Ask a Manager

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Ask a Manager is an advice blog on workplace and employment issues written by Alison Green since 2007. [1]

Contents

Background

Green founded the blog when she was chief of staff in a nonprofit organisation, and has since transitioned to consulting on workplace issues. [2] She has also written several books in this topic area, including advice for managers, employees, and job-seekers. [3] [4]

Content

The blog mostly comprises Green's responses to readers' questions; Green has said she receives about 50 letters each weekday. [5] Letter-writers seek advice on work-related situations they are facing, covering a range of topics such as job-searching; management skills and ethics; career development; discrimination and mistreatment; labour unions; workers' rights; workplace practices and norms; and interpersonal issues and behaviour at work. The blog also includes many standalone advice posts by Green, such as on résumés, cover letters, and job interviews. [6]

Reception

Ask a Manager has been covered and cited, and Green has been quoted and interviewed, on workplace and employment issues by various media outlets, such as the New York Times, [7] [8] Vogue, [9] Salon.com, [10] Cosmopolitan, [11] The Guardian, [12] [13] The Verge, [14] Quartz, [15] CBS News, [16] BBC, [17] the Los Angeles Times, [18] Slate (in the Dear Prudence advice column), [19] Time, [20] Reader's Digest, [21] Katie Couric Media, [22] CNBC, [23] [24] [25] NPR, [26] Bloomberg, [27] and others.

The blog is viewed two million times each month. [12] [28] [29]

Green has also written the Direct Report column in Slate since 2018, [30] the Ask a Boss column in The Cut since 2016, [31] and an unnamed column in Inc. since 2015. [32] [33]

References

  1. Green, Alison (28 May 2007). "Introduction". Ask a Manager. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  2. Green, Alison. "About". Ask a Manager. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  3. Green, Alison. "Books & More". Ask a Manager. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  4. Lucas, Suzanne (1 May 2018). "Ask a Manager: How to Navigate Clueless Colleagues, Lunch-stealing Bosses and the Rest of Your Life at Work: Alison Green's book is a must read for everyone with a job" . Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  5. Green, Alison (6 February 2023). "a behind-the-scenes look at how Ask a Manager runs". Ask a Manager. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  6. Green, Alison. "need help finding a job? start here". Ask a Manager. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  7. Kerr, Jolie (31 July 2018). "Work Is Weird. Alison Green of Ask a Manager Can Help". New York Times. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  8. Herrera, Tim (6 February 2021). "Remember: What You Do Is Not Who You Are". New York Times. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  9. Syfret, Wendy (5 March 2022). "When Does Moaning About Work Go From Cathartic To Toxic?". British Vogue. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  10. Stevens, Ashlie D. (30 April 2022). "Stolen sandwiches and microwaved fish: Returning to the bizarre politics of office lunch". Salon.com.
  11. Thomson, Jess (17 May 2022). "How to deal with constant job rejections". Cosmopolitan. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  12. 1 2 Kasperkevic, Jana (24 December 2016). "Awkward! The blog to ease that horrible office conversation no one wants to have". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  13. Frizzell, Nell (17 May 2022). "Hot desking, tea rounds and surviving meetings IRL: the new rules of the office". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  14. Chin, Monica (15 November 2022). "Ask A Manager has weighed in". The Verge. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  15. Riccardi, Gabriela. "Should your manager be responsible for your well-being at work?". Quartz. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  16. Ivanova, Irina (30 March 2023). "Fake job listings are a growing problem in the labor market - CBS News". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  17. Welin, Matilda (1 April 2023). "The rise of the minimalist wardrobe". BBC. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  18. Newberry, Laura (16 May 2023). "How to talk to your boss about your mental health (but only if you really need to)". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  19. Desmond-Harris, Jenée; Green, Alison (10 November 2023). "Help! My Co-Worker Keeps Kissing Me on the Cheek". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  20. Haupt, Angela (18 October 2023). "6 Ways to Set Boundaries at Work". TIME. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  21. Andersen, Charlotte Hilton (9 November 2023). "How to Write a Sick-Day Email—Plus Templates You Can Use Now". Reader's Digest. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  22. Uda, Rachel (25 March 2025). "Are You a Burned-Out Boss? The Ask a Manager Columnist Weighs In". Katie Couric Media. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  23. Smith, Morgan (26 February 2024). "Use this simple strategy to win your boss over, say two CEOs: 'Don't be afraid to be seen'". CNBC. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  24. Liu, Jennifer (15 May 2025). "Millions of people read 'Ask A Manager' for work advice—here's the Careertok trend she's 'super supportive of'". CNBC. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  25. Liu, Jennifer (11 May 2025). "People are feeling lousy about work. The internet's career advice expert has some tips". CNBC. Retrieved 9 July 2025.
  26. Rascoe, Ayesha (9 February 2025). "A career advice columnist shares the questions she's getting from federal workers". NPR. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  27. Boyle, Matthew. "CEOs Misread the Room with Bland Post-Election Appeals". Bloomberg. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  28. Vivar, Gail (5 May 2015). "We asked a career expert about the importance of your GPA on your résumé". The Tab. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  29. Green, Alison. "5,000th post". Ask a Manager. Retrieved 10 July 2025.
  30. Green, Alison. "Direct Report". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  31. Green, Alison. "Ask A Boss - The Cut". The Cut. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  32. Green, Alison (11 February 2015). "How to Handle Chronic Complainers on Your Staff". Inc. Retrieved 8 July 2025.
  33. Green, Alison. "Alison Green". Inc. Retrieved 8 July 2025.