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Workwear sales of note for 8.8.22…
- Saks Fifth Avenue – Designer sale, up to 75% off!
- Neiman Marcus – Sale’s on sale, up to 80% off!
- Nordstrom – 800 new sale items
- M.M. LaFleur – Up to 80% off. Reader favorites include the jardigans, these pointy-toed flats (so many colors!), and these three dresses.
- Lo & Sons – Up to 50% off!
- Athleta – More sale styles added, up to 50% off! Readers particularly love this wrap, these linen shorts, these shorts, these joggers, and their skorts in general.
- Of Mercer – Warehouse sale: Up to 60% off
- Loft – 25% off full-price styles; 70% off 2+ sale styles & 60% off 1 sale style
- J.Crew – Up to 50% off wear-now styles, and up to 70% off swim
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything; extra 60% off clearance
Other Sales of Note:
- Buffy – Up to 15% off their bedding
- Parachute – Save up to 40% off last-chance items.
- Rejuvenation – 100s of clearance items added. (Readers love their lighting.)
Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…
Skipper
I’m leaving my position soon and am in the middle of training my replacement. She’s a former employee of our who worked a step below me on the organizational hierarchy. “Cindy” was very well-liked during her time here, so my supervisor was very eager to hire her to replace me. When she worked here previously, her work demonstrated a real lack of attention detail, something that’s important in our field. I just found some significant errors in a very simple task Cindy completed, errors that aren’t related to knowledge of her role. They were something along the lines of major spelling errors in a news release or computational errors in budget. Obviously I’ll point these out to her. But what’s my responsibility here? Tell Cindy she needs to do better? Tell my soon-to-be former boss about my doubts? Shut up and enjoy my last two weeks?
Anon
To be blunt, shut up and enjoy your last two weeks.
Anon
+1
Anonymous
Yes this.
Anonymous
Yes–simply point out the error(s) so it doesn’t go out like that but drop it otherwise. Your job is to memorialize your processes and give the best training you can right now and nothing else.
If it makes you feel better about things, keep in mind that she may look more deeply at the details going forward once she knows it’s all on her also. Also, she’ll be less likely to make those types of errors once she’s had a chance to take in the countless other things she’s getting up to speed on. When you’re jumping into things fresh all around you, it’s not unusual to feel–and act–like a bull in a china shop a bit. I cringe now when I think of some of the errors I likely made during my first few months in my current position (now comfortably 4 years in). Just earlier today I was reading a research report I had written during my first few months and couldn’t believe I left out basic info about the survey respondent demographics. I know better. And I know I knew better then! But it’s shocking what you can miss when you’re focusing on so many other things, from the simple (new commute, new software) to the more complex (getting up to speed on project nuances). She may not be as doomed as you’re thinking. Hopefully.
Coach Laura
Every time I’ve been tasked with training an employee, the manager who assigned it to me wanted to be kept informed of how the training was going. I wouldn’t feel like I did the training responsibly if I didn’t report it. I don’t see that you have anything to lose by telling your soon-to-be ex-manager how she is doing. You can always say “I’ve observed this…but she may get into the groove as she learns more.” And see if the manager has follow up questions.
Anonymous
The difference is that it is training someone to take over the position. It’s not the OP’s place to assess the performance or the manager’s choice in her successor.
At this point, she is like a consultant who should be focused on educating. Not a manager determining whether the fit is proper. (That decision was already made and will continue to be made elsewhere.)
It’s also not fair to the new employee to try to prevent her from starting with a clean slate.
Making negative comments about the woman’s abilities may actually backfire and end up reflecting poorly on the OP by those who see it (even if unfairly) as someone with an ego having difficulty letting go or second-guessing their boss’s judgment.
Anonymous
Shut up and enjoy your last two weeks. People make mistakes, and Cindy May have some strengths you don’t. Plus, what exactly do you want your supervisor to do? Fire Cindy and have no replacement in place when you leave?
