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

1. Ought to an worker pay for injury to a piece car when it was his fault?

My husband is the workplace supervisor at a small, family-owned garden service firm. They’ve a garden care worker, Jake, who my husband describes as worker (on time, good angle, competent at day by day duties), however who has additionally made a number of vital errors in latest months. Jake’s made three customer-impacting errors, like leaving a buyer’s sprinklers working all day. He’s additionally been in two accidents in his work truck, most lately the place he admits he side-swiped a tree as a result of he was texting whereas driving. This prompted $4,500 in injury, which Jake has volunteered to pay for, and the enterprise proprietor has accepted by lowering his pay about $200 per thirty days (out of $4,000 wage/month).

Based mostly on studying your recommendation, I say that automobile repairs are a enterprise expense if you give staff work vehicles to make use of, and that this isn’t worker they need to retain. My husband says that they might not require Jake to pay for the injury (and didn’t achieve this for Jake’s different accident) however Jake supplied, and that is mutually useful as Jake will get to maintain his job and so they don’t have to fireplace worker, be out the $4,500, or must discover a new rent in a tricky market. What do you suppose?

I believe there are larger points to unravel first: specifically, what’s happening with Jake and may the corporate safely hold him as an worker? How is Jake speaking concerning the accident — is he mortified and shaken up by what occurred? Is he (credibly and of his personal volition) vowing to swear off texting whereas driving? Is he keen to, I don’t know, hold his cellphone within the glove field whereas driving sooner or later? Or he’s cavalier about what occurred? And what occurred with the opposite accident? Leaving a buyer’s sprinkler’s working all day looks as if the kind of factor that would occur to worker as soon as, however the accidents are giving me critical pause about whether or not you can safely hold him. (Additionally, how far aside had been the accidents? Are we speaking months or years?) What if the subsequent accident is much more critical and he injures or kills somebody, and the enterprise knew he was a dangerous driver and stored him anyway?

I believe the query concerning the cash pales compared to these. However for those who made me reply it, I’d say … I don’t love the association, however I can perceive how they acquired there. I simply suppose they’re trying on the unsuitable factor.

Associated:
our new admin crashed the corporate automobile and lied about it

2. Consuming dysfunction lodging at a piece retreat

I’ve lately been identified with Avoidant Restrictive Meals Consumption Dysfunction, a lesser identified and in my case non-life-threatening consuming dysfunction. Mainly, for me, it means I’ve a particularly restricted food regimen; there are most likely 20 or so secure meals that I maintain myself on. That is one thing I’ve struggled with my complete life however have solely lately sought out remedy for, and it’s one thing I nonetheless have a variety of disgrace round. I’ve been seen because the “choosy eater” and the butt of many jokes in social and household conditions.

My firm is usually distant, however now we have an all-staff week-long retreat annually, the place each dinner and lunch are pre-fixed company-wide meals. Final yr, this meant I’d replenish my plate and push meals round with my fork till I may sneak off and go purchase a meal I may eat (alone dime), gorge myself on snacks I packed, or not eat.

Planning for this yr’s retreat is already underway. I perceive that feeding 75 folks for every week isn’t simple and that you just aren’t at all times going to like what’s ordered by your organization. However 6 days straight of not being round any of my secure meals is tough on me. I don’t need them to choose eating places or the catering for your complete org solely on whether or not or not there’s something I can eat on the menu. However is there a approach I can clarify my state of affairs with out attending to particular and ask for a stipend to cowl the price of separate meals I’ll truly eat?

Say this: “I’ve a particularly restricted food regimen for medical causes and I can’t eat most catered meals. Final yr I wasn’t in a position to eat something that was served on the retreat. This yr, would it not be attainable for me to get reimbursed for purchasing my very own lunches and dinners?”

In the event that they recommend that they’ll attempt to accommodate you for those who give them a listing of restrictions, you possibly can both (a) try this and see in the event that they prove to seek out one thing that may work or (b) for those who’d reasonably not get into it, say, “It’s restrictive sufficient that I don’t really feel secure counting on another person ordering for me; I’ve discovered I actually need to handle it alone.”

3. Who solutions the cellphone?

If there are two folks working at a reception desk, and one in every of them is in a face-to-face dialog with somebody and the cellphone rings and the opposite receptionist is on the market and in view, who ought to reply the cellphone?

The one who’s free, clearly. At the least, assuming they’re actually free and never in the midst of a concentration-heavy job. It’s the form of query that tends to not come up if the 2 individuals are working cooperatively and each have a good work ethic.

I take it you’re the one in the midst of a dialog with somebody and also you’re irritated your coworker isn’t pitching in when the ring rings? If it’s a sample with their work ethic typically, that’s a dialog to have together with your boss. If it was a one-time factor and never a part of a sample, let it go.

4. How do I exploit my community?

I’m sad in my present place and trying to transfer on, however thus far I haven’t had a lot luck discovering something that’s the suitable match for my fairly area of interest skillset. I’m comparatively well-known in my discipline as a excessive performer and have developed a reasonably intensive community of contacts, many at organizations I believe I might be match for and vice versa. I’m questioning if there are methods that I may use that community to assist me in my job hunt.

I hadn’t actually thought of this till I used to be having lunch with a buddy in my discipline lately and I discussed in passing a place I had utilized for. She stated, “Oh, I didn’t know you had been trying — you need to inform Dan (a mutual colleague of ours). He would rent you in a heartbeat.” However I’m probably not certain methods to deliver that up with Dan, or anybody else for that matter. I work remotely, my community is fairly unfold out throughout the nation, and I’m unlikely to be touring for work as a lot as I as soon as did for price range causes, so I’m not going to simply run into folks organically in a setting the place I may casually point out it. I really feel like it might be bizarre to ship an electronic mail like “hey, need to rent me?” however I don’t know, is {that a} factor folks do? I additionally need to be discreet so phrase doesn’t get again to my present employer that I’m going round promoting that I need to depart. I’ve a sense a few of my contacts would possibly even be keen to create a place for me in the event that they knew I used to be so I do suppose this might be to my benefit if I may work out methods to do it the suitable approach.

Sure, this can be a very regular factor folks do! Often the way in which to do it isn’t by saying, “Wish to rent me”? As an alternative you say one thing like, “Please hold this between us for now, however I’m starting to consider my subsequent transfer and am searching for ____. For those who hear of something that you just suppose might be match, I’d actually respect a heads-up.” That opens the door for them to say, “Truly, we may use you right here — let’s speak.”

That is how a number of folks get lots of their jobs after a sure level. (Not everybody! Nobody ought to really feel poor if it hasn’t labored that approach for them. But it surely’s actually widespread.)

5. Serving to laid-off coworkers

I do know previously you’ve inspired folks to recover from the awkwardness and attain out to laid-off coworkers as a result of it might harm to not hear out of your coworkers if you’ve been let go.

I’ve come throughout one other wonderful thought: if somebody feels awkward reaching out in a private approach, leaving a suggestion on their LinkedIn web page might be knowledgeable option to supply help each emotionally and within the job search. I assumed it is likely to be one thing price passing alongside to those that attain out about these conditions!

Think about it handed alongside!