Employees take advantage of summer hours

Employees take advantage of summer hours

Sep 23, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: Summer is over, but I feel like my staff is still working at less than full capacity. Every year, I give them time off during the summer, which usually includes half days off on Fridays and shorter hours. The expectation is always that they will crank it up when the fall comes. It seems, though, that everyone is asleep at the wheel, so to speak. I ask for projects to be completed or for someone to follow up on some work, and I find myself asking three and four times before getting a response. This is frustrating. It feels like I’m being penalized for giving them some much-needed time off this summer. How can I get them to crank up their energy? – Ramp It Up DEAR RAMP IT UP: Host a cheerleading session with your team. Highlight good things that occurred this summer, including time off to enjoy the season. Point out what’s ahead, including projects, pitches and anything else that is on the horizon. Connect the dots by letting them know that they are integral to the success of the business and you are counting on them to give it their all.

Elizabeth Ko, M.D.

Bipolar disorder connected to gut-brain axis

Sep 20, 2025

Dear Doctors: My 22-year-old son is severely bipolar, which impacts his life terribly. I have kept up with the studies that have shown success in treating bipolar with a fecal transplant. Do you know of any open studies right now that might take my son? We would travel anywhere to get it done.

Friends squirm out of plans they agreed to

Friends squirm out of plans they agreed to

Sep 20, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: My wife and I, along with a few family friends, needed to travel to Canada for a funeral. We decided it would be more economical to drive, so I booked the rental vehicle. Our friends let us know that they’d send us their contribution before we hit the road. The day before our departure, they called, saying they might just take a bus because it’s more affordable, despite us choosing the rental car together and agreeing on pricing. My wife and I decided to invite them to join us in the carpool anyway because the car was already paid for, but I found all the back and forth to be a nuisance; we had checked in with them every step of the way, and we had all agreed. I ended up doing all the driving and covered gas, tolls and the cost of the car. My wife wants to say something to our friends, but I think that may be awkward. What do you think? – Carpool DEAR CARPOOL: Emotions were likely high, given that you and your friends were going to a funeral, but your friends were wrong. They broke an agreement that you made together and took advantage of you by not contributing at all to the cost of the trip. They should be ashamed of themselves! You have every right to speak to them about this. Remind them that you all agreed on the travel plans and the sharing of costs. They reneged.

TODAY IN HISTORY

Sep 20, 2025

In 1873, the New York Stock Exchange closed because of the Panic of 1873.

Mamdani would be new dimension

Mamdani would be new dimension

Sep 19, 2025

Next year will bring the 25th anniversary of 9/11, and with it an irresistible angle for journalists and commentators: New York’s first Muslim mayor marks anniversary of devastating radical Islamic attack on the city.

Daughter mad she can’t attend concert

Daughter mad she can’t attend concert

Sep 19, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: My teenage daughter is upset with me because I told her she couldn’t go to a concert with her friends. The show is in a nearby city, and while she insists everyone else’s parents are letting them go, I don’t feel comfortable with her being out so late in such a large, unsupervised crowd. She’s 15, and the concert would end well past midnight. When I told her no, she burst into tears and accused me of not trusting her. Since then, she’s barely spoken to me.

DO JUST ONE THING

DO JUST ONE THING

Sep 18, 2025

• If you see a houseplant with yellowing leaves, one of the most important things you should do is trim them off. Yellowing, almostdead leaves won’t revive and turn green again, so it’s better to help the plant by removing them so it can dedicate all of its energy to generating new leaves. When you are done pruning, be sure to wipe the pruning blades with rubbing alcohol. This will disinfect the blades so you don’t transfer any diseases to other plants. And don’t forget to compost the dead leaves!

Couple goes over options for growing family

Couple goes over options for growing family

Sep 18, 2025

DEAR HARRIETTE: I had a difficult first pregnancy that took a serious toll on my physical and mental health. From severe morning sickness to complications that required hospitalization, the experience left me exhausted and anxious about the possibility of going through it again. Because of this, I’ve decided that I don’t want to have another biological child. My husband, however, really wants another kid, and he keeps bringing up the idea of trying for a second. I understand his desire to expand our family, and I love him deeply, but I can’t ignore the fear and trauma I still feel from my first pregnancy.

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