Sunday, December 22, 2024

coworker says she loves shoplifting, asking to take over a selected individual’s job, and extra — Ask a Supervisor

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It’s 5 solutions to 5 questions. Right here we go…

1. Coworker says she loves shoplifting

I’ve been angsting over a coworker interplay that I simply let go by. I’m the oldest and most domesticated individual in my office, however I attempt laborious to not give off “work mother” vibes. Perhaps I’ve been too profitable?

“Jane” works full-time in an admin position at our public library. She is contemporary out of highschool, so new to the office. She was chatting with “Cindy,” who shares my work house, when she began speaking about how a lot she loves shoplifting. She hastened so as to add that she takes issues solely from giant companies and clearly would by no means steal from the library, the place all our issues are free. She concluded, “I like that I can say that right here.”

She emphatically can not say that right here! She undoubtedly can’t say it in entrance of me! I don’t supervise her work but it surely’s hardly outdoors the realm of chance that somebody would ask me for an opinion on her and now I’ve main doubts about her integrity and her judgment.

What, if something, ought to I’ve mentioned within the second? She wasn’t even precisely speaking to me. Was I proper to disregard it? I’m fearful I appeared that I DO suppose shoplifting is okay.

“You actually can’t say that right here” would have been a tremendous response. Or, “Undoubtedly do not say that right here, or at any job.” Or, “Whoa, no, that’s not one thing it is best to say at work.”

Nevertheless it’s so regular that you simply have been too shocked to say something within the second! And I don’t suppose anybody observing would come away assuming you condone stealing.

2. How do I speak about the place I went to varsity with out folks assuming issues about me?

I’m in a section of my profession the place persons are, rightly, usually asking the place and in what I acquired my undergraduate coaching. I went to a not tremendous well-known faculty, however when folks understand it they’re very conscious that it’s deeply religiously affiliated (obligatory chapel, intensive non secular coursework, strict behavioral code, and so forth). I used to be non secular once I attended there however am not anymore and am uncomfortable with folks seeming to imagine that I nonetheless observe that religion once I inform them the place I went to high school. However I really feel equally awkward launching into an “I used to be non secular however I’m not anymore” spiel once I see that individuals acknowledge the varsity. I’m pleased with the training that I acquired there and consider it was sound so I don’t really feel the necessity to disguise it total, I simply wish to keep away from the assumptions. Any recommendation for good verbiage to navigate these conditions?

“I’ve modified rather a lot since I selected it.” Depart it there; it’s quick and sums it up with out going into defensive-sounding element.

That mentioned … if the college is thought for bigotry (one thing like Liberty College or related), there’s a excessive threat of individuals assuming you’re aligned with its anti-LGBTQ and anti-civil-rights views. Should you’re not, I’d make a degree of in search of different methods to exhibit that.

3. Can I ask an outdated employer to take over a selected individual’s job?

This query is only theoretical, as I intend to be at my present job ceaselessly, however what are your ideas on calling up an outdated employer and asking to take over a selected individual’s position? I usually wouldn’t dream of it however there are some things on this scenario that make me suppose there’s an out of doors probability this could be okay:

1. My boss had been making ready me for a supervisory position, and I solely didn’t transfer into that place due an organization acquisition the place they retained all their workers and somebody greater up the chain determined to maintain on the supervisor from the brand new firm.
2. I had been routinely doing a number of duties that ought to have been finished by this new supervisor, however she by no means bought the hold of it. Whereas I used to be working there, I couldn’t have informed you what she did on any given day, and she or he by no means appeared very educated about routine enterprise operations.
3. From what I perceive from workers I’m nonetheless involved with, she’s routinely unavailable for hours at a time, mishandles routine technical points, and nonetheless can’t give primary solutions. The duties I’d been dealing with that ought to have been underneath her umbrella bought handed on to a distinct worker who’s on the identical degree I was.

I admit that she could have very time-intensive duties that maintain her away from her telephone, Groups, and electronic mail and should have intensive information of another a part of the enterprise that others are usually not conscious of. That mentioned, I’ve heard from a number of those who it seems to be like she does nothing all day apart from sometimes micromanaging workers about minor points, and also you’d usually anticipate a supervisor to be extra accessible to their workers and to be extra educated in regards to the enterprise (particularly since she’s been there for happening 4 years now).

