My manager has completely stitched me up

[Originalsauce]

Around 3 mths ago I was at a meeting and was handed responsibility for a piece of work. Manager assigned it to me in front of big bosses.

I had some questions after working on it for a week or so and went to manager. Phone call NOT email (major error). Manager told me there were “issues flying around you don’t know about, this work is quite touchy so I’ll get back to you but just leave the work for now”.

I followed up a month later, same response.

Email this morning from big bosses asking for the outcome of the work. Manager replies “Originalsauce” has that work

I don’t have the fucking work because they told me to leave it whilst they dealt with the “sensitive issues”. I’ve tried calling manager 3 times this afternoon and they won’t pick up.

Options are I write an email basically calling them out on knowing they had asked me to stop work or ???

They has form for this but never so blatant before

I’d respond and say simply

Hi there, yes, I do, would be great to know if I can proceed now following instruction to stop? Just let me know what you want done.

Thanks

Original sauce.

Play innocent and happy to help.

Perfect reply ^

What @Bluntness100 said. Just email saying the manager told you to stop the work and asking if it can be restarted now.

Agree with bluntness. Dont go in too defensive. Just, oh did you sort out the sensitive issue then? Ill start work on this case again now you have instructed me to.

They want the work tomorrow. Finished package. It would be impossible to get it together now.

I’ve drafted a reply thank you Bluntness!

I'm so angry on your behalf. I know this type of manager all too well. Bluntness' email is spot on. Try not to let it ruin your evening, theres nothing further you can do now. Hope all goes well tomorrow.

Make sure you cc in higher-ups in the chain, OP! Don't let it be just between the two of you....

Agree with Bluntness and others.

I really hope this works out in your favour. What a shit bag.

I had a boss like this years ago and used to do emails rather than face to face or follow up a face to face with an email. It's exhausting.

What Bluntness said as he’s already stitched you up, so nothing to lose.

You may have already sent your reply but if not, I’d add in “Following my telephone conversation with X on Y date when I was instructed to pause work on [project] and my follow up call on Z date where it was confirmed to keep [project] on hold, I have completed (x,y,z of said project) and the remainder of the work is outstanding. Very happy to start this again immediately if that is now the instruction?”

Wow, how awful of your manager. I hope you included in your reply that further to your conversation with Manager on X and Y dates you were advised that the work was sensitive and you were not to go ahead with it until further notice. That's utterly shocking of the Manager.

Yikes! Sounds like he'll be happy to throw you under the bus if he can to protect himself ... do what you can now in writing to protect yourself! good luck!

Wow what a dick move on their part!

This is an awful situation but a really important learning experience. I worked for 12 years in medical research. Initially I couldn't understand why every telephone conversation was immediately followed by a detailed email summarising everything that had been said. I soon realised why it was important.
Every single one of those emails was printed, filed and archived for between 10 and 25 years.

@Originalsauce how did things go today?

I was wondering the same op!