Sunday, April 27, 2025

boss embarrassed me at a gathering, pre-hire drug and alcohol testing, and extra — Ask a Supervisor


It’s 4 solutions to 4 questions. Right here we go…

1. My boss embarrassed me at a division assembly

My firm is being purchased out for a bigger group. Our jobs will now not exist in 4 months. We’ve been inspired to evaluate the job postings and apply to jobs for which we would qualify. I reviewed the postings and chosen two to use for — one that might be very simple for me to maneuver to because it’s duties I already full each day. The opposite was a stretch place, one thing that I’ve completed however haven’t dabbled a lot in whereas at my present group. I obtained an interview for the stretch job and, whereas I didn’t maintain out hope, I gave it my finest shot.

Thank goodness I didn’t maintain out hope. My present boss was notified by the brand new org that I utilized and interviewed. I used to be promptly informed that I wasn’t a very good match (by my present org, thoughts you), and I haven’t heard from the brand new org. Then, in our departmental assembly with my complete division, my present boss informed everybody they should inform him what they’re making use of for therefore he can inform them in the event that they’re a “good match” as a result of “we don’t need a llama groomer pondering she generally is a llama whisperer when she’s by no means been concerned in llama whispering right here!” And regarded straight at me. (Job titles made up for anonymity, clearly.)

I’m embarrassed. He might’ve simply mentioned, at that time, that I shouldn’t have utilized for the job, however it’s a very good subsequent step in my profession and one thing I’ve needed to do for some time. I’m unsure find out how to even act round him now, as a result of I do know that was directed, embarrassingly, at me, and now all my coworkers do too and a few have even come as much as me to inform me how inappropriate it was.

I do know I want to depart the org as a result of I can’t transfer up right here they usually have little interest in creating my profession path, however I’m unsure find out how to act till I do depart.

Your boss is an utter ass. To start with, it clearly wasn’t far-fetched so that you can apply to that job as a result of they interviewed you for it — which implies that they reviewed your supplies and thought you might be a believable candidate. Second, and extra importantly, there was zero trigger for him to embarrass you that method at a division assembly. If he felt he wanted to offer you suggestions (which is feasible, on condition that the brand new org isn’t solely separate out of your org however is shopping for it out), he ought to have completed it in personal, and he ought to have provided one thing extra constructive than to only primarily accuse you of hubris (which, once more, wasn’t even grounded in actuality, for the reason that different org thought you price interviewing).

Your boss is a jackwagon, he revealed himself as a jackwagon to others at that assembly (though that most likely wasn’t a brand new discovery for them, and I guess it’s not a brand new discovery for you both), and ideally you’d attempt to reframe your pondering to see it as rather more embarrassing to him than to you. What he did is proof of his lack of character/management/judgment, nothing else.

2. check with a basketball intercourse scandal at work

I used to be discussing the upcoming March Insanity event with some coworkers, and the dialog turned to St. John’s coach Rick Pitino, and his earlier stint at Louisville the place he was stripped of a nationwide championship because of supplying recruits with prostitutes to induce them to attend the college. My coworker was unaware Pitino’s crew had been stripped of a title, solely that he had received one (and that he had had comparable success at different faculties). I used to be not sure of find out how to reference the scandal in a method that was applicable for work, however I ultimately settled on saying that he provided the recruits “sure impermissible advantages” (which is kind of the official wording of the costs from the NCAA) and famous that even in in the present day’s period, the place you’re allowed to supply principally unfettered NIL (Identify, Picture, & Likeness) advantages to induce gamers to attend your faculty (which wasn’t the case on the time of the scandal), “that exact profit that he provided remains to be not permitted, and I’ll simply depart it at that.” Was this an applicable approach to reference what occurred?

It’s unnecessarily coy. It’s okay to only come out and say, “He equipped recruits with intercourse employees to attempt to induce them to attend the college.” That’s what occurred, you’re alluding to it anyway, and it’s higher to only say it reasonably than to bounce round it with one thing mysterious sounding. In any other case, it’s would most likely be higher to only say “unethical recruiting practices” reasonably than “sure impermissible advantages”; the latter simply sounds very cryptic.

