It’s 5 solutions to 5 questions. Right here we go…
1. My good friend employed me however isn’t paying me what we agreed
A good friend of mine lately began a enterprise, and I occurred to be the right candidate for the job as a result of it’s a really particular area of interest. I used to be working for another person, and he or she requested me to work for her. I might be getting paid the identical quantity and dealing the identical hours, so I agreed to work for her. Sadly, she hasn’t been holding up her finish of the cope with pay, and the hours are method totally different than we initially mentioned. The primary few months I used to be understanding as a result of enterprise began gradual, however months later I’m discovering that nothing is altering. I additionally am discovering I’m serving to her in lots of ways in which take up my time and are principally free for her as a result of I’m a good friend.
I wish to know the way to method this example and convey it as much as her with out ruining the friendship solely and burning a bridge. I can’t hold going like this as a result of not solely am I not making almost what I believed I might as we mentioned, however I additionally am placing plenty of time into serving to develop her enterprise, which I used to be completely happy to assist with however I’m beginning to really feel like I’m being taken benefit of.
My earlier job was a longtime place and often very busy. I used to be paid the identical quantity day by day even when it wasn’t totally booked. My good friend stated she would pay me the identical per day, however someplace alongside the best way she modified that with out discussing it with me. At first I understood that with solely a reserving or two in a day, she couldn’t pay me the complete quantity per day. However lately it’s gotten very busy and even on days we labored all day, she would pay me half or a fraction of what we stated. I’m there generally 8-9 hours and getting paid almost nothing, plus doing additional duties. =
I wish to inform her that if she doesn’t have the power to pay me the complete quantity if she’s struggling that I simply present up and do particular person bookings for a charge every. However I don’t know if that’s out of line. I hate to make it about cash, however I’m getting so drained. I work two jobs and it’s beginning to intervene with my different job and this one I do on the weekends, so if I’m going to commerce my time to work I wish to make it value it for me.
You say you’d hate to make it about cash, nevertheless it is about cash. She lured you away from one other job with an settlement about cash that she has didn’t uphold. It’s okay to be sincere that the cash issues! Pal or not, the settlement was by no means that you simply’d work at no cost; the settlement was that you simply’d go away one other job to assist her in alternate for an agreed-upon sum of money.
Say this to her: “I attempted to be versatile once you have been simply beginning out, however I used to be solely in a position to go away my different job as a result of we agreed that I’d be paid $X. With that not occurring, I can’t make this work financially and want to seek out different work, so I’m not going to have the ability to hold coming in.” In the event you’re actually wiling to only do particular person bookings (and aren’t simply searching for one thing to placate her), you would add, “I’d have the ability to simply are available in for particular person bookings if we caught to a per-booking charge, however that’s probably the most I can do with our present set-up.” (But additionally, are you actually keen to do this? It feels like it will forestall you from discovering one other weekend job. It’s okay to only cease fully.)
As for the concern concerning the relationship: proper now it sounds such as you’re apprehensive much more concerning the relationship than she is. She employed a good friend away from a paying job after which instantly broke (and remains to be breaking) her guarantees about pay. Let her fear about holding your friendship beneath these circumstances, significantly if she offers you any guilt about leaving.
2. We get free meals as “appreciation” — and I can’t eat any of it
It is a low-stakes query, however it’s bothering me a bit. I’ve been a trainer at my present faculty for seven years. There are roughly 60 lecturers and the same variety of assist workers. Our required month-to-month college assembly takes place at lunch, however lunch is supplied to “compensate” for shedding a duty-free lunch (which is a part of our contract). Required skilled growth is flooded with sweet to make it extra palatable. Throughout father or mother/trainer conferences, dinner is supplied since we have now to be in school so late on these days. Each spring, we have now trainer appreciation week, the place the parent-teacher group gives meals for us day by day.
The difficulty is that I’ve sort 2 diabetes. I take no medicine or insulin; I handle it strictly with what I eat. It’s extremely irritating to me that in all of those occasions, I can not have any of the perks. I can’t eat donuts, sandwiches, pizza, sweet, candy drinks, pasta, cookies, and so on. I’ve by no means seen a single low-carb possibility. I convey my very own lunch to college conferences and conferences. I actively keep away from the college lounge throughout trainer appreciation week to keep away from the temptation and awkward questions on why I’m not consuming no matter is supplied. I’ve wonderful will energy, and I will surely by no means attempt to dictate what different folks eat or don’t eat, however I really feel just a little neglected.
I do know I can’t be the one individual on our workers who has this challenge or different dietary restrictions, nevertheless it looks as if nobody else has an issue with the fixed barrage of carb-loaded snacks and meals. Is that this value mentioning? Am I being too delicate? Is it affordable to ask to often have one thing to indicate appreciation that isn’t food-related, or do I simply have to let it go?
