Have you ever had 'cc' in an email used 'against you' at work?

[chomalungma]

Email is great. A valuable business tool. But I do hate it when conversations you have with it suddenly don't become 'private'.

Obviously nothing in email is secret. It's incredibly easy to reply to people, cc a few others into it and before you know it. lots of people can see what's been written. In the 'old days', that wouldn't have happened as much.

As an example, there is something on my 'to do' list - but it is a low priority. The manager who wants me to do the task has emailed me about when it will be done - and 'cc'd' my manager into it. It wouldn't have hurt to simply email me - rather than 'cc' my manager in . I don't have a particularly good relationship with my manager at the moment.

I can think of other 'email' chains - where people have been 'cc'd' in - yet really they don't need to know. Incidents could have been resolved with simple talking to people - or just directly involving people in emails - rather than people just getting one side of a story.

Maybe I am being a bit sensitive - but I do think that sometimes 'cc' in an email chain is used against people.

@saltandvinegararethebest

My ‘taking out my temper’ ( I think I said I went mad at her) is by no means bullying-check the definition. What I actually did was send a very polite email asking her to refrain from cc’ing in future when it puts me in a very poor light when I had done nothing wrong and had acted professionally at all times. I then cried in front of her (‘I went mad’, not so professional, but she was horrified, don’t think she realised the impact of her actions which were making me look bad (without cause).

I have given too much info here, I hope she doesn’t read this and realise who it’s about, I want to keep a good working relationship with her. It has been brilliant so far, I just want her to stop the thoughtless cc’ing.

What do you think about a supervisor who keeps ccing HR and the manager into every email/reply they send staff including if staff request annual leave or even an antenatal appointment

@AdelaideD that supervisor is either trying to prove she's capable in an” I’ve got this covered” way or insecure and worried about her job. If I was the manager or HR I would query why she felt the need to constantly waste my time like that and ask her to desist.

It's early. Both my reasons prove insecurity.

Thought you'd like this OP

I seem to be a person who knows people who know things, so when someone asks, "do you know who to speak to about..." I will often reply and cc the person in question, but at least that is explained.

I will also add people in with a comment like, "cc-Ing X because we were talking about this on Tuesday."

I am probably more likely to remove people from email threads than add them, though.

Can't help thinking there are a lot of people on this thread finally happy to find somewhere to air their suppressed rage and grievances about bosses and co-workers...