Dear J.T. and Dale: I work for a family-owned business. The owner has four daughters and no sons. None of the daughters are interested in the business. I can see he is grooming me for the job, yet has said on multiple occasions he wants to keep the business “in the family.” This summer, at a barbecue at his house, his wife dropped a hint it would make their lives easier if I married one of their daughters — talk about awkward! I really love the job, but my girlfriend now hates me working there. What should I do? — John Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. and Dale: My boss is going through a terrible divorce. His future ex-wife calls at least five times a day. As his assistant, he’s asked that I not tell anyone about the divorce. He’s keeping it quiet. Here’s my concern: last week at lunch with other executive assistants, the discussion turned to my boss. I was told other executives are unhappy with his performance and he has made several large errors. I didn’t say anything, but wanted to. I’m afraid he might get fired, and then I’d be out of a job, too. — Crystal Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I’m trying to be supportive of a friend who lost her job — I’ve shared my experiences with her after I lost a job. Everything I say starts an argument and ends with a bunch of excuses. I have shut up about it. What is she hiding? — Susan Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I was offered a job with a hotel chain taking inbound calls for reservations. During training, I passed every test easily. I was told we were expected to have a sales conversion rate of at least 28 percent. Two weeks into the job, my sales conversion was 23 percent, and the company let me go. Is it fair, and is this considered being fired? Also, should I put this job on my resume? — Ella Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I have been self-employed in the in-home care nonmedical field for more than five years. My main clients went into a nursing home, and I am now working only four hours a week. I have taken fliers to numerous businesses and given out my business card but have had no response. Please give me some direction. — Susan Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I work in data analysis. From my desk, I log into an out-of-state server, and I support other groups all over the country via conference calls. I brought up the topic of telecommuting to my boss, and she mentioned her boss is not in favor of this practice. I suggested trying one or two days per week, but that was shot down. Should I take this to my boss’s boss? This would save me more than an hour per day and would be a boost in productivity. — Lathan Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: Last year I was dismissed from a job as a supervisor on a construction project. When I started the job, my immediate supervisor told me not to do anything without his OK. As the project proceeded, I pointed out problems, but was rebuffed. One subcontractor did a great deal of damage, and although I kept my supervisor up to date, he failed to deal with it. Eventually, the errors became public. The person supervising me was in charge of hiring and firing, so you know what happened to me. Now there are rumors circulating about the incident, and they all have me at the center of the difficulty. How do I deal with this in interviews? — Harlan Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I’d like to piggyback on a question posed by another reader. Two years ago I left a position because I had seizures. I was in and out of the hospital until I had brain surgery. Now I am seizure-free, but I have a two-year gap in my work history. I feel uncomfortable telling people about my medical issues, but I don’t want to lie. Any pointers? — Mimi Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: What do you think about the concept of unpaid internships? It has always been a pet peeve of mine. It’s a two-sided problem, where as long as students accept unpaid internships, companies can get away with offering them. The way companies get around this being illegal is that they say the compensation is school credit. I say BAH! Am I being unreasonable? — Marissa Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: Last summer I was seriously injured in an automobile accident. I survived and have fully recovered. Six weeks after the accident, my employer sent me a letter saying, “Sorry about your accident, but the firm must go on,” and terminated me. I was devastated! I am now ready to look for work but am terrified that I’ll end up working for another jerk. I’m trying not to take this personally, but it’s very hard. What will I tell potential employers at interviews? I don’t want to sound bitter or break into tears, but what he did was very hurtful. — Shay Read the rest of this entry »