Here are three updates from previous letter-writers.
1. Should I tell my boss about the employee who is claiming overtime even though he doesn’t work? (#4 on link)
Your feedback and comments gave me the courage to raise the issue again with the manager. I used the morale and budget angles (due to the current instability my director is currently keeping an eye on the budget) and it seems to have worked. Managers actually agreed that they could no longer approve 5+ hours of overtime per week (turning a blind eye to this). If the employee wants to come in early and hang out that’s fine, but they need to be mindful of the work start time.
Thank you for giving me the confidence and courage to pursue this issue. This is a great example of how sometimes we need to think about how we present and approach ourselves before we move up the chain. In this case, the manager is doing his or her job – managing! – With some hints. It’s good for both them and the employee.
Of course, the proof is in the pudding. If this continues then I will have to go to my director. Thanks again!
2. How can we bounce back as a group when we’re all remote?
A very mundane update on this. To clarify, I found the camera-on requirement a bit of a nuisance, but the mic-on requirement was my main concern. The email announcing the change stated that microphones would be “required” (all caps) (twice) for all attendees, and there was a reminder before the first updated meeting to keep the mic on, so it seemed like they were serious about enforcing it.
Anyway, when this meeting took place for the first time, almost everyone followed the rules and kept their mics on. It was annoying, but the noise interference wasn’t as bad as I feared (there was some coughing and pet noises, but nothing terrible). However, over the next few weeks, less and less people turned on the mic – so now, a few months in, we’re back to the standard of everyone being on mute unless you have something special to say. In a way, it’s like we all pushed back as a group without the need to coordinate, because everyone just… stopped following the rules. It’s still cameras-on for everyone, but it’s tolerable.
I still appreciate your advice, and although I hope I never need to use it, I think I have a better understanding of what steps to take if I have to use it!
3. How to handle thank you notes for too many interviewers (#5 on link)
I ended up talking to seven people, and I decided to play it safe and send follow-up notes to all of them, including the repeat ones from the first round of interviews. Long story short, I got the job! Using your advice, I successfully negotiated a higher salary than the initial offer, and then I took up my life and moved to a new city. I’ve been at the job for six months now and I love it overall, but lately the environment has become more challenging, similar to most office environments. So we’ll see what the next few years look like.
Thanks again for the advice!