Equestrian attorney
Does anyone here play tennis? DH and I would like to start playing tennis together. We don’t plan on becoming particularly good, it just seems like a fun active couples activity and our local park offers free resident access to the courts. I’m going to buy some cheap rackets and balls, obviously, but do we need special clothes/shoes, or is normal athletic gear OK? Any ressources we can check out? DH played a bit as a kid, I’m a complete newbie.
Anon
Shorts and a tshirt are fine, and if my recollection of “playing” casual tennis is correct, whichever athletic footwear you find comfortable are fine. (I assume you will be playing on composite courts, not specialty courts like clay or grass). I would spend a little more on rackets than bottom tier, simply because they will be more enjoyable to use.
Anonymous
I’d get some cross-trainers or even tennis shoes. Running specific shoes won’t give you the side to side support you need and it’s easy to roll an ankle.
Anon
I’d look for tennis rackets on Nextdoor or Craigslist. You can likely find better quality ones there than you can at Wal-Mart and then you won’t be purchasing new items that you might end up not using again. This is the perfect time for the “reuse” part of reuse, reduce, recycle.
Green dot tennis balls
I took lessons last fall and the pro used green dot balls, which have less bounce than normal balls and are easier to learn with.
anon1
Make sure your shoes have non-marking soles. This isn’t an issue with most cross-trainers (and obviously all tennis-specific shoes) but it’s poor etiquette to leave marks on the court. Otherwise, normal athletic gear is fine but would recommend shorts with pockets or some type of compression shorts for holding balls (I really like the N!ke Court Flex shorts as an example). Also agree with the posters above–get used rackets from somewhere, not the cheap $40 ones. The cheap ones are considered single use, meaning you cannot get them restrung if you break a string because the frame is too fragile. If you happen to be in DC I have about 15 rackets and would gladly get rid of a few that are older but still perfectly good.
Equestrian attorney
Thanks! I’m not in DC, but I will check out rackets on Craigslist or Facebook.
anon1
Also, in terms of resources, there are plenty of YouTube videos out there but the best thing you can do if you want to actually gain skills (as opposed to just running around) is to take lessons. There are pros who will meet you at public courts. Check your city’s recreation department–they may have pros who work offer lessons at a lower price than you could find privately. You can also do group clinics, but imo those aren’t nearly as helpful and you don’t get as much exercise as with more personalized lessons.
ugh
My company unexpectedly laid off about 10% of our workforce today. Although I’m safe (for now) this obviously makes me nervous. Part of me wants to pack up all of my personal stuff from my cube in case there is a second round. I know it’s a silly thing to worry about but what should I do about all my stuff at my desk? I have personal pens, photos, little knick knacks, lotion, a bag, etc. here that I wouldn’t want to leave (and the company let people clean out their desks) but I am wondering if I should minimize. Not sure if I want advice or just commiseration :(
Anon
I’m sorry, layoffs are no fun even if you’re not the one laid off. I think a good rule of thumb is to not have more stuff than you can comfortably pack in a box you can easily carry. If you’re let go, you don’t want to be making multiple trips in and out of the office lugging stuff to your car. But everyone has some personal effects in their office, and I think it would look kind of weird if you emptied your office in anticipation of being laid off.
Anon
IME the next round of layoffs might not happen for 6 months or a year, so no need to do anything immediately.
If the worst happens, they will let you pack up your personal stuff. If you have any emails, contacts etc. you need that you don’t have in your personal contacts, I would forward them or copy them so you have them available if your email were immediately cut off (as it usually is).
I hear you on the commiseration. I don’t feel safe like I did before, but I have a decent amount of seniority and I personally don’t feel like changing jobs due to a number of personal reasons, so I just hope that the severance will be as good for later rounds as it has been for my friends who have already been let go…
Anon
I’m sorry, layoffs always suck.
At my first job out of law school, one of the more senior associates I worked with who had no pictures or anything around his office would joke that he would never bring anything in to his office that he would be sad to lose, because he was just walking out if he got fired. That’s a little extreme, but not totally off mark. I don’t bring anything in to the office that I would be extremely sad to leave behind. All the pictures can be replaced, the water bottle can be repurchased, etc. In your situation, I would probably reevaluate what I have around the office, and take home anything I really cared about keeping and which could not be easily replaced.
