Business etiquette advice for the professional woman.
We all know we shouldn’t go to work when we’re sick. But whether you’re a presidential candidate or have a more typical career, most of us do it anyway. (Note: Here I’m referring to the average Corporette reader with full-time benefits; the millions of Americans without paid sick leave don’t have much choice about whether to stay home and rest.) … Read More about 6 Things to Have on Hand When You’re Sick at Work
2019 Update: We still stand by this discussion on how to avoid being mistaken for a personal assistant — but you may also want to check out our more recent discussion on how to avoid office housekeeping tasks. How do you tell your boss you’re not her servant / personal assistant / chauffeur / secretary … Read More about How to Tell Your Boss You’re Not Her Servant / Personal Assistant / Chauffeur
What are your favorite easy office decor ideas? What would you recommend to summer associates and interns?
Hot on the heels of our discussion about how not to gain weight over the summer recruiting season, we thought we’d round up some of the readers’ top tips on dining etiquette, collected from our last discussion on the topic. Ladies, what is your top tip for dining etiquette? What etiquette mistakes do you see interns and … Read More about Dining Etiquette: 10 Things to Know About Business Lunches
With only a few weeks to go until summer officially begins, it’s a great time to discuss how to wear pantyhose in the summer — because even if your office is freezing, your commute won’t be. We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again: This is very much a “know your office” situation. If you’re new, assume … Read More about How to Wear Pantyhose In the Summer
Do you socialize with your assistant or secretary? Do you consider him or her to be among your work friends? Or do you keep your relationship with staffers friendly but avoid turning it into an actual friendship? If the relationship has swung too far towards “friendship,” how do you bring it back to “collegial”? Reader N … Read More about Should Your Work Friends Include Your Assistant?
OK, ladies and gents, let’s discuss: How do you keep from crying at work, whether due to personal reasons or as a reaction to something work-related? What are your best tips to prevent it, explain it if it happens, and clean up your face once you’re done? First, in case it needs to be said: No … Read More about Crying at Work: How to Deal
Does your boss send you emails at all hours? Are you expected to respond immediately to answer work email at home — either in a clear “policy” way or in an unspoken, pissy-but-won’t-tell-you-why way? Do you try to draw a line in the sand and purposely not reply during certain hours, even if you get the … Read More about Answering Work Email at Home
How should you respond when a coworker takes credit for your work? Reader N writes in with this great question: Surprised I can’t find this in the archives: How do you deal with a colleague (usually male) stealing your ideas, passing them off as his own in meetings with clients and/or repeating what you’ve said … Read More about What to Do if a Colleague Takes Credit for Your Work
Being called the wrong name at work can be embarrassing, frustrating, and — eventually — infuriating. We haven’t talked about the wrong name problem in quite a while, so let’s have a discussion today. (By the way, we’ve also addressed changing your name (or not) when you get married (and divorced), gender-neutral name problems, and hyphenated names in email addresses.) First of all, as someone with the … Read More about How to Handle Being Called the Wrong Name at Work
Pregnancy worries can run the gamut from childbirth to health issues to being able to conceive in the first place. Add in concerns about how your job will be affected by your pregnancy (to say nothing of parenthood), and you’re dealing with a TON of worry. But is it as bad as future moms might think … Read More about Pregnancy Worries and Your Job
If you want to be taken seriously as a professional, good grammar matters! Particularly for lawyers, where you get major points for knowing your Bluebook and local style conventions, there can be some serious grammar nerds around — and they will judge you if you use “none” as a plural or confuse further and farther. Even those of us … Read More about Five Grammar Rules You Absolutely, Seriously Have to Know
