Ask a Manager

Ask a Manager
Author: Alison Green
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2018-05-01
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0399181822

From the creator of the popular website Ask a Manager and New York’s work-advice columnist comes a witty, practical guide to 200 difficult professional conversations—featuring all-new advice! There’s a reason Alison Green has been called “the Dear Abby of the work world.” Ten years as a workplace-advice columnist have taught her that people avoid awkward conversations in the office because they simply don’t know what to say. Thankfully, Green does—and in this incredibly helpful book, she tackles the tough discussions you may need to have during your career. You’ll learn what to say when • coworkers push their work on you—then take credit for it • you accidentally trash-talk someone in an email then hit “reply all” • you’re being micromanaged—or not being managed at all • you catch a colleague in a lie • your boss seems unhappy with your work • your cubemate’s loud speakerphone is making you homicidal • you got drunk at the holiday party Praise for Ask a Manager “A must-read for anyone who works . . . [Alison Green’s] advice boils down to the idea that you should be professional (even when others are not) and that communicating in a straightforward manner with candor and kindness will get you far, no matter where you work.”—Booklist (starred review) “The author’s friendly, warm, no-nonsense writing is a pleasure to read, and her advice can be widely applied to relationships in all areas of readers’ lives. Ideal for anyone new to the job market or new to management, or anyone hoping to improve their work experience.”—Library Journal (starred review) “I am a huge fan of Alison Green’s Ask a Manager column. This book is even better. It teaches us how to deal with many of the most vexing big and little problems in our workplaces—and to do so with grace, confidence, and a sense of humor.”—Robert Sutton, Stanford professor and author of The No Asshole Rule and The Asshole Survival Guide “Ask a Manager is the ultimate playbook for navigating the traditional workforce in a diplomatic but firm way.”—Erin Lowry, author of Broke Millennial: Stop Scraping By and Get Your Financial Life Together

Work Won't Love You Back

Work Won't Love You Back
Author: Sarah Jaffe
Publisher: Bold Type Books
Total Pages: 432
Release: 2021-01-26
Genre: Social Science
ISBN: 1568589387

A deeply-reported examination of why "doing what you love" is a recipe for exploitation, creating a new tyranny of work in which we cheerily acquiesce to doing jobs that take over our lives. You're told that if you "do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life." Whether it's working for "exposure" and "experience," or enduring poor treatment in the name of "being part of the family," all employees are pushed to make sacrifices for the privilege of being able to do what we love. In Work Won't Love You Back, Sarah Jaffe, a preeminent voice on labor, inequality, and social movements, examines this "labor of love" myth—the idea that certain work is not really work, and therefore should be done out of passion instead of pay. Told through the lives and experiences of workers in various industries—from the unpaid intern, to the overworked teacher, to the nonprofit worker and even the professional athlete—Jaffe reveals how all of us have been tricked into buying into a new tyranny of work. As Jaffe argues, understanding the trap of the labor of love will empower us to work less and demand what our work is worth. And once freed from those binds, we can finally figure out what actually gives us joy, pleasure, and satisfaction.

The Employer Bill of Rights

The Employer Bill of Rights
Author: Jonathan T. Hyman
Publisher: Apress
Total Pages: 292
Release: 2013-01-26
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1430245522

Any employee can sue any employer at any time, and for just about any reason. There is no such thing as a bulletproof personnel decision. It’s no wonder businesses fear lawsuits from employees—they are costly in terms of time, money, and distraction. But fear not. The Employer Bill of Rights: A Manager’s Guide to Workplace Law is a practical handbook designed to help managers and business owners navigate the ever-changing maze of labor and employment laws, rules, and regulations. Following its practical guidelines will help you deter most lawsuits and place you in the best possible position to defend those that ultimately are filed. Your expert guide, employment attorney Jonathan T. Hyman, shows you how to assert your rights to protect your investment in people, operations, facilities, and other assets—all with any eye to maintaining a more productive, harmonious, and profitable workplace. In addition, The Employer Bill of Rights: Explains in practical and plain language the key legal issues that managers face on a daily basis in managing their employees. Describes how to make personnel decisions that will help you avoid costly litigation. Explains the who, what, why, when, where, and how of each of the major federal employment discrimination acts. Tackles cutting-edge human resources issues such as wage-and-hour disputes and managing social media in the workplace. Shows how to hire and fire employee without the fear of an expensive discrimination lawsuit. Describes how to control your operations by implementing legal policies and procedures related to plant shut downs, employee scheduling, work rules, and the maintenance of confidential, critical information. Proposes recordkeeping practices designed to support your decisions. Shows why you should follow the Golden Rule in all personnel matters with your employees. No personnel decision or policy is litigation-proof, but The Employer Bill of Rights: A Manager’s Guide to Workplace Law will help you make informed decisions to hedge against and avoid the biggest blunders and errors that too often result in expensive and time-consuming lawsuits.

Can They Do That?

Can They Do That?
Author: Lewis Maltby
Publisher:
Total Pages: 272
Release: 2009
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 9781591842828

An exposé of the ways in which companies legally compromise employee privacy and freedom shares the stories of such individuals as a man who was denied employment for failing a psychological test that probed his religious beliefs and women who were forced to endure a hidden camera in the restroom.