Anonymous
Give yourself some time to calm down and process all this. Recognize that being concerned about cleaning out your cubicle is a reaction to the distress and tension of it all, and take it slowly. Go home early, if you can, do some processing tonight, and (if you can) avoid escalating this into something that it’s not. (Especially if you’re prone to anxiety or thought spirals.)
Layoffs are hard; they affect morale. I’ve been through them and it takes a while to get stable again. Especially when you’ve experienced that a job ISN’T necessarily stable and can end at any time. Breathe deeply. Give yourself some space. It’ll be OK.
(And I’m saying that as the person who has survived layoffs and has been the one laid off. It’s hard all the way around.)
MagicUnicorn
Layoffs are hard, I’m sorry.
You could take home an item or two a day, whatever is easy to carry without looking like you are moving out.
Worry about yourself
I’m thinking about the stuff I keep at my workstation that I wouldn’t want to lose, and I am actually thinking the same, if I was unexpectedly laid off or fired, I’d probably need to order a Lyft because there’s no way I could lug all this stuff onto the subway in one trip! I’d probably start sneaking a few things into a gym bag each time I bring it to the office.
Anon
To be honest, in almost every situation I have seen, unless a company is really out to scr*w people, they will allow you to come back to pick up more stuff or even fedex it to you if you can’t carry it. I really would not worry about losing personal items (aside from valuables that shouldn’t be stored in an office anyway) in a layoff.
Anonome
I was laid off twice with no warning (both companies were secretly bought out). I never keep more on or in my desk than I can get into one paper box. For me it’s not about the hassle of moving my stuff, but about how long I can keep my composure while packing up.
10k Steps a Day
I’m trying to lose weight. In addition to changes to my diet, I’m considering trying to up my step count. Does walking 10,000 steps a day actually help? I’ve always heard mixed feedback whether it was just a marketing campaign slogan or if it actually works.
Anon
Wait, who’s making money off of people walking more? ;)
Monday
I assume she’s referring to activity trackers like FitBit.
Anon
It came from a public health campaign, and the 10k number doesn’t have any scientific basis. They marketing people just thought 10k steps per day made a better campaign than a general move more message.
Anon
Yeah, any type of movement helps. Not just because it burns calories, but because movement is good for blood sugar.
Anonymous
I don’t know that it does anything significant to help with weight loss, but walking or moving more in general is a good practice for general health.
Anonymous
I’ve always found being more active tomake me feel better.
Anon
Movement is always good. It also helps for calories in calories out but the difference of walking 7k v. 10k is going to be very few calories. It’s much more effective for weight loss to get your heart rate up, even if it’s just a shorter HITT routine or run. You’ll burn more calories while your HR is up and your metabolism will be higher for hours after. If you’re going to do longer walks to up your step count, try doing them outside, especially on a trail. The uneven ground engages your core for balance and smaller muscles in your feet so you’re burning more calories than if your body is stabilized by a paved road or the treadmill.
nona
I think the “10,000” part is kind of arbitrary. Walking is always good, and 10,000 steps is a good goal to start with if you aren’t hitting it now. But there isn’t anything particularly magic about 10,000 vs 9,000 or 11,000. The idea is just to get you moving and have a goal to work towards.
anon
FWIW, I don’t have much trouble hitting the 10,000 step count in the summer, when I’m naturally more active. It’s a bigger effort in the winter, and sure enough, I’m usually overall less toned if not outright heavier in the winter. Movement in general is a very good thing for your metabolic processes and overall functioning.
