Questions tagged [covid-19]
Questions relating to the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic known officially as COVID-19. Questions should be about the pandemic's effect on the workplace. General news and medical questions are off topic.
113
questions
7
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955
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How to assist my manager with post covid recovery symptoms when meeting with vendors
I work in a management role in the cybersecurity division of my company.
My manager recently caught Covid and is still recovering. While his physical symptoms are almost all gone, there is some "...
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0
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3
answers
1k
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Anti-handwashing in the office [closed]
COVID finally appears to be winding down, so I was hopeful that all of the political drama at our office would die down.
Unfortunately, there is a new issue that has come up. The group that was very ...
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-1
votes
2
answers
419
views
Returning to an old job lost due to COVID-19 [closed]
When COVID-19 hit I had just finished my degree and was super excited to get back to work however with the lock downs and social distancing it was quite difficult to hold on to anything.
However ...
- 35
-2
votes
1
answer
729
views
How to reply to (what I consider) personal questions asked by recruiter I just met over LinkedIn?
I graduated a couple years ago from university with my degree in tech. I have had a lot of trouble finding a full time, permanent position that uses my degree. Recently I had a recruiter contact me ...
- 193
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votes
6
answers
2k
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Candidate refused to take his mask off in a 90 minutes interview even when I told him twice it was ok to do that
I, the hiring manager, interviewed (just two of us) a candidate for a software engineer position for about 90 minutes. During the interview I told the candidate twice that he could take his mask off. ...
- 3,610
1
vote
1
answer
287
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Is it reasonable to expect to wait a month before receiving a new contract of employment after salary negotiation?
I recently completed an apprenticeship for a company that I've been working at for three years now.
Pretty soon after I received a contract of employment from them - however the salary was too low due ...
- 127
-6
votes
2
answers
636
views
Team building in the post-COVID-19 era
I am not sure whether I should call now (July 2021) the "post-COVID-19 era", but let me just use that in my question. About team building I don't mean those "fancy" outdoor ...
- 3,610
0
votes
3
answers
530
views
Cleaning common areas of the office
Due to Covid, my company (industrial automation, in France) has set up a cleaning calendar. Every month, an empty calendar is posted, and we are required to sign up to be in charge of cleaning for one ...
- 1,457
8
votes
2
answers
2k
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Can my employer enforce health and safety rules on me outside of work hours
I live in the UK and current COVID restrictions have relaxed so that you can meet people indoors at restaurants/bars etc. The Government rule is that its should be no more than 6 people at a table, or ...
- 307
56
votes
5
answers
12k
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Is it reasonable to ask to work from home when I feel unsafe due to the risk of catching COVID on my commute and at my work?
I currently travel through London in order to work at my boss’s home office. If you’ve ever commuted on London trains in rush hour, you will know that they can become very crowded- not necessarily the ...
user105492
19
votes
2
answers
3k
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How can I decline a business trip to an unsafe country?
I work for a U.S. based company, and recently my project has been sending people on business trips to another country (let's call it XYZ). Last week a few of my coworkers went there, this week the ...
- 1,182
1
vote
2
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248
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Negotiating contract terms - is it acceptable at the moment, how can I do it professionally?
Background
Recently I was approached by an ex employer, asking me if I was available to work a 6-month contract with them whilst they undertook a large project. This is an IT support role which I had ...
- 21
7
votes
2
answers
751
views
Can I refuse to enter guests' room, if they're not wearing masks?
I work at a hotel in Ontario, Canada. My boss can be cross and ill tempered. I'm too afraid to speak up, because I don't want boss to blacklist or hate me.
When guests request, my boss still expects ...
scared introvert
37
votes
7
answers
14k
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How can I ask/negotiate to work permanently out of state in a way that both conveys urgency and preserves my option to stay if they say no?
Summary: I am a hard-to-replace employee who has been highly productive working remotely and would like to ask to be allowed to relocate to another state permanently (with ~6 visits a year to the ...
- 489
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2
answers
426
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For how long can I follow up on a position without being annoying?
It's been more than a month since I applied to a position in this COVID-era, I've been persistent in my follow-ups with HR (waiting at least one week before sending a reminder), and I've still not ...
- 371
1
vote
2
answers
350
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Covid-19 causing complications leading to shorter job durations than desired on a resume - how does it look and sound?
Currently I'm in somewhat of a conundrum.
