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Today β€” 24 February 2025Main stream

I had only positive performance reviews during 2 years at Meta. I still got laid off as a 'low performer.'

24 February 2025 at 03:57
Meta sign
A former Meta employee said they felt the company had betrayed them and destroyed their confidence.

Artur Widak/NurPhoto via Getty Images

  • A former Meta employee was hired in 2022 and had positive reviews for two years.
  • They were shocked when they received a "low performer" rating and were laid off on February 10.
  • The former employee said they were worried the label could hurt their job search and felt betrayed.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with a former Meta employee who worked at the company for 2 Β½ years. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of concerns about future employment. Business Insider has verified their identity, employment, and performance reviews at Meta. The following has been edited for length and clarity.

I was hired by Meta in late 2022. During my time there, I received performance evaluations every six months, in which my ratings were always "at or above expectation" or "consistently met expectation." Of course, I received small tweaks and feedback that are normal in any review, but I never received any signal that I was a low performer or that I was trending downwards.

When Zuckerberg announced Meta would be laying off the lowest 5% of performers, I felt a general sense of anxiety, but I looked at the criteria they were going to apply and thought: "This doesn't apply to me. I've gotten really good ratings up to this point." I didn't consider I'd be in that bucket.

I woke up to a layoff email at 5 a.m., and by 8 a.m. I'd lost all access to chats

They sent an email at 5 a.m. PST, and by 8 a.m. we'd been locked out of our chats. I didn't get to say goodbye to my colleagues. The morning of my layoff, I felt despondent. I'd worked really, really hard to get this job, had worked long hours, and had put a lot of effort into supporting my team. I just felt this deep sense of defeat.

And then I got angry. I was livid, like transcendentally livid. I can't even really put into words how it felt. I'd lost so much β€” my confidence, my reputation, a substantial amount of unvested stock. I just remember being in bed, screaming into a pillow.

I felt betrayed by the company I'd worked for, and they destroyed my confidence in the process.

I have no idea how they decided I was a low performer

I haven't received any documentation explaining how they got my "low performer" rating, so I don't have any official idea of why this occurred. I didn't get a signal from my manager. I just received the rating and the termination letter stating I was being let go.

I'm so scared about how this "low performer" label will affect my ability to find a new job.

Right now, the zeitgeist is sympathetic to those of us who've been laid off, but I know it's going to impact future employment. It's already a tough job market, so I'm scared. I'm really, really scared.

Because Meta clearly labeled people affected as low performers, any hiring manager who looks at my end date will know. We are uniquely disadvantaged because this announcement was leaked and widely publicized.

For the first week after my layoff, I couldn't even fathom the idea of updating my rΓ©sumΓ© or looking for jobs. I felt so hopeless that I could hardly even motivate myself to get out of bed. I already struggled with imposter syndrome, and this felt like Meta threw salt in the wound. I'm going to have to rebuild my self-confidence, and that's going to take time.

I think this is going to be a moment to take a step back, recenter myself, and think about what I truly want for myself and my career. Right now, I know I value some sense of stability. I know no job is stable, but I really want my next role to be somewhere where I feel like leadership at least doesn't seem to have an openly hostile position toward its employees.

My opinion on Mark Zuckerberg has completely changed

I used to defend Mark Zuckerberg to people. I thought he was personable in company meetings and really funny. Now, I feel like that was just a facade.

Between the layoff, removing DEI initiatives, and changes around content moderation, Mark Zuckerberg seems to be testing how many decisions he can make without retribution. Because Meta is such a big player in the tech industry, I'm concerned the company is creating an environment where other employers will follow suit.

Tech used to be a place where companies took care of their employees and where we were supported, but now it feels like we're all in a meat grinder. It's really sad to see.

Meta could already be backfilling these roles

Meta laid off thousands of employees and said they were going to start filling many of those roles with new people.

I joined at a time when Meta's stock was lower, and like many of my coworkers, a portion of my compensation is tied to the value of the company's stock. I have questioned whether the low-performance label was a way to let expensive employees go.

I'm worried about speaking out for fear of retribution. I hope people are empathetic toward those impacted by layoffs six months or a year down the road.

Nobody knows how long we'll be looking for a new job. I've heard horror stories of people applying to hundreds of jobs for over a year. I don't think that's going to be my position, but it indicates how hard the market is right now.

I had a call with my dad the other day and told him I just don't know what to hope for right now. The rug was pulled out from under me. I don't know how to move forward from that.

Meta did not respond to a request for comment by Business Insider.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Before yesterdayMain stream

I was laid off in 2022 and haven't worked full-time since. After 200 job applications and moving back in with my parents, I take it day by day.

20 February 2025 at 02:07
Stephanie Moore holding an iPad, smiling while leaning on a desk.
When she wants to give up her job search, marketing professional Stephanie Moore said she reminds herself to be patient.

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Moore

  • Stephanie Moore experienced layoffs in 2021 and 2022.
  • She's applied to over 200 jobs since her last layoff and hasn't landed any full-time work.
  • Moore continues to network, apply for jobs, and give her best shot to stay positive.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Stephanie Moore, a 28-year-old marketing professional from Tuscaloosa, Alabama. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I got laid off in June of 2021 when the startup I was working at could no longer fund my marketing position. I spent the next six months taking on contract marketing jobs before securing another full-time role in December 2021.

Then, I got laid off again β€” but this time, I never found another full-time job.

Since then, my life has been an emotional roller coaster. I've applied to over 200 jobs, been on unemployment and food stamps, and in October 2024, I had to move back in with my parents. The job market has felt different, but I'm staying resilient and taking it day by day.

The current job searching process can feel mentally exhausting

After my first layoff, It only took about six months to find and start my next job. The job market felt light and the hiring process at my next place of employment only took about a month and a half.

Since my second layoff in September of 2022. I've gone through multiple monthslong hiring processes with up to six rounds of interviews, an assignment, and a reference check, just for them to go with another candidate.

For example, I applied for a marketing job in Atlanta, and I completed a phone screening, a long-form interview, and an assignment to create and present a strategy outline.

After spending hours creating a 40-slide deck, I drove two and a half hours to meet the team in person at their Atlanta office. I really thought it went well, but I got ghosted. I only received a formal rejection when I followed up via email a week later.

Even my contract opportunities are dwindling

In early 2024, I typically had between 100 and 140 hours of contract marketing work monthly from two companies. In a matter of months, my contract for one company ended, and the other dropped from between 50 and 60 hours a month to just six in January.

My supervisor told me some clients were leaving, and there wasn't much work to give. I'm still applying to contract jobs while looking for full-time work but both have been scarce.