Ellen
If your starting out, don’t do 10,000 right away; work your way up to it, b/c it takes time and you do NOT want to overdue it and then get a muscle strain from to much walking. My dad insists I do at least 10,000 steps a day, b/c I am already toned up for it, but if you aren’t, just get a FITBIT and see what you can do. You will find that you do at least 3000 steps w/o trying, as you have to move from one place to another every day anyway. Then, work your way up to 6,000, then 8000 then you can be at 10,000 assuming you have enough time to do it. My dad knows I do 10000 and knows when I don’t, b/c of the GPS on the tracker and his Imac has the app on it watching me do it. If you are married and can’t get to the 10,000, don’t worry b/c I’ve conformed that doing the horizontal hora with your SO for about 1/2 hour is equavalent to 3,500+ steps for the person on top. So keep at it, and you will become svelte or at least happy for your time in bed! YAY!!!
Anon
Where are you now? I don’t think there is anything magical about 10k steps; I get that most days and am still overweight. My understanding is that the 10k/day came from a random marketing campaign in Japan to increase physical activity and that there is no scientific basis for that number. But if you currently walk 3k steps/day, then increasing to 6k or 10k would have an impact because you are drastically increasing your physical movement.
Anon
More is better but there’s no magic evidence for 10K specifically.
Legally Brunette
Any movement is good, the more the better. I’m glad that you’re changing your diet though, because ultimately that is the only thing I have found for me to lose considerable weight. Exercise helps tone for me, but diet is where the pounds come off. Good luck.
Anon
In my experience, it works really well for some people and not at all for others, and, if it’s going to work, it takes about two months to start seeing results.
A lot of phones have step counters on them, so you might not even have to buy an activity tracker. Just… increase your step count and see if it works for you.
Anon
I agree there’s nothing magical about 10K steps but the good thing about it is it’s an achievable goal that is generally more movement than most people get in their days. For a lot of people who are more motivated with a specific target, I think it’s a great thing to try to get every day!
Good luck
Anon
Earlier this summer, NPR reported 10k wasn’t required for health benefits: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2019/05/29/727943418/do-you-really-need-10-000-steps-per-day
Anon
I found this article interesting:
https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/05/10000-steps-rule/590785/
Somewhere else I read some advice I liked — rather than setting a 10,000 step goal (which is roughly five miles!), figure out what your current average is and then try to add 2,000 steps a day. For me that made my goal 6,000, which has been going well. I might up it again soon.
Anonome
I use and love this Elf pen. Note that you can get extra use out of it by turning the tip around and re-inserting it. The back is not pointed, but it still gets the job done.
Yoga and fitness question
Piggybacking on some of the fitness questions today –
1) My yoga mat gets slippery when I do yoga (hot yoga, if it matters). I am having to use a towel under my hands in downward dog towards the end of my class to avoid my hands slipping from sweat. I followed online recommendations to wash it with water and soap but that hasn’t improved the slippage. The mat is a few years old but sparsely used (it was my spare), it looks great otherwise and the pattern on it is intact. Is it time to get a new mat?
2) I haven’t owned a pair of athletic shoes for many years. What is a basic, inexpensive pair that I can use to go to my fitness center and exercise classes? The exercise classes will be quick fit and dance fitness. When I asked, they only specified white soles (I presume non-marking ones). I don’t need a ton of padding and am a barefoot/ballet flats kinda gal, the variety in athletic apparel stores can be a bit overwhelming for newbie me.
Anonymous
Two options for the mat – either a yoga towel (Lululemon makes them, but there are others) that’s specific for hot yoga. Misting lightly with water before class helps for “stickiness.” Or get a new mat. I have a Liforme mat and it is amazing. Expensive, but so worth it not to slip or have to deal with towels.
Anon
Go to DSW and try on a few pairs of athletic shoes. They will mwet your needs well enough, and if you get more into things, you can buy better sneakers.
Anon
If you have one of the cheap plasticky Gaiam type mats, get a nicer one. For shoes, really anything is appropriate. Nike Frees are a popular choice.
Ellen
Is anyone here following the Jeffrey Epstein story? I think it is absoluteley deplorable that he was able to do all of this stuff for so long and get away with it. I read the Wexner letter; he had so much money he was not even aware what was going on with Epstein and his POA? And how did he ever get a job teaching Math and Science at Dalton? He did not even get a college degree and he gets that kind of a job? And then another good job at Bear Stern’s? I dont get it! How could all of that occur? FOOEY!