers. <S> What I wouldn't add to that <S> "But don't be upset, your contributions are really amazing but bla bla bla". <S> This would be really bad cause it would discredit the good part that you might be honest about since the person is only hearing what they think is bad.
| Stop inviting them to meetings or ask for them to be excluded. Remind him that time is limited and that the group would like to address all of the meeting points.
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I was offered a job at one of my clients. Would it be unethical for me to take it? TL;DR - I was offered a job at one of my clients. Would it be unethical for me to take it? I work as a contractor for a person with strong ties in the education industry. He wants to start a new education company and my work has been instrumental. Meanwhile, through him, I have been building my network. I've been doing some pro bono work for him too since he does, at times, mention I would get a full time high pay job if this works out. I think I will because he needs me. Recently, he got into a huge conflict with a client. He exploited industry relationships and also the fact of having me as an expert to squeeze this company. He basically bullied them instead of having an honest conversation, although the points he's been raising are all valid. Meanwhile, he kept me in the dark about some aspects of the project we were doing for them and I've caught him lying to others and manipulating them. I think he will do this again in the future to have control. After the conflict, the company that he fought with wants to hire me as an independent expert to bypass him. On one hand, he told me he wants to use them to fund his own company. On the other hand, I'm tired of getting caught in the middle of his dramas, especially since I know that, if I walk away, he won't be able to use me as leverage. But he could destroy my reputation by influencing his network. What's a good way to think this through and make a good choice? What should I consider? <Q> It sounds like you're asking specifically, whether you should take this job with your client and leave the company you're at now. <S> What I would say is, legally, you should check whether you have a contract or other agreement with your existing employer that would prevent you from competing and/or working with their clients. <S> This is a pretty standard provision and I'd be surprised if they didn't have the forethought to make you sign something to this effect. <S> Otherwise.... <S> If it were me, I would do it. <S> Though it's impossible for us to answer questions like 'what should i do' or what's best for you, or to provide general advice. <S> There are personal factors that you should consider, such as whether you have a legal agreement barring this, whether you dislike the company you're with currently enough to do so, how much you'd want to work for the client, how much they're offering to pay, etc. <S> It's up to you whether you decide it's worth them saying negative things about you to their peers. <A> First of all, re-read <S> ALL agreements you have with your current employer. <S> If you honestly believe you have no contractual restriction on this move, then it is well worth having an attorney review these documents, as well. <S> The company asking to hire you may very well be willing to pay your costs on this, as it protects them, as well. <S> Do <S> NOT <S> let their "company lawyer" do it for you. <S> Their lawyers work for them, not for you. <S> It is not up to us <S> ("The Internet") to tell you what job you should or should not take. <S> I will offer only my experience: <S> People like your current employer tend to do well in the short term, but fail long term, as their network of people willing to work with them will grow smaller and smaller over time. <S> In addition, they will use people such as yourself as "ablative armor" and scapegoat you out when serious problems occur. <S> Beyond that, you must make your own decisions. <S> Your position may be very lucrative, short-term, but you will "wear the stain" of your current company's failure when (not if) <S> it happens if you're still with them when it falls apart. <A> Edited to emphasize newer understanding: There is no ethical issue here. <S> After reading your comments in reply to schizoid04's answer <S> I see that you're not an employee of this guy, but are working on a contract to contract basis and there is not currently a contract between him and you. <S> Now you've been offered a contract (or job) by a different organization. <S> You have no obligation to him. <S> Would you expect him to pay you if he never has more work for you? <S> If the guy had wanted to keep you for himself, he should have made you an employee with a contractual clause preventing such a move. <S> It is not that uncommon for employees of one company to go to work for a client of that company (the other way around happens too). <S> For example, accountants who work for auditing companies sometimes get hired as CFO's of companies they audit. <S> Employees of consulting companies are hired by clients after the individual had done consulting for the client company through his/her old employer. <S> In government work it isn't uncommon for employees of contracting companies to become employees of the governmental agency they have supported. <S> I've rarely heard the people who change jobs like this called unethical. <S> A substantial part of your unhappiness with your current boss seems to be that you disapprove of his tactics on ethical grounds. <S> You might want to consider what is happening to your reputation while you work for him - if people don't trust him, they may think they can't trust you either. <S> Getting away from him may actually improve your reputation. <S> Even beyond that, it seems to me this is not an ethical issue. <S> You've been offered a new job and seem unhappy with the person for whom you currently work. <S> At its heart, the question - at least IMO - should be would you be happier (and that could include financial issues) with the newly offered job than your current one. <S> In other circumstances there might be legal issues. <S> However, that does not seem to be the case here. <S> Furthermore, it is beyond the scope of this site in most cases.
| To be direct, it is generally considered unethical to leave to work with one of your clients.