I'm a British software engineer who performs fairly decently in his job. I've got some interesting accomplishments on my CV and the like. I say that because I ...
2
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Can I get fired during COVID-19 for moving to another city in the same state?
Since the pandemic I am working remotely. I am in the process of moving to a different city (same state, 2 hour car commute away). I asked my employer for permission. The general notion was yes but ...
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24
votes
7
answers
11k
views
Should the stipend be paid if working remotely?
So currently I am a final year undergraduate from a university in India and I am doing a research internship at a University in the United Kingdom.
The researcher under whom I am working had earlier ...
2
votes
2
answers
457
views
I’m struggling with depression and feel I need time off work, but I’m worried about letting everyone down
I’m a software developer and I’ve been at the same company for 10 years and I’m very happy there, and generally they have been happy with me too.
I have suffered from depression since I was a teenager,...
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-4
votes
2
answers
339
views
Is it unethical to divulge results of a COVID test to my team?
Background
At my workplace, we have, in my opinion, an issue with being transparent about where COVID exposure is. I understand the rationale of being careful with how information is communicated: ...
- 1,099
20
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9
answers
6k
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Should I notify my manager that a coworker has been taking a lot of cough drops over COVID-19 concerns?
At my workplace, we are required to wear face masks throughout the day and to do our best to keep a six foot distance from other coworkers to reduce the spread of COVID-19. A few days ago, I noticed ...
user115675
57
votes
11
answers
12k
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What motivates software companies to hire locally?
As a US citizen myself, I've been wondering this for years: What motivates software companies to hire locally? More specifically, what motivates Silicon Valley companies to hire talent locally, ...
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votes
2
answers
379
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COVID-19 proof team building activity [closed]
My employer organizes a teambuilding activity every year for the development teams in our company.
I am looking for some ideas where we can still do something, taking social distancing into account.
I ...
- 1,320
13
votes
3
answers
2k
views
CEO names COVID-19 affected employee to whole firm [closed]
I work in a French company with ~100 employees. I tested positive for Covid-19, then immediately contacted my N+1 (= direct supervisor) to list the 2 people I have been in contact with at work, with ...
- 257
5
votes
2
answers
399
views
Short-time work (Kurzarbeit) instead of parental leave (Elternzeit) and parental money (Elterngeld) in Germany?
I would have a parental leave (Elternzeit) for 3 months starting soon (already announced to the company so all fine from this side).
Now, however, my company asked me if I instead of the parental ...
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6
votes
1
answer
610
views
Can a head teacher forbid the use of face masks in school? [closed]
Basically the opposite of this.
I know someone who works in an English secondary school (ages 11 - 18), and they've said that their headteacher has forbidden staff from wearing face masks because they'...
- 3,021
4
votes
3
answers
497
views
First job likely to be remote due to COVID-19: tips needed
I am starting my carrer just now (currently applying for my first job after finishing my MSc degree), and the jobs I applied to are 100%, mostly or at least partly remote (I am applying for ...
- 191
-3
votes
4
answers
562
views
Forced quarantine by company [closed]
As part of a new job for an international and well-respected company, a friend of mine is moving to a different country.
This country does not have in place a mandatory quarantine for travellers ...
- 1,141
8
votes
3
answers
663
views
Small remote office not following Covid guidelines
I work for a small company and work in a remote office for my department. When I was requested to return to the office, I was assured that we were following Covid guidelines, by the site manger/...
- 189
2
votes
2
answers
775
views
How will living outside the UK affect me and my UK employer tax-wise? How many days can be worked without impact?
I've been in the UK for more than one year, and I have been assigned a NINO and obtained the pre-settled status. During this Covid-19 pandemic, I decided to go back to my home country of Italy, but ...
- 155
7
votes
6
answers
10k
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How can I guarantee that an internship offer involving international relocation won't be revoked?
Can I ask a potential employer to add a point in their offer letter explicitly stating that the offer made by him/her shall not be revoked or if he/she could specify the only circumstances under which ...
3
votes
2
answers
840
views
How to deny boss's request to travel with him out of residence during pandemic
Our company is submitting a business proposal for which a meeting has been arranged by the potential client which is located in different city than my work location. While our company has numerous ...
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72
votes
6
answers
20k
views
My manager has scheduled a face-to-face lunch meeting. Am I out of line to refuse?
We're in the USA where the pandemic is still raging. We've been working from home since March. My department is 5 people and some of them have been seemingly having "cabin fever", so they ...