Mean Girls at Work: How to Stay Professional When Things Get Personal

Mean Girls at Work: How to Stay Professional When Things Get Personal
Author: Katherine Crowley
Publisher: McGraw Hill Professional
Total Pages: 209
Release: 2012-11-02
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 0071802053

One of the New York Post's Top 10 Career Books of 2012 and a Booklist Top 10 Business Book DO YOU WORK WITH A MEAN GIRL? A woman’s field guide to the new frontier of professional development—working with other women Women-to-women relationships in the workplace are . . . complicated. When they’re good, they’re great. But when they’re bad, they can ruin your day, your week—even your year. Packed with proven advice from two of today’s leading experts in workplace relationships, this one-of-a-kind guide gives women the tools they need to navigate difficult situations unique to women-to-women relationships—whether with a boss, a colleague, a client, or an employee. Have you dealt with a woman in the workplace who: “Accidentally” excludes you from important meetings? Seems intent on taking you down professionally? Gossips about you with other coworkers? Makes you look bad by missing deadlines? Forms a “pack” of mean girls to make your life miserable? Mean Girls at Work isn’t just about surviving difficult situations. It’s about transforming a toxic relationship into one that benefits and supports both of you. This book is also for women who engage in mean behavior . . . but don’t know it. After all, who hasn’t gossiped about a female coworker? Who hasn’t rolled her eyes in the presence of a woman she doesn’t like? Who hasn’t scanned another woman head to toe—which is just a nonverbal way of saying, “You’ve just been judged”? The authors provide invaluable advice to the more subtle ways of being mean—even if they’re not intended. With a workforce composed of a higher percentage of women than ever, workplace dynamics have changed. Crowley and Elster cover every conceivable scenario, providing critical advice on how to rise above the fray and move forward professionally. Mean Girls at Work is your map to dodging the mines and moving forward in today’s transformed workplace. Praise for Mean Girls at Work “An invaluable suit of armor for surviving nine to five!” —Leil Lowndes, bestselling author of How to Talk to Anyone “If you think the emotional cruelty of comedies like Mean Girls and Heathers doesn’t exist in the real world workplace, think again. In Mean Girls at Work, Katherine Crowley and Kathi Elster valuably chronicle female vs. female predators and offer solid defensive strategies.” —Ann Kreamer, author of It’s Always Personal: Navigating Emotion in the New Workplace “Whether you are in your twenties and just starting your professional career, your midcareer forties, when you are supposed to have figured it out already, or a woman in her fifties or sixties who’s seen it all—this book is a must-read. . . . The authors have finally given women the tools and the sound advice necessary to deal with . . . conflicts that keep us all from succeeding. . . . Carry this book with you to work every day!” —Carolyn Cassin, President, Michigan Women’s Foundation “A must-read for women of all ages in today’s workforce. This book offers what we all need to develop the capacities to endure this ever-changing workplace. We know it is all about relationships and you need the skills outlined in this book to survive and thrive when the Mean Girls attack.” —Kim Harrington, Coordinator, Professional Development and Training, Office of Human Resources, California State University, Sacramento

Stand Up For Yourself Without Getting Fired

Stand Up For Yourself Without Getting Fired
Author: Donna Ballman
Publisher: Red Wheel/Weiser
Total Pages: 223
Release: 2012-09-21
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1601635648

Take a deep breath and learn how to deal with a bad work situation: “Like having an employment attorney on call. . . . It’s exactly what employees need.” —Alison Green, author of Ask A Manager USA Best Book Award Winner Hate your job? Ready to quit? Facing a layoff before you even have a chance to quit? Is your boss is a flaming jerk? Think you might have a lawsuit? If any of these scenarios apply to you, you are facing a crucial career moment—and mistakes and misinformation will cost you dearly. In Stand Up for Yourself Without Getting Fired, celebrated attorney Donna Ballman provides winning answers to these and many more tough questions, such as: I think they’re getting ready to lay me off. What can I do? My boss is creating a hostile environment. Can I sue? What does it mean if I sign a paper saying I’m an independent contractor and not an employee? Am I exempt from overtime? Whether you’re a recent college grad or an almost-retiree, newly employed or laid off after twenty years; gay or straight; single or married with kids; janitor or CEO . . . Stand Up for Yourself Without Getting Fired will give you the specific and relevant advice you need to face any career-threatening situation . . . and come out ahead.

Rights on Trial

Rights on Trial
Author: Ellen Berrey
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Total Pages: 366
Release: 2017-06-22
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 022646685X

Gerry Handley faced years of blatant race-based harassment before he filed a complaint against his employer: racist jokes, signs reading “KKK” in his work area, and even questions from coworkers as to whether he had sex with his daughter as slaves supposedly did. He had an unusually strong case, with copious documentation and coworkers’ support, and he settled for $50,000, even winning back his job. But victory came at a high cost. Legal fees cut into Mr. Handley’s winnings, and tensions surrounding the lawsuit poisoned the workplace. A year later, he lost his job due to downsizing by his company. Mr. Handley exemplifies the burden plaintiffs bear in contemporary civil rights litigation. In the decades since the civil rights movement, we’ve made progress, but not nearly as much as it might seem. On the surface, America’s commitment to equal opportunity in the workplace has never been clearer. Virtually every company has antidiscrimination policies in place, and there are laws designed to protect these rights across a range of marginalized groups. But, as Ellen Berrey, Robert L. Nelson, and Laura Beth Nielsen compellingly show, this progressive vision of the law falls far short in practice. When aggrieved individuals turn to the law, the adversarial character of litigation imposes considerable personal and financial costs that make plaintiffs feel like they’ve lost regardless of the outcome of the case. Employer defendants also are dissatisfied with the system, often feeling “held up” by what they see as frivolous cases. And even when the case is resolved in the plaintiff’s favor, the conditions that gave rise to the lawsuit rarely change. In fact, the contemporary approach to workplace discrimination law perversely comes to reinforce the very hierarchies that antidiscrimination laws were created to redress. Based on rich interviews with plaintiffs, attorneys, and representatives of defendants and an original national dataset on case outcomes, Rights on Trial reveals the fundamental flaws of workplace discrimination law and offers practical recommendations for how we might better respond to persistent patterns of discrimination.