Free meals is a simple go-to as a result of so many individuals adore it, and plenty of them adore it passionately. It may be exhausting to give you one other equally priced perk that can please as many individuals as free meals does. Nevertheless it’s completely affordable to ask for a greater variety of choices!
For instance, with the required month-to-month assembly, discuss to whoever organizes lunch, clarify you may’t eat what’s being supplied, and ask how to make sure there’s one thing there you may eat. If this can be a required lunch, they actually, actually ought to guarantee they’re accounting in your wants (however they’ll’t in the event that they don’t inform them what you want). And might whoever liaises with the parent-teacher group ask them to offer a wider vary of choices — not simply sweets, however fruit/a veggie platter/no matter particular solutions you may make that may work? You in all probability gained’t be the one one that would admire having more healthy choices included. However somebody has to talk up and request them!
3. My partner’s firm is all of a sudden competing with mine
My husband and I’ve lately change into rivals at work, and I’m unsure the way to deal with it. Our relationship began earlier than both of our present careers and, for over a decade, we had no overlap in any way. Over the previous few years, our roles have been slowly converging.
Quick ahead to this week, and I’ve been on calls at my job the place my husband’s company has been named as a direct competitor to a venture my firm is pitching to the consumer I work on. It’s not the group my husband works on, however he is aware of that group nicely they usually even collaborate on a few of his tasks.
Do you have got any recommendation to deal with this with work? I’m not apprehensive about dealing with this with my husband; we simply gained’t focus on the venture collectively. We sometimes vent about work collectively, however in a basic method (“Jane is as much as her shenanigans once more” or “that contract I’m engaged on nonetheless hasn’t been signed”). Am I obligated to say it to my boss? Ought to I attempt to not get entangled on this new enterprise pitch? It’s a great alternative for me at my job, however the extra I’m concerned, the extra I really feel bizarre about listening to about his company as the principle competitor.
You must disclose it to your boss; it will likely be a lot weirder if it comes out later and it seems you knew and didn’t say something. You don’t want to border it as an enormous deal. You possibly can merely say, “I really feel like I ought to let you recognize that my husband works for CompanyName, since they’re additionally pitching for the X venture. It’s not his group and I’ll be scrupulous on my aspect sides about not discussing something associated to venture, however I believed I ought to let you know that in case it poses any conflicts.”
4. Explaining I received unhealthy information throughout a trip
I simply went to go to my dad and mom, and my coworkers know that was the rationale for my current time without work. The go to ended with my dad within the hospital and he’ll seemingly both not get better in any respect or get better sufficient to be discharged into residence hospice care. How ought to I greatest cope with the truth that my entire group goes to ask how my trip went?
Ought to I ship out an e mail to my instant group that principally says, “Earlier than you ask, my journey ended with my dad within the hospital so please don’t convey it up”? Ought to I fake it was good? Ought to I say it was tough each time somebody asks? Ought to I grunt and alter the subject?
I think about you gained’t have the ability to reply to this earlier than I want to determine my very own reply, however I’m asking in case it helps another person.
It is determined by what you’re comfy with. It’s high quality to say, “It went in another way than anticipated. My dad had a well being disaster whereas I used to be there and that’s nonetheless ongoing, so we’re engaged on that at present.” In the event you don’t wish to get into it, it’s additionally high quality to answer with one thing bland and vaguer (something from “it was OK, how have been issues right here?” to “there’s some well being stuff occurring in my household, so it was a tough week”), instantly adopted up by a topic change should you don’t wish to focus on it extra.
I’m sorry about your dad!
5. How can I assist my dyslexic and ADHD worker write higher?
I’ve a beautiful junior worker who’s enthusiastic, a quick learner, useful, has a wonderful analytical thoughts and is an all-round delight to work with. Nevertheless, her writing wants enchancment.
A few of the gaps I’d count on from any junior worker (know your viewers, be concise, construction paperwork logically, test spelling and grammar earlier than sending to your supervisor), however some are in all probability as a result of her dyslexia (phrases out of order, incorrect homophones, errant punctuation) or presumably ADHD (perhaps a few of these examples are actually about consideration to element). She disclosed these diagnoses to me lately.
How can I assist her enhance whereas accommodating her neurodiversity? A lot of the dyslexia assets I can discover give methods to assist with studying comprehension, however I don’t suppose she has any points there. I’ve seen solutions to make use of AI writing help instruments however, as a result of official causes, our office is unlikely to have these anytime quickly.
Everytime you’re attempting to determine what lodging may assist somebody, the Job Lodging Community is a extremely good first cease. They provide an encyclopedia of potential lodging for a variety of disabilities, and an excellent useful beginning place for fascinated by choices. Their web page on lodging for studying disabilities is perhaps precisely what you want. (Scroll right down to “lodging concepts.”) Additionally they have one thing referred to as “Conditions and Options Finder,” the place you may enter key phrases primarily based on incapacity, limitation, and/or occupation, they usually’ll pull up examples of real-life lodging they’ve seen made.