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I lied in my CV and I don't know how to fix it! I was sending out job applications and I found my dream job. I have been called in for a third interview at one of the world's biggest companies in my field. However, while applying for the job, I was advised by a recruitment agent to lie about my qualifications and previous work history, which I stupidly did! The first big lie is about my A Level results. I said that I got significantly better results than I actually did. I have a university degree, which I included, but I'm worried that they will check my A Level results. Also, I listed my last job as an internship when it wasn't. I only worked at the company for 6 weeks, and they terminated my contract as they felt that I wasn't the right fit for the job, but they offered to give me a great reference. I don't want to ruin my reputation and destroy my career because of this stupid mistake. I want to be honest with them, as I didn't realise how much was untrue on my CV as the recruitment agent wrote it for me, but I know that I need to take responsibility for this. I feel like the best option for me at this time is to withdraw my application now, before anything goes any further and they begin background checks. However, I really want this job and I don't want to miss out on a big opportunity. Is there any way for me to be honest with them, or resolve the situation without being knocked out of consideration for the job? <Q> If you can't do the time, don't do the crime. <S> There is no ethical way out of the situation except withdrawing the application, or providing a corrected CV with explanation - since you are objectively at fault here. <S> If your explanation and apology is sincere, the employer may even give you a chance and decide to proceed. <S> Any other solution involves more lying, and/or passing on the blame, with continued risk for yourself. <S> What you did is no longer in the realm of "favorable self-representation", it's in the realm of fraud. <S> There are other parties affected, like the employers, competing applicants, and the agency. <S> It would not be right to support an effort to gain unmerited advantage at the cost of others. <S> One lie leads to the next, and you always have the truth against you, as you are experiencing right now. <S> Say, for example, you provide a corrected resume and pretend it's the Agency's fault. <S> That there is a discrepancy is now obvious, even without background checks. <S> If followed up, the agency can then demonstrate that you provided false information, in defense of their own reputation. <S> In the "best" case, you get away with everything, get the job, and build a fantastic carrier - all knowing that it's founded on an initial lie, not your actual accomplishments, and that you might even be found out. <S> You might not get the job after providing deliberate false information, which is a fair price to pay for this lesson. <S> Better luck next time, stay honest! <A> Is there any way for me to be honest with them, or resolve the situation without being knocked out of consideration for the job? <S> There's an easy way to be honest with them. <S> Give it to the interviewers. <S> If asked, explain the discrepancies. <S> If asked, don't make excuses, admit that it was a stupid mistake, explain that you don't want to ruin your reputation and destroy your career. <S> Whether that will knock you out of consideration for the job depends on your background, your other attributes, the needs of the hiring company, and the feelings of the interviewers. <S> What you hopefully have learned from this: <S> Don't lie <S> Don't continue to work with a recruitment agent who advises that you lie <A> You completely edited your question, which was about a recruitement agency doctoring your CV. <S> Note that anybody who has given a good number of useful answers here can see the original. <S> My advise is to restore it as it was. <S> Note that many people here, including me, could restore your question, but it's better for your reputation to do it yourself. <S> In this situation, there is nothing that is guaranteed to work. <S> There are things that you can try and hope for the best. <S> If the CV that arrived at the company was written by the recruitement agency, then one thing that you can do is to write up a CV yourself. <S> In the exact same style as the recruitement agency did, but with all the facts correct (correct while showing you in the best possible light obviously). <S> Then when you get an interview, you hand them your version of your CV when the interview is over, just to make sure that all the facts are correct. <S> If you are confronted with false facts of the recruitement agency's version, you are very surprised and show the true facts in your version of the CV. <S> Be aware that you are throwing the recruitement agency under the bus, and a bit of acting skills may be required. <S> Or you can just tell them that you cheated in your CV. <S> They will likely say "good that he is honest now, but we don't want a cheater". <S> Not a good strategy. <S> Or you can hope that they don't find out. <S> A-levels might never be checked, and if you hand over a reference from the previous employer, they don't have a reason to mistrust that. <S> It's a strategy that might work. <S> And of course there's the possibility to withdraw your application. <A> There is no clear way out of this situation <S> The internship where you were terminated is something you could have gotten away with because the company was willing to help you there. <S> The grades you will only get away with if they don’t not check. <S> And frankly, if the recruiter advised you to lie about them, there is a decent chance that they won’t. <S> A guy I met at a conference encouraged me embellish my resume (he would get a referral bonus) since he knew that certain companies didn’t check those elements. <S> Recruiters might know too. <S> On the other hand, they might be fine rolling the dice with your future. <S> Basically your choices are to withdraw or hope for the best. <S> If you do get this job, don’t get promoted in the company. <S> Background checks of greater depth often trigger on promotion. <S> You probably want to jump to a new job soon with an honest resume. <S> Let this be a lesson
| Write your own CV, using only truthful information.
