I’m on trip. Listed below are some previous letters that I’m making new once more, reasonably than leaving them to wilt within the archives. After which later right now, updates season begins!
1. My former tenant’s “supervisor” is requesting cash for her time spent on a lease dispute
I’ve been in battle with a former tenant (Sara) for just a few weeks, for varied causes that I’m not going to checklist right here however are a part of the same old conflicts tenants and landlords can have on the finish of a tenancy (cleanliness, state of the backyard, and so on.). The standard authorized course of is going down to ensure that me to have the ability to deduct prices I incurred, from her deposit. We’re going via a simplified course of as a result of the declare is low (lower than $1000) and no solicitors are concerned.
Sara works for a well known world firm and I’ve simply acquired an electronic mail from somebody claiming to be her supervisor, asking me to pay the equal of 1 week of Sara’s wage for the time she needed to take off work to cope with the battle. The e-mail handle appears to be respectable, utilizing the corporate’s area title and I can discover the title of the individual on LinkedIn as working there however they don’t appear to carry a senior place. The e-mail will not be clear as to whom the compensation must be paid and doesn’t element how the compensation was computed (one week appears a really very long time to ship just a few emails — the method has taken me one hour to date).
Now, I’ve no downside answering to this person who I have no idea who they’re and that they should observe a authorized course of in the event that they wish to declare something from me. Nevertheless, I do know that such a giant world firm would by no means begin a litigation like this (no solicitor concerned, even in-house, unclear declare) so I think Sara to have organized it. And so right here is my query: shall I contact the corporate to tell them of this declare made of their title?
My first thought was to attend to see if I obtain a second electronic mail, as on the finish of the day Sara may be very younger and I don’t need her to lose her job over this. Now I’m not too positive. As a supervisor, I might wish to know this. Aside from this electronic mail, I’ve by no means been in contact with Sara’s employer, I simply noticed wage statements earlier than she moved in.
Wow, yeah, I think you’re proper that this isn’t a real request from Sara’s firm however as an alternative got here from a coworker at her request, for all the explanations you said. And if I had been Sara’s employer, I’d positive as hell wish to know that she was doing this. (Though it’s doable that it’s really Sara’s supervisor going rogue — it’s doable she has a supervisor with out a notably senior-sounding title and that individual is out of their gourd, reasonably than it being one thing Sara herself organized. Who is aware of.)
In any case, you would actually alert her employer if you wish to, and there’s nothing incorrect with doing that. Nevertheless it’s more likely to make issues extra contentious with Sara and it doesn’t actually get you any nearer to any of the outcomes you need (which presumably are simply to deal with the top of her lease with as little problem as doable). In the end I’d get readability on what you need right here (simply to settle the lease state of affairs as rapidly and simply as doable? to take a stand on precept that this electronic mail is tousled and there must be penalties?) and proceed accordingly.
– 2018
Learn an replace to this letter right here.
2. My workplace window appears to be like proper into the condominium of an enthusiastic nudist
My colleagues and I made a decision to achieve out to you with an issue that’s lately developed. Our workplace is on the seventh ground of a downtown constructing. Two streets away is a lately accomplished condominium complicated with a penthouse degree with two flats with ground to ceiling home windows. One condominium retains the shades down. The opposite all the time has them absolutely up. The resident routinely walks round throughout workplace hours bare or in a bra and underwear. At the moment she walked out on her balcony undressed.
The condominium is precisely in our line of sight (notably in my workplace), and it’s unimaginable to not discover. This will likely appear humorous or titillating to some, however we discover this very distracting and unwelcome. What’s the greatest plan of action? E-mail the administration firm? Cease by the foyer and say one thing to the entrance desk individual? Perhaps she doesn’t notice simply how seen she is.
Properly … it’s actually as much as her what she does in her personal condominium. In some jurisdictions the balcony piece of this could violate public decency legal guidelines, though it appears like that will have been a one-time prevalence. If that is primarily about her being in underwear or bare in her own residence, that’s not likely one thing you possibly can or ought to intrude with. It’s extra only a actuality of metropolis residing; persons are crammed collectively and also you’re going to see issues.
However I actually perceive why it’s distracting whenever you’re at work! I’d as an alternative look into measures you possibly can take by yourself facet, like curtains (gauzy ones would allow you to nonetheless have daylight however would in all probability make her much less noticeable) or altering the angle of your desk.
