Q. I was recently fired and even before I was let go I had begun to notice an unfortunate pattern in the people my manager got rid of: All were African-Americans and had been with the firm for only a few months. I plan to go to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to file a discrimination complaint against the firm. I find this situation very depressing and wonder if you ever hear good news from working people?
A. Yes, I often hear very upbeat and exciting news, and the good news here is that you’re doing something about this alleged pattern of discrimination–even though it is bad news you lost your job.
Q, We have casual Fridays and we are allowed to wear jeans, tops and T-shirts. I usually wear knit tank tops that I admit are skimpy but still cover me and are very comfortable. My co-workers seem annoyed with me when I dress this way and won’t talk to me. Isn’t a casual day a casual day? Why are people so shallow?
A. Most companies with casual days have pretty strict rules about what casual means. If you’re in compliance with your firm’s standards, then it’s up to you to decide if you want to continue to dress the way you like to dress or to cover up more in deference to your colleagues. While “skimpiness” has no place in the workplace, I do want to point out that trying to please others in this manner is usually a thankless–and endless–task.
Q. I have a new job and am finding it hard to deal with the management “style”–or lack of it. It does not look as if this will change and I know I can’t take it too much longer. What do I say in an interview when asked why I left my current position after only one year?
A. All you have to say is that it was time to move on but now you are looking for permanence. Nothing more. But before you accept your next job, check out the corporate culture in advance.
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Q. I volunteered to fill in for someone who had to undergo emergency surgery, but it wasn’t meant to be a permanent arrangement. Now it looks as if I’m expected to be doing this for a very long time, and I’m exhausted from putting in 60 to 70 hours a week in a job that is supposed to be 40 hours. I get no extra pay or overtime. I did freely volunteer my time, but how long can it go on?
A. It’s a shame that your employers feel free to take advantage of your generous offer to cover for an absent employee, but you started it and you will have to end it. Talk to your manager and without apology say you can’t do it anymore. You have been a good sport long enough and it’s time for the company to face up to the fact they have to do something about the situation. Let them find someone else to do the work. (Maybe the manager can do it.) And if they give you a hard time, call your state wage-and-hour division for free legal advice.
Q. I had my own business for a long time and now am looking for a job. It has been a long time since I’ve been in the job market and I’m somewhat stuck on how to respond to questions in a job interview about how I handled certain situations or added new skills. All I feel I can say is, “I did whatever it took.” Is that OK?
A. I love your “whatever it took” attitude and it is a good start. But you then have to be much more specific about what you did, when you did it, where you did it and what the results were. I know you can do it because that’s what it takes to get a job.
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Carol Kleiman’s columns also appear in Sunday and Tuesday’s Business sections. She is the author of “Winning the Job Game: The New Rules for Finding and Keeping the Job You Want” (Wiley, $16.95). Send e-mail to ckleiman@ tribune.com.