Grr, I feel the need to offload and this is way safer than Facebook.

[rookiemere]

I don't want to bore you with all the details, but I'm just really disappointed with someone that I work with.

I thought we were working together but things on the project weren't going well so he sent an email to my bosses, bosses, boss in which he's claimed I hadn't flagged up issues which I had.

I spoke to the person I had directly been working with and she said she'd no idea why he was saying this as we had flagged up these issues, and showed documentary evidence to confirm this - which she didn't need as she already knew it. She said she would pick up with him and get some sort of email to correct this version of things.

So fine I'll get it sorted out, but I'm actually quite sad that someone who I respected is acting this way. Maybe I shouldn't expect professional behaviour from people, but in my world you have to have trust to work together.

Anyway no idea why I'm posting here, except maybe to ask the question - was I being naive, do people always throw other people under the bus at work just because it's expediant to do so?

[tribpot]

Unfortunately this is a strategy which can work quite well, to make him look good and you look bad. However much damage limitation is done after the fact, the idea is that mud sticks.

However, what's important now is that your boss and your boss' boss go and defend you vigorously to the person who received the criticism of you. Don't let them weasel out of it or leave it all to the person you've been directly working with. She will have more knowledge but your line management should be working to protect you.

It's quite possible this guy has made a complete knob of himself, esp going so many levels up the management chain. That looks desperate and completely disproportionate. It's possible the boss' boss' boss now thinks of him as a self-serving arse (which, let's face it, he is). A word going up the management chain should enable you to find out.

Has he been told to apologise to you? To retract his claims with the head honcho?

[rookiemere]

Unfortunately the two more senior people in my office weren't in today.

I emailed one of them to say that I had spoken to the other person and was expecting an email retraction of some sort - I don't work Fridays so won't know until next week. I will pick up with her when I'm back as she's also my LM and I've just had a glowing catch up session where she said she was very happy with my work, so I want to speak to her.

My bosses boss has a huge amount on his plate and tbh is likely only to have skim read this anyway. I don't expect much from him - I did a big thing last week and got lots of really positive feedback from the other Heads of, but my own head of didn't have the time to even thank me by email .

You're right they should be acting to protect me, but I didn't even think for a second they would react that way - because in our organisation they won't automatically. They would if my old LM had been in place, she was utterly fantastic, but she's been moved on and we're working without enough people now.

[wobblebobblehat]

I do everything by email to cover myself in the event of something like this happening.

I don't trust anyone at work. Have worked directly for senior management so I've seen all sorts.

He isn't doing himself any favours by flagging this up so far up the chain. In fact, if you bide your time, it will probably come back and bite him on the bum. I think you'll find that SMT aren't interested in the nitty gritty of what is going on further down the food chain. As such, I would let him get on with digging his hole...

[rookiemere]

Thanks wobble, he was actually complaining that I hadn't done something enough verbally, even though it was plain to see in the status report that I send through to the person I work with.

I'm actually more upset about it this morning, yesterday I was angry but today I feel a bit sad and overwhelmed. I do have a tendency to internalise these things and I need to try to forget about it so it doesn't spoil my weekend.

Also thinking about what tribpot said, if my previous LM had received such an email she would have firmly replied and put him back in his place, but we're short staffed and the guy that's doing it, well I don't think he has team interests covered as much as his own so he just sent it to me, whereas now that I think about it, surely my management team should be looking out for me.

Whatever happens it will just mean even more work for me as I'll need to spend even more time ( that I don't have as I'm on reduced hours) to cover my ass, rather than doing the job I'm paid to do.

[pressone]

It may well be that this is not aimed at you. If your boss (or her boss) agrees that you have raised this point then the big boss will want to know why it hasn't been actioned by either of them.

This is not uncommon in my workplace. Many middle managers feel that the big bosses are protected from the truth by the layers of staff in between "them" and "us", one tactic is to complain that x hasn't done something, X then gets the union on board and evidences that they have but it has been brought to the attention of the big boss and X's boss has to admit they knew but have not brought it to the big bosses attention.

In this case your co-worker may be climbing the greasy pole at your expense or they may be getting something to the big bosses attention that your LM (or her LM) have been hiding or not willing to bring to the big bosses' attention thenselves.

[rookiemere]

Thanks pressone - I don't think it's that as we've all been raising the debated point - me in my sessions, my temporary boss in his, another person in another session.

I have no idea why the person felt the need to send that email. The only thing I can think of is that he was working a lot of long hours and email was sent at midnight, he is perhaps resentful of my reduced hours ( although if he wants the much reduced salary and status then I'm sure it would be open to him as well). He may think we aren't delivering because of this, but the real reason we're short staffed is because they haven't approved the budget at their end. I've probably said too much there and made myself identifiable, so anyone who recognises me, please keep schtum.

Anyway I'm feeling a lot better today - I've been watching the new seasons of House of Cards and will model myself on Frances Underwood - no more nice lady, and I'll just see what Monday brings.

[rookiemere]

Ok so wee update.

Came into the office today to an apologetic email from original person saying that he was wound up by something else that someone else had done in our team. Sent only to me and not copied in to everyone and their dog.
I forwarded it to the second in command person and she's going to send something to big boss so that he realises that I didn't do anything wrong.

So all good I suppose, but I spent a stressful weekend worrying about it. If my old boss had been there this would not have happened because a) noone would have got to the stage of tit for tat emails and b) if it had happened she would have dealt with it, rather than just throwing me to the sharks and letting me sort it out myself.

Oh well, keep on buying lottery tickets I suppose, just disappointed as I have had a great 18 months at work with previous boss, now that supportive ethos has gone.

[pressone]

Thanks for the update.

Sorry about your boss, but at least your colleague isn't the arse you thought he had become.

Oh - and you can get behind me in the queue for the lottery tickets!