I had to move back in with my parents

I had lived alone in an apartment in Alabama since October 2022 and got on food stamps and unemployment shortly thereafter. I did everything I could to hold onto my apartment, but when I received a notice on my door in June 2024 that the rent was going up, I had to make a hard decision to move home with my parents, who also live in Alabama.

Moving home was a rough transition for me because I felt like a failure β€” like I let myself down. There are still days when those feelings of self-doubt pop up, but I'm trying to give myself as much grace as possible and remind myself that I'm doing my best by networking, applying to jobs, and giving it my best shot.

Alabama isn't where I want to stay, but it's hard to imagine starting a new chapter with looming financial insecurity, debt, and no full-time job in sight.

Some days are dark, but I'm still trying

There are definitely some days when I feel sad, numb, and apathetic, but there are other days when I find the momentum to network, apply for jobs, and do it all. The biggest thing that has helped me is learning to be still and not feel like I always have to be productive.

The internalized pressure to do more all the time honestly overwhelms me and burns me out. I have to remind myself that so much of the job search process is out of my control.

I'm taking it day by day and being patient with myself in moments I just want to give up.

If you're experiencing long-term unemployment and would like to share your story, please email Manseen Logan at [email protected].

Read the original article on Business Insider

I'm a lawyer in Washington, DC. Here's what every federal worker should know as more executive orders roll out — comply now, complain later.

19 February 2025 at 02:07
Lawyer sitting at desk with justice scales in foreground.
DC lawyer Debra D'Agostino (not pictured) suggested for federal workers to comply with President Trump's executive order and challenge them on the job.

Kawee Srital-on/Getty Images

  • Debra D'Agostino, a DC lawyer, has represented federal employees for over 20 years.
  • She said federal workers should comply with RTO mandates, DEIA rollbacks, and hiring freezes.
  • She also shared three ways for federal workers to challenge the executive orders while on the job.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Debra D'Agostino, a 48-year-old attorney from Washington DC who represents federal employees. It's been edited for length and clarity.

As a founding partner of the Federal Practice Group in Washington DC, I've represented federal employees for over 20 years.

Since President Donald Trump's first batch of executive orders, I've observed an incredible sense of fear among government employees about whether they'll be reclassified or have their rights stripped away. Regardless, I hope all federal employees use their resources and see quitting as a last resort.

Here's what every federal government worker should know as more executive orders are rolled out and what I predict may happen next.

RTO mandates will include most federal employees, but there are exemptions

The United States Office of Personal Management (OPM) issued guidance that targets both remote and teleworkers in the return-to-office mandates.

Remote workers are people who live outside of the commuting area, and teleworkers are folks who are based in the commuting area but still work from home.

Those exempted from the return-to-office mandates are people with reasonable accommodations or people with a qualifying disability. Those with a qualifying disability are presumably disabled people who had been working from home but never needed to formalize it into reasonable accommodation until now.

There's also an exemption for those with a "compelling reason." We don't know exactly what that covers yet, but agencies will certainly have some discretion over what that means. The most recent guidance referenced an exemption for military spouses.

Federal DEIA workers might be assigned to new roles with some similar tasks

Employees working in DEIA groups were placed on paid administrative leave. Also, "reduction in force" notices, which are essentially 60-day layoff notices, were issued to some folks.

The reduction in force process is governed by very complex regulations, so we'll have to see how much the Trump administration cares to abide by those regulations.

So far, they haven't been terribly concerned with complying. What's murky is that some of the DEIA employees are reasonable accommodation coordinators, a function that still needs to be performed. I predict some folks will be reassigned to different roles but still tasked with performing that function.

The hiring freeze is messier than it should be and might last for a while

The OPM guidance says that any federal government job offer signed after January 20 at noon is invalid, and those positions will remain vacant.

I've heard from folks who say they thought they secured a federal agency job months ago but still got their offers rescinded. This may be because, a lot of times, the government issues tentative job offers months before making firm offers.

I always advise people not to give notice to their current employer until they have signed the firm final offer. I predict the hiring freeze may continue for a while.

It's best to comply now and complain later

Unless ordered to do something unsafe, my golden rule for federal employees is "comply now, complain later." Even if you think you're being ordered to do something that violates agency policy or goes against your belief system, there may be consequences for failing to comply.

For example, if you refuse a reassignment, the government may just fire you. If you're fired, it's incredibly difficult to get rehired or file a complaint. You'll be fighting an uphill battle.

Being employed by the government is what gives you leverage to challenge an order you don't agree with.

I'd recommend that the same employee take the reassignment and then file a grievance, Equal Opportunity complaint, or Merit Systems Protection Board appeal, depending on the situation. There are several avenues to complain through, and because those resources were set up by federal law, they're not going anywhere.

If you're a federal employee whose job has been impacted by the Trump administration's executive orders and would like to share your story, please email [email protected].

Read the original article on Business Insider

I run a non-profit that relies heavily on federal funding. The industry is experiencing pandemic-level trauma right now — here's how I'm coping.

18 February 2025 at 02:07
Brie Franklin headshot
Executive director Brie Franklin said DEI and funding restrictions have left her uncertain about how her nonprofit will continue to support sexual assault survivors.

Photo courtesy of Brie Franklin

  • Brie Franklin leads a nonprofit that receives 90% of its income from federal grants.
  • Earlier this month, a judge blocked The White House's order to freeze all federal funding.
  • Franklin is taking steps to make sure she isn't bearing the weight of what is going on alone.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Brie Franklin, a nonprofit executive director based in Denver. It's been edited for length and clarity.

The nonprofit space is experiencing a level of trauma similar to the pandemic β€” which I don't think we ever fully recovered from.

I'm the executive director at the Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Since the White House sent out the federal funding freeze memo, my nonprofit is uncertain about our organization's future.

A federal judge temporarily blocked the freeze, but we still don't know what's next, and it's incredibly stressful for staff.

As a small nonprofit, we're highly reliant on federal funding

My nonprofit supports survivors of sexual violence through a crisis hotline. Our members work with survivors through anything from rape crisis centers to government-based advocate programs. We also provide training, resources, and support, and we do policy work at the state level. Federal grants make up over 90% of our income.

We're funded on a reimbursement basis, meaning we request money from the feds after it's been spent. Since the temporary funding freeze, we've been able to get reimbursed, but the future of our funding is uncertain.

On February 6, the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) in the US Department of Justice withdrew all notices of funding opportunities and instructed organizations not to complete current applications. This is especially devastating for us. We don't know if and when they'll repost notices.

We don't know how to plan for the future

We should be able to trust our government to honor its commitments, but right now, we're still waiting to see what happens with most of our funding.

We put our annual conference on hold. We'd typically be confirming presenters and workshop topics now, including workshops on how to work with specific populations, such as survivors who are deaf or hard of hearing. With new DEI restrictions, we don't know if we're even allowed to do that.

We also don't know if our members and partners will be able to use their grant funds to attend the conference.

We're on the hook with a hotel contract, and if we cancel, it'll cost us about $22,500.

I'm worried what this means for our staff and the survivors we support

It's very difficult to support a survivor who's in a crisis or navigating very complex systems when you yourself are in a crisis and worried about your job.

On February 11, we received communication from the CDC that it rescinded its memos to cease DEI activities on all CDC-funded awards and cease all activities promoting gender ideology. If we continue to receive similar communication, we'll resume all activities as normal and hope to continue to be reimbursed for our current grant agreements.

As a leader, I'm making sure I'm not bearing the weight of what is going on alone by keeping staff informed, asking for their input, and having conversations with other leaders for support and ideas. Being in a community with our organization, members, and partners is helping me cope.

If your business or organization relies on federal funding and you would like to share your story, please email Manseen Logan at [email protected].

Read the original article on Business Insider

I burned out and quit my government job after 16 years. The cost of staying was higher than the price of leaving.

13 February 2025 at 02:07
Kelly Campbell headshot.
Kelly Campbell worked for the Canadian government for 16 years before transferring her skills to part-time leadership and grief coaching.

Crystal - Of Wild Dawn Photography

  • Kelly Campbell worked in the Canadian government for 16 years before burning out and quitting.
  • She maintained an unsustainable pace at work until a friend's death influenced her to take a leave.
  • Campbell wishes she would've used her transferable skills to quit her government job sooner.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kelly Campbell, a 42-year-old former Canadian government worker based in Ottawa, Ontario. It's been edited for length and clarity.

In 2007, I lost my best friend when we were in a car accident. I went back to work a week later and, shortly thereafter, began my 16-year career in the Canadian government. I never truly grieved her death, I just buried it under a pile of work.

Over the years, I established my status as a high-achiever and let praise from colleagues fuel a vicious cycle of overworking and perfectionism, leaving me with nothing left to give to my family.

For a decade, I knew I should've left public service, but it was a hard decision.

My government job gave me purpose

I started my career in government as a senior analyst in 2008. Over the years, I rose through the ranks before being promoted to the executive level in 2021.

My job gave me a lot of purpose, and I loved that I could interface with the outside population and see how my work was actually impacting people's lives. I worked a typical 9-to-5 in-office schedule, but for at least three days a week, I'd come home and keep working into the night.

As the years went by, my workload increased, as did the sense of urgency for tasks to be completed.

My family got a completely different version of me than my coworkers

I started working from home during the pandemic, and it became impossible to ignore how different a person I'd become when I'd close the door to my home office to be with my family.

To my coworkers, I was the perfect boss and the best colleague, but to my family, I was snappy and impatient, with no more energy to give. I felt immense guilt and disappointment in myself.

Work was the only place I didn't feel like a failure which only reinforced my pattern of overworking and perfectionism.

My accident was a wake-up call that things needed to change

In June of 2022, I had a panic attack and fell off an 8-foot ladder while trying to hang a swing in my front yard. I ended up in the hospital with, luckily, only minor injuries, but I still felt too shameful to admit I needed off work. It was a clear sign things needed to change.

A few months later, I planned a month leave from work to care for my husband after his scheduled open heart surgery, but really it was my excuse to take time off. When his surgery was delayed several months, I couldn't use it as an excuse anymore. I told my manager I'd be taking an indefinite mental health leave for myself.

To my surprise, she told me she was relieved because I'd been maintaining an unsustainable pace for so long.

When I finally took my leave, my body collapsed, and it was hard to return to work

I'd wake up to get my kids off to school and go back to sleep for five more hours. This lasted every day for probably the next month and a half.

At the start of month three, my husband went in for surgery, so I was caring for him, but I still napped every day until month five. I spent my time attending therapy, reading self-help books, and simply getting introspective about my life. I think I went through three journals.

Most importantly, I finally grieved the loss of my best friend. I had grieved her little by little, but I really profoundly grieved her loss and found peace in it.

After six months, I gradually returned to work, but I realized it wouldn't be easy to return to the exact environment that burned me out.

The death of another friend made me realize it was time to resign

I tried to incorporate new boundaries, like keeping work contained to a 9-to-5 window, but I couldn't do it. I had six hours of meetings, which didn't leave me enough time to do my actual job and other important work. I felt myself barreling toward another burnout.

In February of 2024, I was on vacation when I got the news that a friend of mine had died from cancer. My friend's death reminded me life is too short to be spending the next 15 years counting down to retirement.

The cost of staying at my job was higher than the price of leaving

When I returned from vacation, I told my manager I was going on leave. Nine months later, I resigned. My new job has given me more time to be present with my kids.

After spending a few months recovering from work, I transitioned to part-time leadership and grief coaching, which I'm really enjoying. I wish I had realized sooner how many transferable skills come with being a public servant.

I'm in a privileged position because my husband is a public servant who will receive benefits and retirement if he stays.

I was so fortunate to have a secure job, but I couldn't keep spending my life languishing and wondering what might happen if I took a chance on myself.

If you've quit your job due to burnout and would like to share your story, please email Manseen Logan at [email protected].

Read the original article on Business Insider

I quit my six-figure Google job after my colleague died. It's helping me to improve my self-worth.

26 January 2025 at 01:43
Headshot of Kate Manser with a teal-colored solid background.
Kate Manser changed her views on life after her Google colleague Dan Friedenberg died in an avalanche at the bottom of Mount Everest.

Photo courtesy of Kate Manser

  • Kate Manser worked at Google for five years in program management.
  • During that time, a friend, a relative, and two colleagues died at a young age.
  • The loss led her to quit her job and find a technique that has helped her improve her self-worth.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Kate Manser, a 39-year-old former Google employee based in Marfa, Texas. It's been edited for length and clarity.

For five years, my self-worth was wrapped up in my cushy, six-figure job at Google. I'd be at parties just waiting for someone to ask what I did for a living so I could make my stupid little joke: "Oh, I work at this tiny startup you've probably never heard of. It's called Google."

Then, in 2014, I tragically lost three young people in my life within six months. It sent me into a yearlong depression full of death anxiety. I was terrified to leave my house, except for going to work.

A year later, a Google colleague tragically died. That day changed everything for me.

I got hired at Google in 2011

While in college, I was lucky enough to land a paid internship in marketing at the parent company of Carl's Jr and Hardee's. The marketing team hired me right out of college, and I spent three years there before Google hired me in its marketing and sales department.

I spent the next five and a half years working my way up as a program manager, securing a six-figure salary, and living a great life in Austin. I was completely caught up in the prestige of my job and envisioned myself staying with Google for a long time.

I experienced four tragic losses in under two years. It changed everything.

In 2014, my 27-year-old boss died in a freak accident. Within six months of their death, a college friend of mine died unexpectedly then a young family member died from cancer.

I was 27 and had never thought much about mortality. Suddenly I was overwhelmed with the notion that I could die at any moment, and I became afraid to do much of anything.

About a year later, while still feeling plagued by death anxiety, I watched my Google colleague, Dan Friedenberg, who was the head of privacy at Google X, document his journey training to climb Mt. Everest on social media. He appeared to live this vibrant life, full of joy, always playing pranks on his friends.

Unfortunately, he was at the climber's base camp when the Nepal earthquake struck, and he died in an avalanche.

I sensed Dan knew there was a chance he might not come down that mountain, but he had to climb it to truly live. I looked back at my life and thought, "I only have a certain amount of time and energy, and I want to put it into living."

I took a trip and made a plan for how I'd change my life

The first thing I did after Dan's death was take a week off work and visit some friends on their sailboat in French Polynesia. They'd been asking me to visit for years, but I always turned them down, saying I was too busy with work.

While I was there, I looked at their unconventional lives on the boat and realized, for the first time as an adult, that I could do whatever I wanted with my life. I came up with the idea to quit Google and travel worldwide.

I planned to work and save for the rest of the year and quit the following January, but in September 2015, my team underwent a reorganization. I was given the option of relocating, finding another job at Google, or taking a severance package.

It felt like a sign from the universe, so I took the severance.

I quit Google to travel the world for two years. It didn't solve my depression.

There were so many times I asked myself if I was making a terrible decision. I had an amazing job that paid good money and was, frankly, not that hard. The fact that I told so many people at Google I was quitting to travel is actually what kept me from chickening out.

In January 2016, I put together my savings and severance and set off on a two-year soul-searching trip. I scrapped my plan of pre-booking all my flights and decided to travel freely. I went to places like Australia, Bali, Brazil, and all over Asia. It was amazing.

Then, when I returned home, I fell into a depression and knew I couldn't keep chasing the next high.

It was easy to feel alive when I was standing on top of a mountain or walking through the streets of Delhi, but I hadn't yet figured out how to feel alive when doing dishes at my kitchen sink on an average Tuesday.

Daily visualizations helped me redefine my self-worth

I dedicated myself to working on gratitude and presence and rewiring my self-worth to come from within.

One of the most impactful things I did was a daily visualization in which I imagined none of my material dreams came true. I lived in a simple home and brought soup to my neighbor when she was sick. It took a year of doing that visualization to get to a point where I could love myself in that reality.

In 2018, I needed more money to pay my bills, so I returned to the corporate space and landed a job as a global marketing manager at Indeed. This time around, I didn't get caught up in the prestige or my achievements.

I realized how hollow it was to derive my self-worth from my career. I continued working in corporate for the next few years while scaling my brand called You Might Die Tomorrow, a movement about living for today.

I quit corporate, became an entrepreneur, and started living out of a van

In 2022, I decided to go all in on entrepreneurship. I quit my job and bought an old 1992 RV to live out of. The RV was partially for the adventure and partially to live cheaply as I built my business.

Entrepreneurship has been deeply humbling. I've had many successes, but I've also had events no one has shown up for and products no one has bought. I'm slowly becoming more resilient, but I'm on a lifelong journey of decoupling self-worth from achievement.

Whenever I need a reminder of how to find meaning in my life and work, I look back to Dan Friedenberg. He uplifted others, had fun in everything he did, and truly spent his life like he might die tomorrow.

If you quit your six-figure job for an unconventional career path and would like to share your story, please email Manseen Logan at [email protected].

Read the original article on Business Insider

I make more money from my side hustles than my six-figure software engineering job. Here's how I build and manage my income streams.

22 January 2025 at 12:07
Software engineer Ritesh Verma leaning on a wall in his company building with his arms folded.
Software engineer Ritesh Verma balances his full-time job with five side hustles, including AI agents, YouTube ad revenue, sponsorships, SaaS products, and a mentorship program.

Photo courtesy of Ritesh Verma

  • Ritesh Verma earns almost $15,000 monthly from side hustles alongside his Capital One job.
  • Verma's side hustles include AI agents, YouTube, mentorship, and software services.
  • He uses automation to work on multiple projects at once and earn more money.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Ritesh Verma, a 23-year-old software engineer in Jersey City. It's been edited for length and clarity.

After graduating from college in 2023, I was hired as a software engineer at Capital One with a $136,000 base salary, but it's not my largest source of income.

I've been building side hustles for years, and they now earn me almost $15,000 a month.

When I got hired at Capital One, I was worried about a full-time job disrupting my side hustles, but I've created a system that makes it manageable. Here's how I stay on top of my work and why I won't take my side hustles full-time β€” yet.

AI agents are my main side hustle

In late 2019, a friend of mine asked me to code a purchasing bot to help him buy and resell sneakers. I had no idea what bots, or AI agents, were, but I agreed and spent over six months teaching myself how to make software programs that perform tasks.

In 2022, I decided to post a YouTube tutorial on how to create a simple bot, and it got 200,000 views. A man saw my video and asked me to make him a purchasing agent for high-end golf clubs. I accepted the offer and made $600 every time I got him a golf club. Suddenly I was earning $1,800 a month.

Word spread, and I started getting more clients in the golf club collection space and other niche communities. I built purchasing bots for anything from hats to wine bottles to baby clothes.

I didn't want to be known as just the bot guy, so I started building services and tools as well. I built a scheduling bot that helps shift-based workers, such as servers, in the Nevada area snag competitive shifts.

I started using Reddit to find clientele

Early last year, I watched a YouTube video where the creator described how he used Reddit to grow his startup. I decided to give it a try.

I made a Reddit post saying, "I suck at getting these shifts, and I need help. Does anyone else relate?" Then I DMed the roughly 20 commenters who sympathized and pitched them my tool. I got eight of my clients from Reddit and now make about $9,000 monthly from it.

I also trainedΒ AI assistantsΒ to make Reddit posts for me, advertising my services and sending potential clients my phone number.

Reddit takes my posts down because they're promotional, but within 30 minutes of them being up, I'll usually have several people in my DMs. I've been kicked off Reddit and had to make multiple accounts, but it's all part of the process, and I think it's worth it.

I also have less lucrative side hustles

  1. YouTube: I use my YouTube channel to gain clientele and as a side hustle. I get ad revenue from videos, and in one month, I made $1,400 from three sponsors.
  2. Mentorship program: I also started a six-week mentorship program where I teach others how to code bots. For $3,000 in any given month, usually, two to three students get bi-weekly meetings to discuss assigned projects and learn concepts.
  1. SaaS products: In 2024, I launched two SaaS products, which are basically just more conventional software engineering services. One is Instagram outreach software, which earns me $900 a month. My other SaaS product, which allows people to put Instagram reels on their website, has yet to turn a profit.

How I manage my side hustle and 9-to-5

My secret to success is working on several projects at once. I can stay on top of so many because it's highly automated.

I might spend 20 hours building a new AI agent or project, but after that, my weekly commitment might only be two hours. I also might spend a few additional hours getting clients or troubleshooting, but the hard work is done.

My Capital One job is a hybrid 9-to-5 with two days in the office each week. After work, I eat and have a four-hour deep work session where I focus on my side hustles. I also work a few hours each day of the weekend.

It's a lot of work, but I find it fun. I also make sure to have time for myself. A few friends and I travel every three months. In 2024, I spent a total of a month overseas in places like Brazil, Japan, and Italy, doing no work. Those trips are a good sanity check and keep me looking forward to something.

I won't leave my full-time job until I meet a specific metric

A mentee asked me why I don't leave my full-time job, and I told him I don't feel like it's taking up space.

I've probably tried 15 projects recently, and most fail. I give every project a month or two of serious dedication before deciding if it's worth continuing. Sometimes, the project is just too hard, and growing it is a pain.

Other times, I just lose the spark of the idea. In those cases, I'll put it on a major backburner or ask a mentee if they'd like to take responsibility for equity in the product.

Plus, I'm following a rule that I won't leave my full-time job until I make three times my Capital One base salary from my side businesses. Once I achieve that, I'll drop it. That's the goal.

If you make six figures from a side hustle and would like to share your story, please email Manseen Logan at [email protected].

Read the original article on Business Insider

I'm still looking for a job 8 months after my layoff. I have 20 years of experience and can't get hired — I'm scared.

2 January 2025 at 02:03
woman applying to jobs
Jennifer Gittelman says one regret may be holding her back from getting hired.

Maria Korneeva/Getty Images

  • Jennifer Gittelman faces prolonged unemployment after a mass layoff in healthcare administration.
  • Despite extensive job applications, Gittelman struggles with lack of responses and feedback.
  • Gittelman has one regret which she believes may be impacting her ability to get a job

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jennifer Gittelman, 44, from Philadelphia. It's been edited for length and clarity.

After a 20-year career in healthcare administration, I was part of a mass layoff in April. It sucked, but I remember thinking it would be OK. I figured if I started applying to jobs on July 1, there was no way I'd still be unemployed by the time my unemployment benefits ran out in October. I was wrong.

Here we are in December, and I've hardly done anything since July but apply for jobs all day, every day. As the weeks go by, it's been getting scarier and scarier.

My unemployment benefits ran out, and I'm pinching pennies to hold onto my savings. If I didn't have my 78-year-old mom to take care of, I think I'd just give up. But I can't and won't.

I've been in healthcare administration for pretty much my entire career

I worked at a Medicare DME supply company for 15 years before resigning in 2019 to relocate from Florida to Philadelphia. I take care of my mom, and I wanted to move her closer to our extended family.

I quickly landed a new role in medical staffing as a traveler support specialist. Six months later, the pandemic hit, and by November 2021, my entire branch was dissolved, and I was laid off. After an intense two months of job hunting, which I thought was forever at the time, I landed a job at a medical staffing company as a compliance and credentialing specialist.

I worked steadily there until April, when I was part of a mass layoff. Luckily, I was given a severance package and unemployment benefits through October, which helped cushion the blow.

I decided to rest for the next two months before applying for jobs in July. I haven't received any offers, and it's been a scary, disheartening time.

I've applied to countless jobs

Nearly all of my time, other than cleaning, grocery shopping, and volunteering for a nonprofit, is spent applying for jobs. I've searched through what feels like every job board possible: Indeed, GlassDoor, LinkedIn, ZipRecruiter, and more obscure ones like PowerMyCareer, Monster, and PSG.

I've tried all the free job search memberships and even some paid ones. I've applied to more jobs than I can count and nothing has seemed to work.

It's frustrating because I feel like my rΓ©sumΓ© is pretty decent. In 20 years, I've only had three jobs, all in the same industry, and I have references from each place. I even have a letter of recommendation from a director at my last job.

I feel like employers have been unprofessional

For most applications, I'm not even getting a response from a human, let alone an opportunity for an interview. Typically, it's just an automated response saying the company is moving forward with someone else. There's no feedback, just rejection. It's insane.

I've had some interviews and a few that I thought went really well β€” we spoke for an hour, the employer asked lots of questions, we discussed pay, and they even told me I was moving on to the next round.

Then, I'd write them an hour later, thanking them for the interview, and I'd never hear back. The one time I got a written rejection from a person, I asked if it would be possible to provide some feedback as to why I was not chosen. I didn't get a response.

I don't get excited about interviews anymore because who knows what could happen.

I have one regret that might be making it harder to land a job

I didn't finish college, and that's the one thing I regret. I've thought about going back a lot over the years but I couldn't justify accumulating all those student loans when I was already making a solid salary.

Now I feel like maybe I should've gone back to school because, in today's competitive job market, it helps a lot to have a degree.

I feel like I'm in this gray area of being overqualified for regular customer service positions, but because I don't have a degree, I'm underqualified for higher positions, even though I'm technically qualified to do them.

If I get a job offer, I'm taking it

I'm getting more scared as the weeks go by. Before my unemployment benefits ran out, I'd go out and buy a coffee from time to time. Now I won't even grab something at a WaWa. I want to save every penny I can.

At this point, I'm not in a position to turn down any job. It took me forever to save the money I have, and at 44, I don't want to spend my entire savings being unemployed.

I always try to make Christmas really nice for my mom because, at her age, who knows when it's going to be her last. This year I told her I was sorry because I couldn't do that, and she was like "Are you crazy? Do you think I care about presents at this age?" I know she doesn't care, but I can't help but feel bad.

Sometimes, I think, "What if I didn't have my mom to take care of?" Maybe I would just give up, lay in bed, and become homeless. Having someone who depends on me makes it so I can't give up.

This time has been disheartening, but I won't give up.

If you've struggled to find a job since a layoff and would like to share your story, please email Tess Martinelli at [email protected].

Read the original article on Business Insider

11 Reddit execs describe their wild ride in 2024

31 December 2024 at 02:03
The Reddit logo with an emoji hand on it's chin to look like it's thinking
Reddit executives we spoke to said they balanced stress and excitement as Reddit went public in 2024.

Reddit; iStock; Rebecca Zisser/BI

  • Reddit went public in 2024 and is a more popular, profitable site than ever in its 20-year history.
  • BI spoke to 11 Reddit execs about how they've handled new challenges while maintaining a beloved culture.
  • They shared everything from their favorite subreddit to what the IPO means to them.

2024 was a great year for Reddit.

The company went public in March with a $6.4 billion valuation and reported its first quarterly profit in October. Shares have soared 230% since its IPO.

And as BI's Emily Stewart recently wrote, Reddit has become more mainstreamΒ than ever. Its daily active users jumped 47% in the most recent quarter compared to a year earlier, thanks in part to an unprecedented number of people tacking "Reddit" onto their search terms β€” a demand the company will try to meet with "Reddit Answers," its new AI-powered search tool.

To find out what this year has looked like on the inside, BI asked 11 Reddit executives β€” or "Snoos," as Reddit calls its 2,000 employees β€” to share their favorite highlights behind the scenes of the "front page of the internet."

They described some career-defining moments and talked about managing through rapid change and a new level of pressure. Here's what they said.

Reddit execs
Three of 11 Reddit execs BI spoke to (from left to right): Roxy Young, Laura Nestler, and Serkan Piantino.

Reddit

What it meant to take Reddit public

"You can pretend that this all makes sense, and it's all business as usual for a little bit. But there are moments where I kind of zone out and realize the scale and how cool a moment I'm in. I guess the word to describe it is 'awe.'" β€” Serkan Piantino, 41, VP of product, New York City. Joined Reddit in 2022.

"There are always going to be individuals that say, 'Reddit is not what it used to be.' Of course, it's not going to be what it used to be. It's going to be what we make it in the future." β€” David Trencher, 43, senior managing director, large customer sales, EMEA & Australia, London. Joined the company in 2019.

"2024 has been maybe the highlight of my career at Reddit. We are so focused on starting with community. I think in '24 we've embraced that value more than ever," β€” Laura Nestler, VP of community, Seattle. Joined Reddit in 2021.

IPO day was 'so Reddit,' execs said

Reddit Listing Day
Reddit employees gather at the New York Stock Exchange for listing day.

NYSE: RDDT

"Getting Snoo (the company's mascot) to ring the bell (rather than our CEO) was just so Reddit-y. It was a culmination of so many years of hard work to get here, and to see it all come to fruition in a very Reddit way was awesome." β€” Paulita David, Senior Managing Director, large customer sales in North America. Joined Reddit in 2021.

"We broadcast live globally, and I got to emcee the entire thing on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. We all got to see and feel what was happening." β€” Michelle Lozzi, 40, senior director of experience, San Francisco. Joined Reddit in 2017.

"It was so nice having our new Snoo mascot up there ringing the bell, symbolizing our employees and the community. There is a human in there. We cannot reveal who it is, but the only clue I can share is you have to be 5'10" to wear the suit." β€” Monica Benson, 38, head of brand operations and creative production, Los Angeles. Joined Reddit in 2020.

How execs managed through change and volatility

"The biggest change for us has been just the sheer volume of advertisers wanting to advertise on Reddit. It impacts my job pretty dramatically. With this increased demand, we're really embracing more automation." β€” David

"We run a lot of experiments, so failure is a day-to-day thing. Many of our experiments just don't pan out, and a lot of my job is to refine the idea and keep going or decide to work on something else. We're not a huge company. We still have limited resources, so we have to prioritize." β€” Piantino

"There's a balance of excitement and pressure that keeps me grounded. The fact that we have a real share price that we can use to measure our size adds somewhat to the pressure, but ultimately the excitement and enthusiasm outweigh it. Something we try to instill in our culture is to not get too high with the highs, and too low with the lows." β€” Jesse Rose, 38, head of investor relations, Massachusetts, Joined Reddit in 2021.

"I know what volatility looks like, and I know how much that can be a distraction for the team. I liked being a calming force and reminding people that, some days, they're going to say great things about you. Some days they're going to say bad things about you, but you are never as good or as bad as they say you are." β€” Piantino

"That (two-year pre-IPO period) helped us prepare our teams, which helped alleviate some stress. We were going into it knowing what we needed to do." β€” Trencher

"Some of our communities are growing really fast, and that can be a challenge. There are a bunch of tools that moderators can now use to handle moments of accelerated growth." β€” Nicole Heard, 36, UK country lead, London. Joined Reddit in 2022.

Execs say Reddit's culture hasn't changed

"When I came back from maternity leave, I wanted to know how the company culture had changed. It felt warm to come back to that authentic, community-building company, but the stakes are higher." β€” Benson

"People in our UK office genuinely like spending time with each other. Our office had some of the highest real-life visits this year β€” probably three days a week. The people and culture is what makes it an amazing place to work." β€” Sam Hughes, 33, senior client partner, London, Joined Reddit in 2021.

"When I joined in 2021, we had this really small kind of Harry Potter cupboard at a WeWork that sat three to five people. Then we got a bigger space with a whole floor, and now, earlier this year, we got an amazing new building." β€” Hughes

"We just hosted Mod World in our San Francisco office, which was where we brought in 60 of our moderators and made them feel like they're also a part of this. Because it's not just us building the product, it's them maintaining, operating and, breathing life into it." β€” Lozzi

"My team has grown from three to eight this year. What I'm looking for is people who understand the human interactions that happen on Reddit, and understand exactly what Reddit stands for in the social media landscape." β€” Alia Chikhdene, 30, head of community, international, Paris. At Reddit since 2021.

Favorite projects included offline community-building

"I was able to travel to countries all over and meet moderators in local markets. I recently got back from a trip to Manila to see the people in our community called Coffee Philippines. Seeing local communities start to thrive and build local ecosystems is really magical." β€” Nestler

"Our mods are now able to access community funds, where they can apply for funding to do something great with their community and create an impact. The mods of r/Eurovision got funding to go to this year's competition in Sweden to meet the artists and take AMA questions. This became one of the top five fastest-growing communities in the UK, Germany, and Spain. It was a really impactful initiative that helped connect that community to the artists they love." β€” Heard

Reddit employees shared their top Subreddits

r/skincareaddiction. "I'm always trying to figure out how I can address these wrinkles and get glowing skin." β€” Young

r/PhotoshopRequest: "You can send in photos, and the community will do an incredible job for you." β€” Lozzi

r/vosfinances: "This is a community that is really helping with financial literacy. You're one question away from building your future wealth plan." β€” Chikhdene

r/askmeuf: "This translates to 'ask women.' I'm incredibly grateful to the mods who have built this space and made it safe, vibrant, and inclusive, and making it culturally available to French women." β€” Chikhdene

r/moderatelygranolamoms - "I'm often looking for the most non-toxic, sustainable products and ways to raise my baby, and this is the perfect group for talking about that." β€” Benson

r/TrueOffMyChest - "It's a very vulnerable place where people can be anonymous and just share personal stories they wouldn't anywhere else." β€” Benson

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3 leadership books that guided Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun's career in 2024

27 December 2024 at 07:12
Damola Adamolekun
Β Red Lobster CEO Adamolekun shared books that helped build his leadership in 2024.

Courtesy of Damola Adamolekun; East India Publishing Company; Optimism Press; Rebecca Zisser/BI

  • Damola Adamolekun, CEO of Red Lobster, shares three books that influenced his career in 2024.
  • Adamolekun was formerly CEO of P.F. Changs, which he helped generate $1 billion in revenue a year.
  • He describes "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius as a timeless guide to leading.

At 35, Damola Adamolekun is the youngest CEO of Red Lobster of all time. The former Goldman Sachs investment banker and Harvard Business School alum was appointed CEO in August, just months after the seafood chain filed for bankruptcy.

Investors are likely hoping Adamolekun will recreate the restaurant resurgence he accomplished during his tenure as CEO of P.F. Changs from 2019 to 2023, during which he helped the struggling chain generate an estimated $1 billion in revenue a year.

The Nigerian-American businessman shared with Business Insider the three books that helped him navigate his career in 2024.

Business Insider: What three books have shaped your career and leadership this year?

1. "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara

Damola Adamolekun: "Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara is a masterclass in creating memorable experiences through relentless care and attention to detail.

Guidara's approach to hospitality isn't just about service β€” it's about going above and beyond to make people feel valued. The idea of "over-delivering" resonated deeply with me, reminding me that exceptional hospitality, like exceptional leadership, often lies in the thoughtful, unexpected gestures that leave a lasting impact.

Whether in a restaurant or the boardroom, this book is a compelling reminder that relationships and culture are built on doing the little things with great intention.

Book cover for Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

Penguin Random House

2. "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius

"Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius is a timeless guide to leading with wisdom, resilience, and humility.

Marcus's reflections on discipline and self-mastery have shaped how I approach challenges β€” focusing on what I can control and letting go of what I can't. His emphasis on serving the greater good is a powerful reminder that leadership is ultimately about responsibility, not power.

This book's enduring relevance lies in its ability to ground leaders in principles that foster clarity and purpose, even amid chaos.

"Meditations" book cover

TAZIRI

3. "The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players" by Pat Riley

"The Winner Within: A Life Plan for Team Players" by Pat Riley is a motivational book that shares leadership lessons and teamwork strategies, using stories from his NBA coaching career to inspire individuals and organizations to achieve success through unity, resilience, and continuous improvement.

As a former college athlete at Brown University, this book's story of perseverance, adaptability, and ambition echoes the mantra that I've carried from the football field into the boardroom as a CEO.

Pat Riley book

Penguin Publishing Group

This story is part of an end-of-year reading list series that seeks to highlight the best books influential CEOs and business leaders read in 2024.

Correction: December 27, 2024 β€” An earlier version of this story listed incorrect publishers for the "Meditations" and "The Winner Within" book covers.

Read the original article on Business Insider

Reddit cofounder Alexis Ohanian shares the top 3 must-read books from his 2024 reading list

15 December 2024 at 02:27
Alexis Ohanian
The books on this list have helped Alexis Ohanian build brands, negotiate, and innovate.

Ethan Miller/Getty Images; Random House; Harper Business; Optimism Press; Rebecca Zisser/BI

  • Alexis Ohanian shared three books that shaped his career in 2024.
  • Ohanian cofounded Reddit with Steve Huffman and currently serves as founder of 776 VC firm.
  • He said "Unreasonable Hospitality" is a must-read for anyone trying to build a brand.

Alexis Ohanian has been recognized as an innovator since cofounding Reddit in 2005 and selling it a year later to CondΓ© Nast. That sale was reportedly between $10 to $20 million.

In the 20 years since then, Ohanian has vastly multiplied his wealth and business portfolio with investments in tech, sports, and other innovative ideas.

The tech founder and investor, who launched his venture firm Seven Seven Six in 2020 after officially leaving Reddit's leadership team, shared with Business Insider the top three books that shaped his career in 2024.

Ohanian said these are his must-reads for various reasons. His quotes have been edited for clarity.

"Creativity, Inc.: Overcoming the Unseen Forces That Stand in the Way of True Inspiration" by Ed Catmull and Amy Wallace

Creativity Inc. book cover (expanded edition)

Penguin Random House

My founding partner at 776, Katelin Holloway, helped produce "Creativity Inc." based on her time at Pixar. This book informed a lot of how we turned around Reddit and how I'm building 776.

"Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It" by Chris Voss with Tahl Raz

"Never Split the Difference" book cover.

HarperCollins Publisher

Zachariah Reitano, the founder/CEO of Ro β€” one of my 776 investments β€” recommended the book "Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on it." It's a must-read for anyone, not just CEOs and founders. I re-read it every year to refresh my memory.

"Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect" by Will Guidara

Unreasonable hospitality book cover

Penguin Random House

Maggi from the 776 team recommended "Unreasonable Hospitality," written by Will Guidara who achieved fame as former coowner and leader of Eleven Madison Park. EMP is one of my favorite restaurants. The methods and mindset here are imperative for anyone trying to build an exceptional brand, even outside of food and hospitality.

Read the original article on Business Insider

I'm a life coach for the children of the ultrawealthy. I see the same problems over and over again.

3 December 2024 at 02:03
A teen girl talking to a counselor.
Aprajita Anand says the children of the ultrawealthy are an underserved population.

SDI Productions/Getty Images

  • Aprajita Anand has been a life coach for children of the ultrawealthy for more than a decade.
  • Anand says most clients come to her after failing to find success with traditional therapy.
  • She emphasizes the importance of taking action, shifting motivations, and contributing to others.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Aprajita Anand, 41, a life coach in New York City. It's been edited for length and clarity.

I've been a life coach for children of the ultrawealthy for 12 years. I started on this career path very organically. I was working as a tutor in New York City, largely supporting wealthy students, and I found them to be emotionally struggling in profound ways.

Society often dismisses them as spoiled rich kids who are perhaps unworthy of sympathy, though I think this assumption makes them a strangely underserved population.

Therefore, I pivoted into life coaching and dedicated my career to helping my students β€”teens and young adults β€” navigate the core issues their wealth brings.

Most of my clients have the same story

Problems typically arise when the child encounters rejection, failure, or a struggle that cannot be solved with money.

Many of these problems are social in nature, such as a breakup or excommunication from a friend group or even more systemic issues like racism.

This shock response is commonly followed up by a withdrawal from academic, social, or family life in which they numb themselves with social media, video games, drugs, online shopping, or another behavior of choice.

The parents' first response is often to send their child to a therapist or psychiatrist. I'm a huge believer in therapy, but in some cases, these children end up feeling even more lost and despondent because they're sitting in their feelings and don't know what to do with them. They may wonder how they have every advantage in the world yet are still unable to escape from difficult emotions, which can cause them to sink deeper into their numbing behaviors.

This is often the point when parents bring their children to me.

3 steps to overcoming the 3 biggest issues

In my experience, much of traditional talk therapy is about processing feelings and breaking down thinking patterns. I use some of those elements as a life coach, but I emphasize taking action. I've developed a curriculum to guide young people through three core problems with three core actions.

1. Shift to an internal point of control

Many of my clients fall into a victim mindset, believing they are at the mercy of an unkind world. I empower them to understand they can choose how they respond to any situation.

I had a student who didn't get into her first-choice college, which was difficult for her because it was possibly her first major rejection.

She begrudgingly went to her second choice but refused to engage in freshman orientation or socialize with her peers, and locked herself in her room, numbing herself with social media and Netflix. She was causing unnecessary suffering by sitting in a victim mindset.

When we began working together, I focused on helping her take back her locus of control by taking action, any action. The action she wanted to take was to mount a transfer application to her first-choice school. I agreed to support her if she engaged in a mindset shift, which is step number two.

2. Find internal motivation

Our culture generally equates success with relatively superficial trappings like grades, prestigious colleges, flashy jobs, and lots of money.

However, I assumed someone raised in a wealthy environment would feel unburdened by money and free to live a life of indulgence, free from expectation. To my surprise, my students feel the opposite. They live in an environment that reinforces the idea that money and status are their source of worth.

So, in my client's case, going to a very good school instead of a great school was a complete failure.

While she waited to hear back about her transfer applications, I encouraged her to tap into positive things in her current environment and engage in things that brought her joy. She reluctantly started attending an interest-based club and started going to her professor's office hours just to talk about big ideas on her mind. Slowly, she began to feel like a member of the campus community.

At the end of that year, she got accepted into her first-choice college and ultimately rejected the offer. She had changed her motivation from external to internal and decided the personal reward was greater than the status.

3. Contribute to someone else's well-being

Many of my clients have never had to work, clean, or think about anyone other than themselves. But the amount of time they spend thinking about themselves can be exhausting.

I advise my students to find a way to contribute to someone else's life, such as volunteering with a professional organization or simply helping with chores around the house.

In the case of the student, she took a leadership position in her sorority and ended up loving her role of helping recruits settle into the community.

Contributing to something greater is a positive, healthy way to put down personal problems and find joy in helping someone else. I make sure they understand it's not to pad their rΓ©sumΓ© or check off a box; it's necessary for building a meaningful life.

If you work with children of the ultrawealthy and would like to share your expertise, please email Tess Martinelli at [email protected].

Read the original article on Business Insider

Employers are scrutinizing WFH accommodation requests — here's how to make yours stronger

22 November 2024 at 02:03
Greg Mansell
Greg Mansell says elongated accommodation request processes can be stressful for disabled employees.

Greg Mansell

  • Greg Mansell says some employers are scrutinizing accommodation requests amid rising RTO mandates.
  • Mansell says the process can be stressful for disabled employees, leading to some job resignations.
  • Mansell advises employees to use their primary care doctor instead of a specialist to file requests.

This as-told-to article is based on a conversation with Greg Mansell, 40, an employment lawyer based in New York City. It's been edited for length and clarity.

Requesting an ADA health accommodation should be a collaborative process between the employer and the employee in which the main goal is to provide a medically necessary accommodation that doesn't place an undue burden on the employer.

With the rise of RTO mandates and the subsequent increase in work-from-home accommodation requests, some employers are elongating the process and scrutinizing requests more thoroughly. I believe this is to ensure employees aren't abusing the system.

Unfortunately, increasingly drawn-out and laborious processes can put added stress on disabled employees and, in some cases, may influence them to walk away from a job.

As an employment lawyer of 15 years, here are my tips for employees to overcome four hurdles in the accommodation request process.

1. Don't wait for your specialist

After an accommodation is requested, employers may ask the employee's medical provider to fill out an accommodation request detailing the underlying impairment, the restrictions it imposes, and the requested accommodation.

The employer may want the request filed by a specialist if the patient sees one, but these doctors can be hard to get a hold of. I remind people that their primary care doctor has access to all medical records and can provide the same information. It doesn't have to come directly from the specialist's mouth.

2. Prepare the request for your doctor

Some doctors simply don't like dealing with the employment process, so it can be helpful to take the burden off them in any way possible. It may be useful for the disabled employee to prepare their own accommodation request and present it for their doctor's review.

The doctor may approve it or change it for accuracy, but it makes the process significantly less taxing for the doctor.

3. Consider consulting a lawyer

The Americans with Disability Act is one of the most complex employment laws, so employees and medical professionals may make mistakes that lead to a wrongfully denied accommodation request.

For example, the medical professional may not specify the medical condition and, instead, state only that an employee needs an accommodation. This does not give the employer sufficient information to determine if the accommodation, or some other accommodation, is medically necessary.

Employment lawyers understand the process and can make sure an employee provides everything needed and hold the employer to the ADA's requirements. The downside, of course, is that this is a time-consuming process and the attorneys' fees can become quite expensive.

4. Document everything

If you consult a lawyer, it's helpful to have as much documentation of the accommodation request process as possible. Documentation helps us determine whether the employer followed the proper procedures.

You can't force an employer to have a conversation through email, but you can and should follow up any virtual or in-person meetings with the bullet points of what you discussed as a way to memorialize the conversation.

If you're going through the accommodation process amid your company's RTO mandate and would like to share your story, please email Tess Martinelli at [email protected].

Read the original article on Business Insider
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