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Team lunch - I have food preferences the venue can't accommodate I am a vegetarian (and also I don't drink). Our manager takes the team out to lunch, say, once every quarter. This time they are planning to go to a restaurant that has no vegetarian options. Monetary value is not a concern here, but I find it awkward to remind them that I am a vegetarian every time. I am planning to either skip the event or to ask for a change of venue. Would it be considered rude to do either of these? Which one would be the lesser evil? Or is there an alternative way that I can handle this situation? <Q> To take it one step further, don't just check the menu: call the restaurant and tell them what party you will be coming with (company lunch from X Inc and the date) and ask if they have or can make something off the menu. <S> When reserving, your team may have had the foresight to ask, and the restaurant may have been secretly accommodating. <S> You'll also be able to suss out what kind of options they might be able to offer by speaking to them. <S> That has been my experience. <A> Don't ask to change the venue directly. <S> Presumably this lunch is on the company's dime, it might look ungrateful. <S> "I'd love to go <S> but they don't seem to have any vegetarian option on the menu <S> so I'm afraid, <S> in this instance, I'll have to pass". <S> My guess is, if your company are good enough employers to have regular team lunches, this was most likely an oversight on their part <S> - somebody forgot you are vegetarian or maybe didn't know in the first place if all the other venues had suitable meal choices. <S> Upon receiving your reply, I'd imagine they will apologise profusely and change the venue if possible. <S> (In the event that the venue can't be changed, I don't think skipping will be a problem) <S> Of course, if the meeting is a mandatory work meeting, then you'd need to approach this a little differently <A> Ask the venue for a simple salad or something equivalent even if it is not on the menu. <S> Restaurants agree to this, as long as they can charge you for some standard menu item. <S> I have done this multiple times in different places due to a family member's food sensitivities. <S> It would seem unreasonable to try and change everything for your food preference when the event is about team building. <S> Focus on the building and have a nice meal before you go <S> and then just snack there on a small substitute meal. <A> Which is more important to you, food or being with the team? <S> (Either is okay <S> I think but your strategy will change). <S> If food is important <S> Which means the quality of food you eat has to be great and as per your taste, then you can request a change in menu or politely decline like others have answered. <S> If being with the team is important <S> Then you just compromise on "tasty meal" and order some salad or ask something to be made which is vegetarian. <S> It may not taste great but it will serve your hunger. <S> I have been to many restaurants in several places around the world where one would think that it is impossible to have anything vegetarian, but on request they will always make something for you. <S> You cannot be too picky <S> but you still get to eat with the team without requesting a change. <S> Of course if you are afraid and are particular about your food not accidentally touching with meat in the kitchen, then it is best to avoid eating "vegetarian" food anywhere outside. <S> No can guarantee what happens in the kitchen! <A> I do face the same situation sometimes. <S> I'd go to lunch out, enjoy the companion, come back and have my lunch the same as I usually do. <S> If we need special needs, we better take our self to take care of us. <S> None of the others should change their plans for us. <S> Don't miss the lunch, these social, teambuilding events are essential to staying relay on your job if you are not working remotely. <A> I find it awkward to prompt that I am a vegetarian every time <S> So, it seems they're already very aware you're a vegetarian. <S> I am planning to either skip the event or to ask for a change of venue <S> Yes, ask for a change of venue, with a smile, citing the reason. <S> They've most likely simply not realised the place has no options, or they've somehow forgotten you're a vegetarian in the (perhaps hasty) choice of place. <S> You're not in any way <S> the one who has to worry about being rude here. <S> It's a team lunch <S> - everyone in the team should be catered for, full stop. <A> You shouldn't feel bad for bringing up the issue, in fact, it's somewhat insulting that they either forget your dietary needs or worst, disregard them entierly. <S> Remind the organizer that you are a vegetarian and that the place they chose has no vegetarian options <S> * . <S> Also, you should also remind them that this is not the first time that the issue has come up (if it's the case) and that you would really appreciate it if the next time they will remember this and will choose a place that can accommodate your dietary needs from the start. <S> You should do it as fast as possible <S> , don't wait until the last minute, when it may be hard to make any changes, give enough time in advance to make the change. <S> A meal supplied by the company should accommodate all the workers and be inclusive. <S> * - unless it's the case, as some suggested that the organizer has made arrangements to have a vegetarian option beforehand. <S> In any case, it's not your job to make sure that the lunch is inclusive to all, it's the responsibility of the organizer.
| You can subtly/indirectly seek a change of venue if you politely decline and highlight the lack of vegetarian option as your reason. This lunch is paid for by the company and is part of your job, even if it's not mandatory participation, it's a bonding activity for the team and excluding people from it because of their dietary needs is the exact opposite of the desired result. A kind request could be an option but in these kinda workplace matters, better to stay away from changing other's plans. You should approach the issue respectfully but firmly and ask for a change of vanue .
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