Weekly, newspapers in Alaska, Washington and Illinois publish Dr. Lynne Curry’s workplace business column. Monthly, magazines such as Carolina Business, Alaska Business Monthly, Podiatry Management and Construction Supervisor use her articles.

Click on any of the following for a useful, enjoyable read.

RESCINDING SEVERANCE
Question: We have one problem employee, “Jack,” who we could fire but we elected to let him resign instead. We thought he’d be grateful, but he’s not. When we had our meeting, we also told him we’d give him one month severance pay – he’s been here five years – Full Article »

BAD PERFORMANCE REVIEW PROMPTS 2ND MEETING
Question: I’m dreading a meeting this afternoon with one of my employees. Last week I gave him his performance review and it was a difficult two hours. He thinks he does a great job and the entire problem is that I’m hard to work for. Full Article »

Employer generosity quickly becomes expected
Q. I feel like a crappy boss. It's been sunny lately and occasionally I'd like to tell my employees to take Friday afternoon off or at least to leave at 4. Full Article »

Economic woes hit workplace and workers hard
Q. I plan on letting all salaried employees know we are cutting everyone's workweek to four days and thus they'll be paid three-fourths of their former salary. Full Article »

Firing worker who sues you is risky
At an increasing rate, employees are suing their employers while still employed. Why? We now experience our first significant recession since the early 1980s. Many employees, accustomed to being able to quit jobs and find another when they wanted to, feel trapped in jobs. Full Article »

Honesty plus tact is the most effective combination
Q: I need to learn to keep my mouth shut. A lot goes on in my company that I want to comment on but don't. People are way too sensitive and so I'm forced to bite my tongue. This morning I couldn't stop myself and at a staff meeting I let my supervisor have it. Full Article »

Confession good for soul, bad for workplace
Q. From the beginning of her employment, one of my newest employees took me into her confidence. During her first week, she told me she was pregnant and that she'd kept the secret from her closest friends and her prior employer because she was so afraid of something going wrong. Full Article »

Coercion isn't good strategy for laid-off worker
Q. A large nonprofit in our state hired me three years ago as a contractor to help it grow from a small, financially stressed organization to a large, viable organization. Full Article »

Bosses should take care with messaging policy
Q. One of my employees constantly texts during staff meetings and it's irritating to me and disrespectful to others. I've repeatedly told her to cut it out but she says her texting doesn't distract anyone if she's doing it unobtrusively. Full Article »

Unhappy employee mars company's image
Q. I supervise a technically skilled employee who can do his job with his eyes closed. Unfortunately, even our customers dealing with him can see he's unhappy. This reflects poorly on me as his manager and on our company Full Article »

Firms must plan to avoid freeze damage
According to the global management consulting firm Watson Wyatt, nearly half the 117 companies they polled had already imposed hiring freezes. Another 18 percent plan hiring freezes within the year and others have used layoffs, salary freezes and pay reductions to combat the recession. Full Article »

NO POWER AND UNFAIR DISCIPLINE
Question: I manage the appointment desk for a prominent local physician whose middle name is money. He doesn’t care about his patients; he cares about his retirement. After the stock market crash occurred last fall, he told me to schedule patients every 12 minutes – we used to schedule them at 25 minute intervals. Full Article »

Managers ignore company's cell phone policy
Q. Although our company policies ban all cell phone use when driving, some of our employees take and make calls when driving. We'd get serious about going after these violators, but because some of the worst are top managers we hesitate to do so. Full Article »

Computers are every company's Achilles' heel
Judy didn't mean to jeopardize her company's future when she asked if she could take home two old computers from the storeroom for her teens and later sold both at a garage sale. The happy buyer, however, found intriguing company information that she gave to her husband, who worked for Judy's company's largest competitor. Full Article »

