I've been invited to a big party at the home of my boss. We work from 9 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at my company. This party is scheduled for a Saturday night -- a nonwork night. I don't want to go because this is essentially a work function (unpaid), and it takes away from the time I can spend with my family. It's been made clear that this party is mandatory for department heads like myself. Unspoken is the understanding that those who don't go will end up hurting their career here. My question: How can I say no to the boss and not suffer consequences?

	More from BostonWorks
		Featured Articles: There are other ways to save Balancing Acts Welcome home, dear Climb Have a plan to fight workplace harassment The Corporate Curmudgeon Is anyone really listening? Job Doc Prove that you've changed Transitions Focusing inward View from the Cube Making a case for naps Who's, What, Where This week's promotions The Job Blog Keep up to date with career news from around the web RSS XML Feed (What's this?)

You sound quite clear that nonattendance at this social event will not be accepted by your boss. I suggest that you reevaluate the situation. First, it is understandable that you are concerned about protecting your weekend and ''nonwork'' time, and feel that a mandatory party is an invasion of your private time. But, you need to understand that from your boss's perspective that this is a planned ''social event'' for department heads which he/she may see as appropriate on a nonwork night.

Such events are probably infrequent and provide opportunities for colleagues to get to know each other better in a more relaxed environment. This may result in improved communications and better working relationships, which would be a big advantage for your career. If you choose not to attend the party, which is important to your boss, then you could face negative ramifications that may influence your boss's future decisions around promotion and job retention.

Defusing conflict with union leader

What does an employee do if they are being harassed and damaged by a devious union president? This woman is manipulative and clever and sets up innocent people for a fall. When an employee contacted the union rep, she was told to work with the president. As the union president was heard to say, the rep is ''in her pocket.'' Working conditions have become unbearable for more than one union member directly because of this woman. Short of quitting, what can they do?

You are dealing with a politically charged problem that has resulted in damaged employee morale. Unfortunately, you have a union president who is capitalizing on her authority by using her power to control others. The union president may feel that because she has a majority constituency that she is free to act in her own self-interests.

Union reps tend to be politically savvy and generally align themselves with the president because the president has majority approval and is the ''popular'' leader of the local union. This does not necessarily mean that the union rep is ''in the president's pocket.''

Although this may seem like a no-win situation, you do have some choices. The easy way out would be to lay low, bide your time, play by the rules, and look for another job.

A more proactive approach would be to join forces with other employees and make a unified statement to the union rep. This may push the union rep to respond to the will of the people. There is political strength in a collective voice of serious complaints that may put pressure on the union rep to take action and present the issues to the president.

Another approach would be to set up a meeting with the company's labor-relations manager to seek advice. He/she may not be able to directly influence the president's behavior but may make some useful recommendations for internal resolution.

Negotiating a schedule change

I have a steady job at a big private company in which I am definitely making a name for myself; however, I am also a working parent. When I interviewed for the position I said I would need to change my hours when school began in September. I was told that the company would accommodate any hours I needed. I also brought this up in June; again, I was told it would not be a problem. When I recently mentioned the change in hours, approximately two weeks before they would be effective, I was told that I may not be able to do that now. Unfortunately, nothing was ever put into writing. Can I fight this in any way? I have already informed them that I would need to resign if I cannot change my hours. I do have another position lined up within the company that will accommodate my hours; however, I feel that if I leave my current job it would be like taking a step down. Any advice?

Without a written agreement, you have a big challenge. Since you only had a verbal agreement, there is not much you can do legally to press for further action. Let's take a look at your situation. At the time of hiring, you had a verbal agreement to accommodate changing hours as a working parent. As a confirmation, you brought it up three months prior to school starting with a ''no problem'' response. Now it seems the company is changing its mind according to its needs. A lesson learned here: if the company did not put anything in writing, you could have put it in writing yourself and given it to the manager early on and then again one month before requiring the change.

You could push the envelope by presenting your case to your human resources department with the hope someone will promote your situation and speak to your manager. HR's hands may be tied if business needs have changed to such a degree that the company will require more of your work time.

If the company values you enough, it may be willing to accommodate you instead of losing you. If not, you have another job waiting in the wings even if it is a step down. Since you are questioning your decision to leave, I would ask you to carefully examine all the pros and cons of leaving your job and also explore if there are alternative arrangements in your schedule that could be made.

Making sense of a firing

I was recently terminated by my company after several years. The reasons revolved around some mistakes I made several months earlier, which my manager had told me not to worry about, and the fact that they didn't have enough work for me, which I know is not true, as there were many projects to be done. I had good reviews, no written warning, and my manager gave me no indication that she had changed her mind about giving me back some duties that had been taken away. Since I was an employee at will, I expect that what they did was legal, but it still seems wrong to terminate me without a written warning. I worked hard doing overtime when needed, traveled for the company, and did what I was asked to do. What (if any) are the rules for actions an employer must take before terminating an employee?

Jerry Weinstein, law partner at Sullivan, Weinstein, McQuay, gives the following answer: ''The writer intuits correctly that what the employer did here is legal. An employee-at-will can be let go with or without cause or notice, and that means that the employer doesn't have to give a warning.

Now, the situation might be different if the employer promised employees in handbooks or manuals that it was its policy to give people warnings before discharging them; if the facts support it, the employee may have a contractual claim that he or she was entitled to be told where he or she stood. Further, in these times an employer who fires someone without any heads up (unless the conduct of the employee was really bad) can be asking for trouble. If the employee has some reason to think that the termination was related to some legally protected status that he or she had, for example, it was based on the person's race, age, disability, and so on, a firing out of the blue may provide evidence of a discriminatory motive.''

Junior-level job's effect on career

My job search is not going well, and the only promising lead that I have right now pays considerably less than my previous position. Will it hurt my future job searches if I take this position? Does it reflect badly on a candidate that he or she moved to a lower-paying, more junior-level position during their career, or is that better than an extremely long gap between jobs? I need employment of some kind, but I don't want to hurt the rest of my career.

The key question is why your job search is not going well. One factor could be the tight job market with fewer opportunities in your field. The other factor could be the way you are conducting your job search, and the skills and strategies you are using or not using. Before you decide to take a lower paying position, you should answer the following questions:

• Is my job objective clear, and do I present myself confidently and professionally?
• Does my resume strongly market my professional accomplishment, skills, and qualities?
• Have I prepared a strategic job search campaign using a proactive approach?
• Have I researched and identified target markets that would value my specific skills and experience?
• Have I thoroughly networked and generated contacts?
• Have I utilized recruiters, search firms, and the Internet?
• Do I know how to effectively interview, negotiate, and evaluate jobs?
• Am I fully committed to the implementation and follow-up of my career plan?
• Have I put weekly trackable goals in place for myself?

If you answered yes to most of these questions, then it would appear that the job market in your field is currently limited. It may be a good decision to take another position even if it is lower paying, especially if you cannot afford to look any longer. The key issue will be to evaluate if this position fits with your career. Taking a junior level position in your field may not hurt you if the job responsibilities complement or even broaden your skill set in an environment with growth potential.

Andrea Wolf is vice president of career management at Right Management Consultants, a career transition and human resources consulting company.

Need advice about managing your career or your workplace? The Job Doc can help. Our specialists can answer your questions on topics ranging from career transitions to management issues. E-mail queries to jobdoc@globe.com, or send letters to Job Doc, c/o the Boston Globe, P.O. Box 2378, Boston, MA 02107-2378. Letters may be edited for clarity and length.