With all that in thoughts, would it not nonetheless be an overstep to name up and say, “I’d like to come back again and have so-and-so’s job”?

It will be overstepping. You’ll be able to’t name up an organization you now not work for and say, primarily, “Fireplace Jane and rent me as an alternative.”

However what you can do is speak to whoever’s in command of that position and say, “If Jane ever strikes on, I’d be actually all for speaking with you about shifting into that position.” And in the event that they’re sad with Jane’s efficiency, that may nudge them to get shifting on it (and realizing they’ve an individual they know and belief to take over can typically get folks over the hump of “who will we ever discover to interchange her?” if that’s one thing they’re caught on).

However for what it’s price, for somebody who doesn’t work there anymore (and who intends to be at your present job ceaselessly!) you sound too invested in what’s happening at your outdated firm. You don’t have to suppose or care and even learn about any of this anymore!

4. Is that this the one time I ought to settle for a counteroffer?

I’ve learn your whole columns about not accepting counter-offers out of your present employer. I like my present employer, however I utilized for one more job considerably on a whim. See what I’m price in as we speak’s market. New Firm provided me a job with a 24% improve in wage.

My present employer and I’ve been discussing selling me to a supervisor within the subsequent 2-3 years. After I gave discover, they tried to counter-offer however the CFO wouldn’t improve my comp right now. However they mentioned the supervisor position can be included in subsequent yr’s funds and the wage within the supervisor position can be the identical as what this new job supply is.

The brand new job is more cash now, but it surely’s a guide position and never as protected from layoffs. My present job may be very protected. Does it make sense to remain?

That’s probably not a counter-offer. They’re not paying you extra! They’re promising they’ll subsequent yr … however they’re not doing it now, and all types of issues may change between every now and then. How will you are feeling if subsequent yr rolls round they usually let you know, whoops, there’s no cash within the funds for it now? (And to be clear, they wouldn’t must be planning on screwing you over for that to occur. One thing may come up that they contemplate a better precedence or the funds might be tighter than anticipated.)

Select between your job and wage as they’re now and the opposite supply. The choice they’re making an attempt to persuade you’ll exist subsequent yr isn’t actual proper now. In the event that they wish to persuade you it’s, the best way for them do that’s to really make these adjustments now.

Related horror tales:

my firm made a counter-offer to maintain me — and now’s attaching strings to it

my employer made me a counteroffer, then rescinded it

5. How can I get extra data on maternity go away with out beginning a dialog I’m not prepared for?

I simply discovered I’m pregnant (YAY!) and am struggling to get readability on maternity go away insurance policies for my group. I’m a couple of yr into my position. Realizing that beginning a household was in my future, I had made a degree of asking in regards to the tradition round household planning in the course of the interview course of. I used to be assured that it’s a really parent-friendly office, as somebody on my staff was capable of take six months of go away just lately. They didn’t share the specifics of how she was ready to do this, although.

Now that I’m pregnant, I’m on the hunt for details about the go away I can take. I’ve searched our advantages website, however all I’m seeing are state-mandated 12-week parental go away insurance policies. I additionally dug up the advantages documentation I used to be offered on the time of my rent, which doesn’t spell it out clearly both. It’s doable that parental go away could also be a part of the quick time period incapacity protection (which might be as much as six months), however I simply can’t inform! We have now about 10,000 workers so it’s a giant firm.

I wish to ask somebody in HR for extra readability and alleviate a number of the stress I’m feeling about this, however I’m nonetheless a number of weeks away from being able to share the information with them, my supervisor, or any of my colleagues. If I have been to achieve out to HR, what sort of confidentiality can I anticipate? I do know that they work for the corporate, not for me, and I’m fearful that they might deliver it to my supervisor’s consideration even when I body it as a query “for the long run.” Are you able to advise?

Usually talking, the bigger your organization, the safer it’s to ask — the much less probability an HR individual will point out it to your boss (and likewise the much less probability they’ll see it as a big disruption since they’ll have loads of expertise with folks taking parental go away). At a ten,000-person firm, I’d simply go forward and ask. Body it as, “I maintain which means to look into our parental go away coverage. I’m not capable of finding it on our advantages website.”

They’re more likely to simply ahead it to you with out inquiry the identical method they’d if you happen to requested about medical insurance open enrollment or related. But when anybody does ask you something, reply with a breezy, “No present plans, simply curious for now.”

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