IS YOUR COMPANY AT RISK?
Is your company at risk? Judy didn’t mean to jeopardize her company’s future when she asked her employer if she could take home two old computers from the store room for her teens and later sold both at a garage sale for $25 each. The happy buyer, however, found intriguing company information that she gave her husband, who worked for Judy’s company’s largest competitor. Full Article »

Bad job review could be a moment of truth
Q. I just got the world's worst job review. It's totally unfair, my boss is the bat from hell, but I need to keep my job. What do I do? Full Article »

Faltering company's workers deserve honesty
Q. Our company is being slammed by the economic downturn. We sell luxury items that the customers just aren't buying. We're doing our best to keep employee morale high. We're holding our management meetings behind closed doors or off-site and attempting to act not worried. Full Article »

Two women fought for your employee rights
Last month, Lilly Ledbetter and Vicky Crawford's personal employment struggles opened new doors for employees facing similar challenges. Neither employee found the law on her side, but both decided they would do whatever it took to right a wrong. What does their success promise you? Full Article »

Got a beef? Legal action should be last resort
Q. What rights do I have as an employee when my company's personnel officer, who is ticked because I make more money than she does, puts gossip into my personnel file? Ever since I got my last raise, "Heather" has been on a vendetta. She interviews my co-workers about me, not realizing that they turn around and tell me all her questions Full Article »

Coming on to co-worker could spell trouble
Q. I know I'm not supposed to date a co-worker, but I really like "Jake." I'm also feeling really in trouble because I'm more attracted to "Jake" than he is to me. Full Article »

If you're resolving, then resolve not to waff
What do you want different in 2009? Would you like that towering stack of papers on the back of your desk permanently tackled? Perhaps, despite good intentions, you showed up late to work today. You even set your alarm 30 minutes earlier than usual, but took a Full Article »

Unpaid holiday week off unpopular but legal
Q. Our boss totally took the joy out of Christmas this year. When he first said we were going to have a week off at Christmas time, we all cheered. Then we learned he wasn't really giving us a week off, he was shutting the business for a week to save money. Several of us thought it was a real crock because it got him out of the traditional day of holiday pay we normally got at Christmas. Full Article »

A sincere apology can defuse resentment
Q. My supervisor, "Ned," got called on the carpet by our general manager. Because Ned thinks the chewing out was my fault, he's furious with me. Full Article »

Sales representative needs to identify the re
Q. I work in outside sales as the only single working mother in a predominately male environment. I like the 18 guys I work with and hold my own, dealing with client and co-worker sexist jokes because I have to. I have no desire to leave my job Full Article »

Establish credibility before firing anybody
Q. I've landed a great new job that starts Dec. 26. I'll supervise a department of eight employees in a growing company. Although I don't know a lot about supervising employees, I know a great deal about the industry in which this company operates and have been a former client of theirs. Full Article »

Once you warn Web addicts, follow through
Q. Two of my best employees are addicted to Web surfing. I've done everything I can to stop them. I've told both I'll fire them if I catch them on the Internet. I walk by their work stations at odd times and peek at their monitors, letting them see me looking. Nothing seems to stop them. Full Article »

Hatch ventures while at work
Do you want to start your own business and still keep your paycheck and company-provided medical insurance? Do you want the excitement of crafting innovative new products -- like the next Post-it note -- but realize that you financially and emotionally require the safety net that continued employment offers? Full Article »

Paid time off to vote not part of federal law
Q. One of our new employees just suggested I give her time off today to vote because she could vote faster today than on Nov. 4. I told her she could vote anytime after she wanted but not during the work day. Full Article »

Boss can limit political talk in the office
. What can you do if a mouthy co-worker keeps hammering you with his opinions about the candidates?How do you best handle it if you want to keep your feelings about Obama or McCain to yourself and your co-workers persist in asking you questions? Full Article »

Take input about new boss with grain of salt
Q. I just started an exciting new job. Initially I really liked my new boss. My co-workers are great. What worries me is that three of my six co-workers can't stand our boss. On my first day of work, each of the three took me aside and gave me negative information about our supervisor. The next day at lunch, the four were very convincing about why they didn't like him. Full Article »

Diplomacy best way to solve differences
Q. Two months ago, I inherited a long-term employee from another department that merged with mine. This employee is good at what she does; however, she has a domineering personality and her former supervisor was somewhat of a wimp. Full Article »

Nation needs dramatic change; that's why we n
Our government is overwhelmingly dysfunctional, billions of dollars in debt, hemorrhaging increasingly large amounts of money, out of touch with citizen concerns and in need of a drastic overhaul. Full Article »

Limit access to protect employee records
Q. In the last six months, our nine-member accounting department lost three payroll clerks. All worked here for less than a year, including one who was here for two weeks. This makes me incredibly nervous as all three employees had access to all employee records. All it would take is seconds for any of these former employees to have downloaded all our employee and company data onto a flash drive and used it for identity theft. What do other companies do to safeguard against this? Full Article »

Don't dally if you opt to quit new job
Q. I've just about had it with some of the jockeying-for-power contests in our company.I hired on four months ago, after being interviewed by three senior managers. Individually, each was courtly and praised my background, telling me how lucky he felt to have Full Article »

Resigning on ethical grounds requires tact
. Two weeks after I started with my employer, I received another job offer. The other position offered $10,000 more annually but I'd given a promise and didn't want to renege on it. I've never liked people who continually scan the horizon, looking for a better deal. Full Article »

Get to the point if you feel you must critici
Get to the point if you feel you must criticize your boss Q. My boss wears extremely revealing clothes. They bring her a lot of attention from our male clients. Full Article »

Board needs a hard look at its dynamics
I recently joined the board of a small nonprofit in Anchorage. It was a thrill to be asked to join this board. I really care about the organization's mission. So I came with eagerness and an open mind. A few side-bar discussions during the first meeting somewhat scared me.The second board meeting was a total shock. Full Article »

Employment at will
Q. I have to lose weight or I'll lose my job. I work in a public relations firm and my boss likes a certain look. I had thought his comments about the pounds I've put on this winter were simply irritating until one of the longer-term employees pulled me aside last week and told me he's fired other employees because they got chubby. Full Article »

Workplace battles require thought, planning
Q. My co-worker, "Georgia," always offers to handle the finances for our office crew when we eat out at lunch or collectively buy a present for our supervisor at Christmas. For months I've suspected that Georgia cheats the rest of us. I haven't wanted to call her on it because she has ways of getting even with people she doesn't like. Full Article »

Cleansing personnel file can't erase facts
Like ghosts from the past, documents placed in your personnel file can haunt your career. Just 10 days ago, Chuck Kopp removed himself from his position as commissioner of public safety. A week before he'd proudly stated, "I have no skeletons in my closet." Those who watched the agonizing drama unfold saw the truth, that Commissioner Kopp misunderstood what removing the letter of reprimand meant. Full Article »

Please…don’t hit the send button
Please…don’t hit the send button -- the consequences may bury you. Before you press your finger you need to decide -- what if your email takes an unintentional cyber-detour? Do you really want what you just wrote going out the way it looks Full Article »

We lost our most talented employees
We lost our two most talented IT employees last week after spending nearly a year orienting them to our business needs and investing considerable expense sending them to professional development conferences. Full Article »

A knock on the door
Without warning two Department of Labor investigators arrived on-site this morning. When they flashed their identification, a buzz went around the office and we didn’t know what to do. Full Article »

With alcoholics, set standards for performanc
My deputy is a former and perhaps relapsed alcoholic. He represents our agency at many state and public functions. In May he was scheduled to give an address at a major meeting involving hundreds of attendees. He showed up late and appeared disheveled. Because he was so late, the meeting organizers simply skipped his opening address. Full Article »

