Hi friends! Has January felt like 87 years to anyone else or just us?

We thought we could use a WOTD (word of the day), so today’s is halcyon, often used to describe an idyllic time in the past that is remembered better than today. 

Example: We wish we could go back to those halcyon days of the 2000s when the only thing we had to worry about was who would be in our Top 8 that week. 

Speaking of Top 8!! Rod’s Return of Top 8 has RETURNED! Chicago peeps, get ready to grab your flip phones and pop your polos at Thalia Hall on April 4th! Buy your tickets here, today! 

Have a Q for WorkDaze or the podcast? Let’s hear it here! 

Red and Green Flags of Your New Job 

Starting a new job can be equally exciting as it can be nerve-wracking. From learning how to work the office coffee machine that hasn’t been properly cleaned in who knows how long to figuring out team roles and processes, being the new kid on the block takes some getting used to. 

And while it’s important to start learning the ins and outs of the new gig, it’s equally important to make sure the job is what you signed up for and agreed upon in the first place.

Some red and green flags to look for to help you figure that out?

Red Flags 🚩

• You start doing more work than you were told. Your role came with specific outlined responsibilities, and you signed a contract to do them. Once in a while, something’s bound to come across your desk that’s not exactly in your wheelhouse, but it shouldn’t be a regular occurrence. And if it starts to be? We recommend a conversation with your manager or asking for a pay raise. Hustle culture is not the move these days.

• Expected to answer emails or messages outside of established work hours. When you started your new job, you should have been made aware of the hours you’re expected to work. Usually, if someone sends an email at 10 pm, it can wait until the morning. 

• Lack of training/support. There’s nothing worse than starting a new job and quite literally not knowing wtf to do. While not all jobs have the resources for training of specific roles, if you find yourself asking for guidance and not receiving it, it’ll be challenging to know how to get the job done.

Green flags 👍

• You have a supportive boss. Having a boss who has your back and wants you to succeed and grow in your role is the absolute best! There’s room for everyone at the table, and having a boss who believes in that will make your job a lot more enjoyable. 

• Prioritization of work/life balance. Not working past business hours, allowing time for wellness and appointments, and encouraging taking time off, are all major green flags in our book. Bonus points if your company offers wellness incentives, like gym memberships or mental health days!

• You’re part of a collaborative team. While you have your own responsibilities, having coworkers who are willing to take things off your plate when you’re at capacity or who are open to you bouncing ideas off of them, makes learning the role a little less isolating. We all know those years of group projects prepared us for this.

…after you take a bubble bath on your lunch break.
(it’s called self-care; ever heard of it?)

Run, don’t walk to Trader Joe’s and grab their new Caesar Salad Dip. 10/10! And we highly recommend it with their Cornbread Crisps or some fresh veggies. 

Produced by Issa Rae and starring Keke Palmer and SZA, One Of Them Days is in theaters now and is laugh-out-loud funny and totally relatable (especially the paying rent part 😅). 

Are you all caught up with Are You Mad At Me? If not, listen to our latest episode here, where we both reunite IRL for the first time in a while, and yap our little heads off!

Thanks for reading today! Hope the rest of your week is easy breezy. We’ll catch ya in a week! 

—Rod and Gabi