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Work therapy

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Repeatedly putting in late nights at the office? It might be time for a rethink.

My colleagues disappear for hours at a time. What should I do?

The culture and politics of your team is genuinely strange; the sudden and barely explained departures are illustrative of that.

  • Jonathan Rivett

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A growing number of uni students are failing assessments because they don’t fact-check their AI content.

A recruiter verbally abused me. Is it safe for me to make a complaint?

A good recruiter would have put their consternation aside and sought to understand why you seemingly ignored their advice, rather than blowing up at you.

  • Jonathan Rivett
Kyle Sandilands

My colleague does numerology at work. How do I avoid a Jackie O-style blow-up?

It’s so often the case: what seems at first blush to be a trivial matter at work ends up being the situation that threatens to pull a team apart.

  • Jonathan Rivett
It’s common for there to be a tension between feeling a personal responsibility to confront a person on such an issue and being anxious about potential repercussions

Should I bother applying for a role already earmarked for a colleague?

Just because this open role has a whiff of fait accompli about it, I wouldn’t necessarily say that you should pull out of the interview.

  • Jonathan Rivett
Recruited for a new job.

How do I know if the recruiters calling me are dodgy, or legit?

Nobody wants to let a good job pass them by simply because a recruiter or hiring team lacked polish, but being wary is also worthwhile.

  • Jonathan Rivett
When it comes to workplace issues, it’s often the case that a larger systemic problem makes a specific situation worse.

Should I have stood up to my boss? Or was it better to trust my gut?

Often, sticking up for yourself (and others) at work is critical, especially if the situation works as a kind of test case or creates a precedent.

  • Jonathan Rivett
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Union members sometimes strike in bargaining with employers.

Why do so few people join their union these days?

Most workers today are unlikely to be aware that union members take home a median of $251 more a week than non-unionised workers.

  • Jonathan Rivett
Working out what to reveal to a potential new boss can be difficult.

Do I have to tell a new employer that I was performance managed?

When a prospective employer asks about whether you’ve been subject to any formal process, they’re generally interested in misconduct or wrongdoing.

  • Jonathan Rivett
An official from the Department of Home Affairs was found to have engaged in corrupt conduct by getting her sister’s fiance a promotion and lying about how the pair knew each other.

Could a resume writing service actually help me find a job?

If the advice you received was reflective of what needs to be in a modern-day job application, goodness help us all.

  • Jonathan Rivett
A longer commute due to a new office location is rough, but there might not be much you can do.

My work moved office. Why won’t they pay for my travel costs?

If you’re being asked to drive from your home to a new premises and back, your options may be limited.

  • Jonathan Rivett