Please or to access all these features

30 days only

Is this the right approach for my prick of a boss?

18 replies

twigtoleaf · Yesterday 13:00

My boss is a prick. I could give a million examples, but he's on the radar of executive for being generally slack and rude and unpleasant and I was told recently, and quietly, by exec member that she now sees all emails from our general team email address.

In a meeting last week we were talking about doing some more work in aged care. He said casually to me 'So what do we call people in aged care, is it inmates?' (He thinks he's witty but his wit is always, always punching down. and not funny.)

I said, no, it's residents. And he moved on.

This year my mum moved into aged care with dementia and a broken hip. It's been very difficult and sad and he knows this.

If I send an email 'clarifying language guidelines' to 'avoid reputational damage and ensure we are using the correct language now we are working more in this space' and cc the team, exec can see it. He will be in the shit.

Is there anyone in HR who can tell me if this is a good move or not? I will of course be polite. I could go to HR myself but I feel like this is calmer and will call him out to the rest of the team. He is already on notice for unprofessional language.

OP posts:
BrightLemonHam · Yesterday 13:03

You’re being ridiculous and oversensitive. He’s joking.

twigtoleaf · Yesterday 13:03

Pretty lame joke.

OP posts:
PinkFrogss · Yesterday 13:04

How do you know all this about your boss?

And they will all see straight through you OP, if you want to report him then just report him, don’t pretend to send a helpful email.

ItsPickleRick · Yesterday 13:05

BrightLemonHam · Yesterday 13:03

You’re being ridiculous and oversensitive. He’s joking.

It’s only a joke if people are laughing, and nobody is.

I’d send the email OP.

Voltorb · Yesterday 13:05

If he's already on notice for his language then I'd imagine he's being monitored closely and honestly I wouldn't do anything. I'd adopt the give him enough rope approach. He will make another comment soon enough.

BrightLemonHam · Yesterday 13:05

twigtoleaf · Yesterday 13:03

Pretty lame joke.

In your opinion. I think it’s funny. We all have different senses of humour.

You can’t find offence in everything.

BrightLemonHam · Yesterday 13:07

ItsPickleRick · Yesterday 13:05

It’s only a joke if people are laughing, and nobody is.

I’d send the email OP.

That’s not the definition of a joke. And quite frankly, even if it was, I think it’s funny. Everyone has a different sense of humour.

twigtoleaf · Yesterday 13:07

Voltorb · Yesterday 13:05

If he's already on notice for his language then I'd imagine he's being monitored closely and honestly I wouldn't do anything. I'd adopt the give him enough rope approach. He will make another comment soon enough.

But isn't this the rope? Also I am so tired of his comments. I don't want another one.

OP posts:
OhJacintaWhatNow · Yesterday 13:08

I think you go to hr

Forget trying to plot and plan. Be straight forward and honest

ACynicalDad · Yesterday 13:08

Whether it’s a good move or not depends on the internal dynamics of your team and organisation. Only you know. He could make things worse for you without leaving.

Sunbringer · Yesterday 13:08

Just send the email out to everyone, if he asks say you wanted to ensure nobody else was confused. Just look blank if he says he was joking.

Voltorb · Yesterday 13:10

twigtoleaf · Yesterday 13:07

But isn't this the rope? Also I am so tired of his comments. I don't want another one.

I'd want a senior member of staff to make the call. You risk putting yourself into a difficult situation here if you send the email. He's still your boss and I imagine could make life quite difficult for you?

twigtoleaf · Yesterday 13:11

ACynicalDad · Yesterday 13:08

Whether it’s a good move or not depends on the internal dynamics of your team and organisation. Only you know. He could make things worse for you without leaving.

It's an organisation with a very clear focus on supporting vulnerable people so joking about 'inmates' in aged care would be considered unprofessional. He's already on notice for his behaviour. My role is in writing so it wouldn't be unusual for me to send around a language guide to the rest of the team - it's something we should also be aware of and the language around aged care/dementia etc is very clear.

OP posts:
LogicVoid · Yesterday 13:12

Yes. It is proportional and reasonable in this context. Also, your exec member was giving you a discrete heads-up.

twigtoleaf · Yesterday 13:12

Also he's already making life difficult for me. Death by a thousand cuts. He's frequently out of the office though and slacking off so my position is safe and I have a lot of support from everyone in the organisation.

OP posts:
user1477249785 · Yesterday 13:15

OhJacintaWhatNow · Yesterday 13:08

I think you go to hr

Forget trying to plot and plan. Be straight forward and honest

This is the correct answer. Don’t play games, just play it straight.

twigtoleaf · Today 03:15

In a sense though this is playing it straight - we are in communications, he has used incorrect and offensive language in a meeting and I am sending the team guidelines around the correct language to use because aged care is a new area for us and we need to get it right.

We are in health and so the language we use around healthcare has a lot of weight when it comes to our reputation as a whole.

OP posts:
twigtoleaf · Today 03:19

actually I might approach him directly and then let HR know I have done so, and what the context was.

OP posts:
New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread