Ask Sophaya

Ask Sophaya: Help Me Deal With My Angry Boss

Dear Sophaya, I have a supervisor who gets angry. Like really angry. Yes, we work in a higher-stress environment, so I get that he has a lot to worry about and deal with, but when he gets upset, it’s scary, and it makes it difficult for me to work with him in an effective way.… Read more »

Ask Sophaya: What Should I Include In My Employee’s Welcome Kit?

Dear Sophaya, I’ve been a manager of remote employees for a while now, and I’m ready to initiate some systems now that I’ve really got a handle on how things flow in my agency. We’re going to be hiring a large group of remote employees in the next few months, and I’d like to create… Read more »

Ask Sophaya: How Do I Deal With Time Off Requests?

Dear Sophaya,  It’s the holiday season and my entire company is in a jolly mood. Which is great, except for the fact that it also means that all of my employees are hoping to take time off of work. I’m not new to this management thing–I’ve managed in-house employees in the past–so I know how… Read more »

Ask Sophaya: Help! I’m Returning to Work After Raising Children

Dear Sophaya, I have been a stay at home mom for the past seven years, but I would like to start a new chapter and get a job. However, I want to work from home at least several days a week. I used to be in marketing and sales and I know a lot has… Read more »

Ask Sophaya: How Can I Be An Efficient Remote Team Manager?

Dear Sophaya, I was recently promoted to my first management position, and I’m really excited. My company put me through a management training program, so I feel really confident stepping into this role, except for one huge issue: Half of my team works remotely–and nothing in my training prepared me to lead remote employees. One… Read more »

Ask Sophaya: How Can I Stop Feeling Guilty About Taking Time Off?

Dear Sophaya, I’ve been a remote worker for a little over a year now. I just received my first performance evaluation and did really well on it–but one piece of feedback my boss gave me during the review really stuck out to me: He suggested that I make more effort to take time off from… Read more »

Ask Sophaya: Why Do I Feel So Lonely

Dear Sophaya, I love my job. I’ve been working remotely for a great company for about a year and a half. The pay is great. Management is so supportive. And I really do like my peers too.  There are only two of us who work remotely. The rest of the team sits together in a… Read more »

Ask Sophaya: How Can I Use My Network to Find a Remote Job?

Dear Sophaya,I’ve always commuted for work. I’ve spent the past five years at a great company, but the drive back and forth to the office is an hour and a half each way. That’s three hours of my day in traffic! I can’t take it anymore. I’ve been reading your blog and I’m really interested… Read more »

Ask Sophaya: How Do I Know Remote Work Is Right for Me?

Dear Sophaya,  I’ve been working in a remote job for over a year, and I’m not as happy as I thought I would be! Does this mean that I don’t like remote work or could it be that maybe this particular job isn’t right for me? How can I determine whether or not to apply… Read more »

Ask Sophaya How do I deal with an underperforming coworker
Ask Sophaya: My Coworker Is An Underperformer

Dear Sophaya, I’m a remote worker and the people on my team all hold different positions that compliment each other, but we all have our own roles and jobs to complete. Here’s my problem: some of my coworkers are, shall we say, underperformers, and I am a perfectionist. I don’t even mind that a few… Read more »