3. How ought to I deal with an organization’s pre-hire drug and alcohol testing?

I’m within the late levels of the interview course of for an entry-level admin job at a producing firm. This firm requires a pre-employment drug and alcohol take a look at throughout the board for all new hires. Is there an applicable approach to inquire about this take a look at? I wish to know the philosophy behind the request, notably for an entry-level admin place, which is basically answering telephones with some knowledge entry. It’s unclear to me how my nightly glass of wine could be any of their enterprise.

As well as, I’ve a prescription for a drug that can also be recreationally authorized in my state. I wish to inquire with out giving an excessive amount of info, but in addition not increase undue suspicion (I’m joyful to say what my medical situation is normally, however general it feels like self declaring these things whenever you don’t in any other case want lodging is a no-no). Or perhaps I ought to simply take the take a look at and see what they are saying? Truthfully, at this level I’m questioning if this can be a signal of a cultural mismatch.

In contrast to drug testing — which may choose up drug use days or, for some medication, even weeks later — alcohol testing is testing for present impairment. So that they’re not trying to see you probably have a nightly glass of wine; they’re making an attempt to catch people who find themselves displaying as much as a daytime work appointment with alcohol of their system. It’s most likely extra related for his or her manufacturing jobs (for security causes), however they’ve made it a part of their normal new rent testing.

Marijuana testing is extra difficult; these checks choose up longer-ago use (doubtlessly weeks-old use if you happen to’re a daily shopper). Some states which have legalized marijuana, however not all of them, have prohibited employers from taking motion towards workers who use it exterior of labor. These legal guidelines range in particulars; some bar employers from testing for it in any respect, whereas others allow the take a look at however say employers can’t deny you a job primarily based on a constructive consequence. Some cowl solely medical use, whereas some cowl leisure use as properly; all make exceptions for safety-sensitive positions. This additionally will get extra difficult for federal contractors, who’re required to adjust to drug-free office legal guidelines set on the federal degree (the place marijuana remains to be unlawful). So in your sneakers, I’d lookup what your state regulation says about employment testing for marijuana and go from there.

However as for inquiring concerning the philosophy behind the testing: they’ll virtually definitely let you know that they need to have a drug-free office … which feels like a wonderfully cheap stance for a producing firm, besides that non-alcohol drug checks will detect personal use in your personal dwelling in your off hours final weekend. Which is de facto why workplaces that care about security needs to be utilizing impairment checks as a substitute; impairment checks examine if you happen to’re impaired for any motive, not simply discover out that you simply smoked a joint earlier than mattress per week in the past. Efficiency checks measures issues like hand-eye coordination and response time and are designed to catch a number of forms of impairment, together with authorized ones like fatigue, and are utilized by NASA on astronauts and take a look at pilots, and in different circumstances the place security issues greater than drug testing theater.

4. Can I ask a nonprofit in the event that they’re depending on federal grants?

I’m a displaced federal worker — I had distinctive efficiency critiques, however I used to be fired for “efficiency” with 28 days remaining in my first yr. I’ve began my job search and have been frank about my scenario with potential employers — “I used to be terminated as a part of current mass firings, however I’m joyful to offer efficiency documentation in addition to references from supervisors.”

Now I’ve a doable interview. The place aligns with my talents and pursuits, every part I’ve encountered feels constructive, and it’s at a nonprofit with a mission that I might be ok with supporting. However after dropping my beloved former place to the present administration, I’m nervous. Wouldn’t it be applicable for me to ask if/how their group depends on federal grants? In that case, wouldn’t it be applicable within the interview? How?

(Further problems I don’t even know the place to begin on: my former place is likely to be reinstated, my former workplace may need a brand new opening that’s exempted and likewise a very good match for me … however I don’t really feel like I can rely on both. I liked my office and the nice we did, however I’ve to discover different choices!)

Sure, you’ll be able to completely ask whether or not the group, and this place specifically, depend on federal grants. That’s not an unusual factor to ask about in nonprofit interviews, even earlier than the present chaos, and it’s much more comprehensible proper now. You possibly can phrase it this manner: “Do you depend on federal grants in any respect, and do you anticipate your price range, or this place itself, to be affected by what’s occurring?”

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