The supervisor hired his unqualified friend for job

Dear Annie: My supervisor hired a friend for a job when there were others who appeared to be more qualified. Applicants had to take a test and score in the top three. The friend didn’t score high enough, but several very qualified co-workers did. The supervisor is asking people to sign off on his decision to hire his friend.

My opinion is that no one should ever feel bullied to give up a chance at advancement. The others worked hard to score high, and there aren’t many job openings for this position. They do a great job and are training hard to advance in the company, but because they aren’t friends with the supervisor, they are being overlooked for the position. I would bet that the big bosses don’t even know this is happening.

They take pride in making employees feel good about themselves, and this supervisor’s actions make top scorers feel unworthy and embarrassed. They know that if they were to tell, they would still have to work for him and would pay the price. What’s your opinion? Dear Upset Employee: Your supervisor is not helping anyone. He is hurting the company as a whole by not having a competent person in the job. Seeing as the “big bosses” place an emphasis on employee satisfaction, why not talk to them on behalf of your co-workers? You should specifically ask them to make sure that your supervisor does not take this out on you. If he does and there is no recourse for you, consider dusting off your resume and looking for a new position.

Dear Annie: I want to thank you for following through and publishing my letter in which I asked you to ask your readers, “If you had to do it all over again, would you have children?” — a question Ann Landers posed in 1970.

I also want to thank you for publishing the responses from your readers. I am amazed how values have changed in 40 years concerning having children. Thanks again. Dear Steve: Thank you for posing the question! It was a fun experiment, and I was fascinated to read the responses.

Dear Annie: I recently moved into a new apartment building. Last week, I woke up in the middle of the night to loud yelling. I am a very heavy sleeper, and nothing ever wakes me up, but this did — and my windows were closed. What concerns me most is that the yelling sounded like domestic abuse, as there were also sounds of shoving. In the moment, I felt terrified and unsure of what to do. In such situations, is it appropriate to call the police? My building does not have a security person, but I did inform my building manager the next day. He didn’t seem to care. I haven’t heard any neighbors yelling since, but I am worried about the safety of my building and about the potentially dangerous person who lives here. Dear Sleep-Deprived and Scared: Yes, calling 911 is the appropriate step to take in such situations. It’s always better to be safe than sorry, and you might end up helping someone get out of a very dangerous situation. For more information, visit the National Domestic Violence Hotline website, at https:// www.thehotline.org, or call 800-799-7233.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@creators.com. To find out more about Annie Lane and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.