1
vote
2
answers
565
views
Taking out personal loan to pay salaries? [closed]
I work in a small company, 16 people, central/western Europe. As many businesses, corona virus crisis hit us hard. Two people were fired and we were told, soon they might be firing more people, ...
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66
votes
14
answers
17k
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I haven't been doing my job for weeks. I don't want to lie to my boss about it or get fired. What should I do?
I am working from home as a web developer. Like the title says, I have really been slacking off lately. The changes that have come along with the virus have really had an impact on my ability to be ...
- 289
-4
votes
1
answer
375
views
Can an employee be fired for missing work during quarantine period required by company?
Since the pandemic has started, my friend has missed work more than usual which has led to tension between them and their employer. For context, the business was recently acquired by a national ...
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35
votes
7
answers
12k
views
Among the first ones to be laid off temporarily due to lack of projects. Should I ask my manager for explanation? Is it time to find another job?
I was laid off temporarily (3 months) due to lack of projects in our department. However, what is concerning for me is that only 4 out of 45 people were laid off in our department and I was one of ...
- 469
3
votes
6
answers
1k
views
Should I tell my employer about my mental illness for continue working from home?
Its unprecedented times all around the world, and I hope you are taking care of both your mental and physical health, amid this horrible pandemic!
So, like all the companies, my company has been ...
-2
votes
2
answers
299
views
Are HR/Recruiters worst affected by covid-19? [closed]
Just was checking my LinkedIn, I see a lot of recruiters losing their jobs due to covid-19, is this true?
Are recruiters worst affected by covid-19?
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0
votes
2
answers
637
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How should I approach my boss about too much time spent on training, unnecessary tasks, and not following health regulations?
I am a lifeguard at a public pool and due to the pandemic, many things have changed, especially the way in which we operate. Some background information: we are only open 4 hours each weekday. Each ...
user106656
1
vote
1
answer
603
views
Postponing Date of Joining by New Employer
I received an offer letter for a new position with a new employer. I handed in my resignation to my previous employer, and served out my two months notice period.
After my last day at my previous ...
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2
votes
2
answers
1k
views
How can we write an email for politely ask about our pay cut?
Hello everyone this isn't from my side but I had a chat with a really close person of mine, and he was wondering all day how he and his co-workers could ask their company to get a date of when they're ...
- 599
0
votes
2
answers
775
views
Software company asked me to resign because of lack of funds to pay salary - What reason should I tell in interview?
I have worked with this company for 10 years and I was performing well. Due to this virus the company stopped working on the on going projects and said they will work on only those projects through ...
- 2,337
31
votes
4
answers
13k
views
How soon do I need to tell my future employer that I won't be able to work for them?
A few months ago, I accepted a position at a company in another state. I've been preparing for the trip to that state for months now, but due to circumstances preventing me from finding an apartment ...
- 10.3k
25
votes
10
answers
7k
views
Etiquette of wearing a mask to an interview
For context, this is the UK where masks are encouraged in public and mandated on public transport. At the time of asking, masks were not compulsory in stores and similar locations.
I have been invited ...
- 2,206
0
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Is internal transfer safe during a layoff?
I am a software developer for a team that I have been in for many years. I like the job well enough (most days) and am highly-respected, but the current management is very poor and I'm not being ...
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4
votes
2
answers
431
views
How to build relationships while onboarding remotely with a traditionally non-remote team?
I am starting a new position at a company that is normally co-located in the same office. However, due to Covid-19 the team has moved to a remote set-up and I will be joining the team remotely for a ...
- 1,163
37
votes
8
answers
13k
views
Employee asking for 2 weeks unpaid leave for travel quarantine
I have an employee on an 8 month contract in the UK. Before starting, we agreed for them to take a 2 week holiday to go home to Europe (no problem here). They bought the plane tickets for their family....
- 787
5
votes
2
answers
3k
views
My boss is upset that I gave my doctors note saying I should self isolate for two weeks to HR and not her
I’d like to preface this that work knows that I have a disability. I have heard comments from my boss like “I want whatever your taking” because I was calm and professional in a meeting, in a ...
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4
votes
2
answers
641
views
Corona virus pandemic - How to handle a large gap in my resume?
I do software test automation/QA and I don't have a CS degree. But, I do have some working knowledge of data structures and algorithms which has been enough for me to do my job thus far.
I left my ...
- 57