Clear slate, conscience to save an interview
Last Monday, I was racing to a 1 p.m. job interview near the Conoco Phillips and Atwood buildings downtown. Although I'd left early and planned to arrive 15 minutes early, I hadn't expected all the road construction because I hadn't been downtown in a while. It took me forever to get to the right corner and then I couldn't find a parking space and went into a parking lot only to discover it was permit parking only. Full Article »

Stand up to rude boss to win his respect
I come to work every morning hoping it will be a good day. Then, generally before 10 a.m. and no matter how nicely I treat him, my boss makes me feel totally stupid. I hate this, but I don't hate him. I just don't like it that he treats me rudely. Full Article »

Business conference flirtation is still risky
I recently met a very attractive woman at a business conference. I had the sense she was similarly interested in me. I thought about hitting on her but am worried about the risk. Full Article »

Handling office grouch worth some thought
Q. I supervise a cynical grouch. "Jack" is technically the best employee we have on our team and I like and respect him, but I get tired of how Jack's first reaction to everything anyone else says or does is grumbling or a skeptical put-down. Full Article »

Remember the good parts of botched outing
Q. Fourteen co-workers and 20 family members and I went camping over Memorial Day. Friday was great. With our boss's permission we all took off work early and had fun setting up the camp. About half of us went to sleep by 10, and the rest stayed up and had a great time. Full Article »

Use reminders, take actions to transform goal
Q. When I'm on vacation, solutions seem simple and clear. Whether I'm on the beach or even on the plane on the way home, I realize what it will take to make my work life better. I make resolutions like, "I won't let my boss's idiosyncrasies get to me" and "I'll get all my projects completed by deadline and I won't procrastinate when given harder tasks." Full Article »

Diligence during hiring can reduce turnover
Q. Every summer we hire 10 to 15 extra workers for our seasonal business. Although it's always hard to find the right hires, last year was terrible. We had a 300 percent turnover, and the employees who stayed had horrible work habits. We couldn't afford to fire them because we knew we couldn't replace them. How do other businesses do it? Full Article »

Company cell phone's not for calls from Mom
Q. Can our state require its employees to carry a state-issued cell phone? Apparently our state government has decreed that state-issued cell phones cannot be used to make or receive personal calls. Sounds like too much hassle to me, so can I give the phone back if my manager insists on implementing the policy? Full Article »

Sexual harassment isn't necessarily personal
Shouldn't the Fox radio station have fired Woody and Wilcox? Wasn't what they did sexual harassment? In our company, a lot of the guys tune into another station and the daily comments are far worse than anything the Fox ever aired. I've complained repeatedly but my manager tells me to grow up and change the channel if I don't like listening. This advice doesn't work when I'm the only woman in the room. Full Article »

Boss can regulate disruptive free speech
Q. I run a small company and supervise three Obama and two Clinton fanatics. Every morning over coffee they go at it and the rest of us are tired of hearing them argue. Full Article »

Director has nonprofit board under his thumb
Q. I joined a nonprofit board last year and see a problem none of the longer-term board members feel comfortable addressing. Our executive director runs the organization as if it is his personal fiefdom. Full Article »

Marriage could cost worker her job
I work in a high profile position in a professional services firm for a conservative boss. I thought my boss and I were good friends. I'd thought he'd be happy for me when he learned I'd found the love of my life and decided to marry him. I also thought I'd proved my worth to him a thousand times over. Full Article »

Job well done can establish habit of success
I have car troubles, man troubles, house troubles, kid troubles and now I have job troubles. My boss gave me an ultimatum this morning, to straighten up or realize I need to find a new job. He said two of my co-workers are tired of covering for me when I leave things undone or make errors I wouldn't make if it weren't for the stress. Full Article »

Help make decisions easy for cautious boss
You work for a hesitant decision-maker. While you respect Mr. Caution and recognize his other great qualities, his indecisiveness sabotages your efforts to achieve the results needed to alter your company's bottom line and launch your career. Full Article »

