This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I recently started my dream job — amazing start-up, coveted industry, huge promise, incredibly competent management (a gift I do not take for granted). However, I’m working in arguably the most expensive metropolitan city on earth, one that is notorious for being a literal nightmare to drive or own a car in. As field marketing manager, I agreed to bring my car because I’m covering the entire state. However, my immediate responsibilities are focused on metropolitan area. Uber costs are exorbitant and I’m tra ..read more

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. The Federal Trade Commission yesterday banned non-compete agreements for most U.S. workers, saying that they stifle wages. The ruling not only makes non-competes illegal, but it also requires employers to to inform employees with existing non-competes that they are null and void. An exception was carved out for existing non-competes for senior executives; the ruling would allow existing non-competes only for that small group but bans new ones for them too. It’s also important to note that the ruling will not apply to nonprof ..read more

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. My coworker is bitter that I wouldn’t play a game with her I (19M) am a college student with a single source of income. Before my shift today, my coworker (18F) sent me a Game Pigeon text out of nowhere. I sort of went along with it, we went back and forth with Cup Pong a few times, and then I started my shift at work. I assumed it was okay to leave the game unfinished until I got off of my shift, but my coworker kept trying to distract me and get me to finish the game. I ..read more

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I genuinely don’t understand how folks deal with the overwhelming guilt of taking time off work. I’ve had this problem since I started working right out of college, and it’s persisted through multiple job and industry changes and multiple PTO policies — from seven days to unlimited — in my over 15 years of work. During Covid, my workplace was understaffed and very strict with travel and PTO, and I felt too guilty to leave even when my grandparents were dying from Covid or when my best friend wanted me to be ..read more

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. I don’t want to participate in my office’s steps challenge My office is getting ready to start a months-long steps challenge, and there’s a big emphasis on participating because we’ve got a mix of in-person, hybrid, and remote employees and this is supposed to be something to help us all engage. They’re launching it in a week, and I am dreading it. I don’t count my steps or focus on challenge-based exercise because I find that it’s not beneficial for me. I don’t care if ot ..read more

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. Last week we talked about business trip mishaps and here are 12 of my favorite stories you shared about business trips that went very badly awry. 1. The stomach bug I got a stomach bug while attending a trade show. Realized I felt bad, so went outside the conference hall to get some fresh air. Then further realized I was about to puke — had no time to make it to the bathrooms, so vomited into a potted plant right outside the floor-to-ceiling windows in the main lobby of the hall. 2. The boobs I had a conference last year in ..read more

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: A couple years ago, I managed an employee who was arrested at work for stealing from a former employer, among other charges. She was put in jail for a considerable amount of time. She is apparently now out, because I received her resume. I’m no longer at the previous company. I did not consider her, but I noticed that the start date she listed with the company where I managed her precedes the date the company even opened (I imagine to cover her employment when she was working for the company she stole from ..read more

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. A reader writes: I work in a low-level supervisory role for a social service agency. Most of our employees work remotely and are issued desktop computers with a monitor and camera. The majority of these remote employees do not need to be on camera to complete daily tasks; however, when meetings or training sessions occur, “cameras on” is expected. Recently, I set up a Teams meeting with an employee of seven months’ tenure (“Wynn”) to train them one-on-one for an additional task. As background, Wynn has exhibited some lack o ..read more

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go… 1. Interviewing with blue or pink hair In the last few years, I have started coloring my hair bright colors (blue, pink, green, etc.). I have always felt self-conscious about my hair, and the colors now make me feel much better about it. Also, I just love bright colors and I enjoy presenting myself to the world this way. I get a lot of compliments on my hair, including from people at work. Given that I work in quite a formal environment in a corporate accounting firm, I have ..read more

This post was written by Alison Green and published on Ask a Manager. This comment section is open for any non-work-related discussion you’d like to have with other readers, by popular demand. Here are the rules for the weekend posts. Book recommendation of the week: Victim, by Andrew Boryga. A man from a disadvantaged background finds success by embellishing his life story. Things don’t go entirely accordingly to plan. It’s riveting. mystery guests * I make a commission if you use that Amazon link. You may also like: all of my 2022 and 2023 book recommendations all of my 2020 and 2021 ..read more