On the very most, if you happen to can work out the way to get a observe on to her, you would go away a observe saying that she could not notice she’s so seen to folks throughout the way in which — however you don’t actually have standing to insist she placed on extra garments in her own residence.
– 2019
3. I bought despatched to a convention the place I didn’t belong
I used to be lately despatched to an vital convention on behalf of my group, as some higher-ups had been unavailable. After I arrived, it turned instantly obvious that the convention was extra of an intimate assembly of some crucial gamers in my business. I had been planning on spending a few days listening to talks and taking notes. As a substitute I discovered myself in discussions the place I actually had nothing to contribute.
The entire thing was embarrassing. It was apparent to everybody there that I shouldn’t have been despatched. I made a decision to brush your entire expertise off and attempt to study as a lot as I might. Nevertheless, within the subsequent assembly they mentioned future conferences and one of many members made a remark, prefaced with “no offense,” that for future conferences it must be made clear what degree of worker was required to attend, and if that degree worker was not out there, “they shouldn’t simply ship anybody.”
It was very embarrassing and upsetting to be singled out. I wasn’t underneath any illusions about how misplaced I used to be, however I do know that my attendance was confirmed forward of time with the convention leaders.
How do I give suggestions to my supervisor about this convention? I wish to make it clear that in future it wouldn’t be applicable to ship an worker of my degree (my supervisor is new and wouldn’t have recognized, this solely turned clear upon arrival) as I wouldn’t need anybody to expertise this, however I additionally don’t wish to seem ungrateful because it was alleged to be an exquisite alternative. I additionally don’t know whether or not to say this remark that rattled me. Ideas?
“It turned out the convention was actually for high-level gamers — folks there have been usually CEOs and second-in-commands (or no matter — describe the roles of the folks there). I figured I’d attempt to study as a lot as I might whereas I used to be there, however throughout a planning assembly they made it fairly clear that they didn’t need anybody to ship somebody at my degree once more. Clearly neither of us knew this earlier than I went, however I wished to fill you in for subsequent yr.”
I believe you possibly can simply preserve it factual like that and there’s no have to get into the truth that you felt embarrassed and rattled, until your supervisor appears to actually wish to dissect what occurred. If she does, you may be easy in regards to the the entire thing. However in any other case, I’d preserve it simply to the components which can be related for subsequent time.
By the way in which, for the reason that convention leaders knew you had been attending, it’s doable that the one that made the comment about “not sending simply anybody” was an outlier and different folks didn’t really feel that approach. Nevertheless it additionally sounds such as you mainly agreed with that evaluation, and it was simply the snotty phrasing that bothered you. I’d attempt to separate your feelings from it as a lot as doable and see it as simply an inartful expression of what you already knew. It makes whole sense that it was embarrassing to have that mentioned proper in entrance of you, although! (However I promise you that in just a few years, “the time I bought despatched to a convention the place I used to be fully misplaced” shall be an amusing story you possibly can inform different folks.)
– 2019
4. Applicant made bizarre calls for for interview timeline
In a current interval of hiring I got here throughout loads of barely unusual (and a few greater than barely unusual) issues that candidates felt the necessity to embody of their resumes or cowl letters. None confused me greater than the beneath, which to me reads extra like a logic puzzle than a press release of availability. For context, this was on the very backside of a four-page resume underneath the heading “Availability for Interview”:
“I might be out there for an interview solely inside a interval of let’s say 4 days and ideally sooner, from the time of receiving the formal shortlisting electronic mail discover. This additionally signifies that I might not be out there for the interview in case the e-mail discover is distributed to me sooner than 4 days previous to the interview date. The time intervals embody additionally weekends.”
I simply have so many questions! It looks like the applicant desires as brief a time as doable to elapse between being shortlisted and being interviewed, however I’m at a loss as to why. And why is 4 days the magic quantity? Am I lacking one thing?
Even when it had been extra of an easy assertion, I might discover such a factor reasonably presumptuous on a resume. Perhaps in a canopy letter in case your availability shall be unusually restricted within the weeks following making use of for a job, however in a resume prefer it’s a blanket requirement of yours whatever the timing of the appliance? It simply appears off, or possibly that’s overly inflexible of me?
Noooo, that is fairly bizarre. You aren’t being overly inflexible.
I additionally like that he himself may be very inflexible however then says “let’s say 4 days,” as if he’s simply pondering up the quantity on the spot.
He’s weirdly demanding and out of contact with the norms of people, and you need to reject him (however solely inside a interval of let’s say 4 days and ideally sooner).
– 2018