Cover-up may come back to haunt worker
Q. I just helped a co-worker lie. I didn't mean to and now I don't know what to do. My supervisor left on annual leave Tuesday. My co-worker took advantage of the situation by spending most of Tuesday and Wednesday playing on the Internet and then "ran errands" for most of Thursday and Friday. When I asked her what was up Thursday afternoon when she drifted in after I'd just finished handling two customer calls for her, she said "you could holiday too." Full Article »

Tell truth when interviewer asks about gap
Q. Two years ago, I was diagnosed with cancer. I continued working because I didn't know what else to do until my kids took me aside and said if I only had a short time to live, I should live. So I took my life savings and traveled to Mexico and then Costa Rica. I loved traveling. Full Article »

Don't make a life-changing move in haste
Q. I work for my dad in a family-owned business. My dad and I are the two workhorses of the family. My two sisters, each happily married, are clerks in the business and work a 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. schedule so they can be good moms. It's not uncommon for me to arrive at work before 8 and to work past 6. My dad is always here earlier than I and generally leaves with or after me. Full Article »

Ms. Fix-it may have come on too strong
Three weeks ago, a senior manager in the company hired me for an administrative job. Normally the office manager hires the administrative assistants because she supervises them, but she had just left on a two-week vacation when the last assistant unexpectedly quit. There was a lot of administrative work backlogged and the senior manager visiting from Chicago interviewed me. We hit it off, he hired me and I started, feeling excited about my new job. Full Article »

Office Affair May Lead to Legal Issues
Q. My boss and a senior female executive in my company are having an affair. They keep it out of the office but everyone knows it. I'd like to look the other way, but I can't. My title is accounting/human resources manager and I'm afraid I have liability here if I let the situation go. Full Article »

Seven-year mistake won't fix itself
Q. I've been doing payroll for years. I'm self-taught, I work hard, and I care about my employer. I want to do a good job and have always thought I had. I discovered three months ago I've been making an error that has underpaid every employee for the past seven years. Full Article »

Was she racist or just too darned perky?
Q. I'm not a racist, but I work alongside a black woman who is and who sees everything as a racial insult. She makes trouble for many in our department and seems to have a vendetta against me. I've tried to ignore it but things have gotten extreme. Full Article »

Ticklish staff should command early attention
A botched employee situation can cost thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars if it turns into a lawsuit. If you want to protect yourself and your company, consider these reminders: Full Article »

Office flirts show need for employee handbook
Q. Our company recently hired a young, shy, pretty employee, "Brandi," to work in the administrative area. Two of the senior managers flirt with this woman every chance they get. Full Article »

Boss who ignores use of marijuana could smell
Q. Several months ago I smelled marijuana when walking through our warehouse parking lot at lunch time. Because our warehouse sits between a high school and a burger joint, I figured the teens were smoking when cutting across our parking lot to grab lunch, and didn't give the issue much thought, not even when I noticed the scent several weeks in a row. Full Article »

Salesman with DUIs may cost his employer
Q. My very best commission salesperson called on Jan. 2 saying he needed to take a day of leave. Since "Jake" had annual leave saved up, I said no problem. The next morning Jake arrived for work at the usual time and when he hadn't left the office by 10 a.m. for appointments I asked him how come. He told me he was planning on making phone calls the rest of the week so he could more efficiently batch all his customer visits the next week. Full Article »

Gift-givers shouldn't expect parity in return
Q. Christmas spirit created a real mess in our office and has led to three employees not talking to each other. Several of our employees take Christmas seriously and spent time and money buying thoughtful presents for every co-worker. Two or three other employees didn't reciprocate with the same generosity of spirit. One gave no presents at all, one was chintzy with his presents and one woman gave presents to some co-workers and not others. What makes this worse is that several of the most-giving employees make the lowest salaries, and Mr. Chintzy and Ms. Scrooge are two of our three highest wage earners. Full Article »

Eliminate regrets about office parties, plan
. Our Christmas party was a flop. Less than half our employees attended. Most everyone sat with co-workers they knew, not mixing with workers from other departments. The "highlight" was two drunken ladies who got off on male bashing, embarrassing their husbands. After that, everyone left as soon as they could make excuses. Full Article »

Employees need to park feuds at the door
I supervise nine talented individuals. Two can't stand each other. Recently I asked them to work together on a project and one said "no." When I asked "no, what?" he said he wouldn't work with the other individual, that I should give one or the other of them complete ownership of the project if I wanted good results. Full Article »

Let your staff handle the tasks; don't microm
Attention all hovercraft supervisors -- are you smothering your employees with unnecessary guidance? Does forward progress come to a dead halt when you travel because your employees hesitate to make final decisions in your absence? Have you overheard employees muttering "micromanager" when you pass them in the hallways? Full Article »

Office friends must respect each other's view
By accident a co-worker and I learned we shared a similar past. Both of us were raised by alcoholic parents and then married men who abused us. Both of us finally divorced and in each case it was messy. Needless to say, our similar backgrounds brought us together and we started talking every night. Full Article »

Try to critique son without losing mom
Q. I supervise a man who thinks he's the best thing that's ever happened to our company. He isn't. Full Article »

When pointing a finger
When confronted with problems, we occasionally stubbornly sit in a stalled position, refusing to take action. Like the fourth grader who jumps higher and higher in a desperate attempt to prove the laws of gravity don't bind him to the Earth, we ignore the forces of interpersonal gravity. Full Article »

Don't let that nasty-minded manager hurt your
Q. Every Tuesday I stand up to give a presentation to our senior management council and go brain dead. Before I stand up, I have my thoughts organized but then one of the senior managers eyes me up and down as if he's stripping me of clothes. Since the senior managers sit in a row and this man only moves his eyes, no one except me sees him doing this. His stare freaks me out and I stumble through my presentation. Full Article »

Train your brain how to recall new names
If you can remember faces, you possess all the memory capacity you need to remember names. So how come you forget the names of individuals you've met multiple times yet manage to recognize the faces of those you've met only once? Full Article »

Teaching talented jerks isn't impossible
He's smart, even brilliant. He's worked for you for two years. When he's on, "Carl" is your most talented employee. Unfortunately, Carl drives away other workers.You've tried to bandage the problem by reasoning with Carl and calming down those he's ticked off. Unfortunately, not only is Carl a jerk, he doesn't care how others react to him or that everyone else has had enough. Full Article »

Applicants should know the job to get it
When you interview for a job you really want, you have 30 to 90 minutes to prove yourself the best possible candidate. If this prospect gives you sweaty palms and panicked thoughts, try these strategies for acing that interview. Full Article »

Worker gets eyeful when going through old e-m
Q. I just took over the desk and computer of a fired co-worker. Because this woman hadn't handled customer situations well, my boss asked me to go through the former employee's Outlook delete and send files and handle any customers who might not have received good treatment. Full Article »

Don't give business managers free rein
Several years ago, our struggling engineering firm hired "Katherine" as our business manager. At first, we couldn't believe our good fortune. Full Article »

Don't take the bait of a workplace bully
Have you recently tangled with a workplace bully? Who got flattened? If you found yourself the worse for wear after encountering the bully and want your next experience to end differently, you need to understand the bully personality and how to handle yourself when a bully steamrolls toward you. Full Article »

A look at the books will reveal the story
Q. Four years ago I bought my family's restaurant from my parents. They'd always seemed to make money and I thought buying our restaurant would secure my future. I'd grown up in the restaurant, first bussing tables and waitressing, then working the floor as hostess when home from college. Full Article »

When boss asks, tell the truth
Q. A month ago one of my co-workers, "Allie," asked me to take her place at a meeting representing our agency. I was swamped but I like Allie, wanted to help out and the meeting sounded interesting. Somewhat surprisingly, Allie also asked me to represent myself as her... Full Article »

Office 'star' wants co-worker gone
Q. One of my most talented yet most temperamental employees, "Sandra," handed me her resignation this morning. Since Sandra recently finalized an innovative Internet marketing scheme that has the potential to make a tremendous amount of money for our company, this totally blindsided me. Full Article »

Sales, accounting should be a team
I manage the sales force for a local company. As you can imagine, the pressure is intense and the stakes are high. If our team doesn't produce, our company can't meet payroll. The accounting manager doesn't seem to get this. He acts as if accounting time frames are a supreme law of the universe. Full Article »

Stories differ; solution difficult
Q. How do I figure out what happened during a he said/she said fight that took place in our office last weekend? Full Article »

Giving at the office can be expensive
I like all my co-workers and want them to like me. My paycheck, however, barely covers expenses for my three children and myself. So how do I handle it when my co-workers ask me for donations to their teens' soccer and football teams and for marital shower presents for their children? Full Article »

Truth and responsibility can overcome firings
Q. I got fired from my last two jobs. I don't have any excuses. I was in a stormy marriage but I loved my wife. I often arrived at work in a bad mood and acted out. My supervisor got tired of it and fired me. Full Article »

First refusal no reason to give up on a dream
My husband and I never thought we could amount to anything. As a result, we didn't try. We worked at odd jobs. We never worried if we lost a job or if our employer cheated us. We just moved on. Six years ago this all changed. Full Article »

Document harm done by manager
work for a company that has branches in Juneau, Fairbanks and Anchorage. I manage the Fairbanks branch. My Anchorage counterpart takes kickbacks, allows his girlfriend to live in an apartment the branch owns and bullies employees who tell him he needs to clean up his act. Full Article »

Co-worker's sex change is upsetting
I work for a large federal organization, and for three years I've worked with a man who's a bit of an odd duck. "Frank" is moody and indecisive. Full Article »

His pot-growing could burn you, your business
I'm not a drug user. My fiance, however, smokes grass. He also grows it. I run a music studio in my home and tutor children ranging in age from 5 to 15. Full Article »

Grievance overtime may be off the clock
Q) This morning, our administrative assistant asked to meet with me privately. She then presented me with an eight-page grievance. As today is payday she also submitted her time card. On it she included seven hours of overtime pay for the time she spent over the weekend writing up the grievance. Full Article »

Calls from kids can disrupt work flow
During the school year, the phones start ringing as soon as the kids get home from school because all the parents insist their kids call them as soon as they get home. Although the calls can be annoying as we work in close quarters and everyone hears everything, I understand the parents want to make sure their kids get home safely. Full Article »

Employee needs to use study skills
Q. Every year I have to take a certification exam to maintain my credentials and qualify for promotions. I'm scheduled to take one this week and fear I might fail. Last year, I had to retake the exam twice before I passed it and looked bad in front of my supervisor and co-workers. The fact that I didn't pass it the first time cost me a promotion that should have been mine. Full Article »

Tell co-worker you care to help her end boozi
Q. I have a problem I would do anything not to have. A co-worker I really care for has a serious drinking problem. "Jan" is an incredibly special person and has a horrid and abusive ex-husband who destroyed her relationship with her daughter. Full Article »

Fast pace with work demands regrouping
I supervise seven talented, intense professionals. Each comes at me daily with demands for changes in assignments, issues with compensation and other requests on which I often need to make fast decisions. Full Article »

Often-absent employee a candidate for firing
Q. We want to fire one of our employees but don't know if we can. For his first six months of work, "Jason" had a pattern of being absent at least four days a month. At first, we were forgiving because he always had a good reason and would often arrive the day after an absence looking as if he was recovering from a cold. We also appreciated how hard he worked when he returned. Full Article »

Workers need to see they are valued
Ahead of the meeting, the owner worried he'd made a mistake. He knew he wanted more for himself and his business and more from his employees. He'd worked diligently for 27 years and built a thriving construction business. He'd weathered economic storms. Full Article »

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