Woke up to an email CC’d to 72 people to tell me my work is wrong

[CcWanker]

It literally just says

“This is WRONG Jane. WRONG”

I send out a report each week to all 72 people. One of those people has found an error and replied to all 72 with the above.

The report is literally a rundown of figures sent to me from different people which I collate into this report, it’s basically a weekly sitrep.

1. the error is so minor it makes no difference to anything
2. it isn’t my error it’s the error of the person who sent me that part of the report

This report goes out to exec level people all the way down to the bottom of the food chain. The person who has cc’d everyone is a very senior manager.

Do I respond to just her or everyone and make it clear it’s not my error?

Then I would log a grievance with HR for bullying because being belittled like that is office bullying

Jesus, no. One moderately rude email is not bullying. The sender (who sounds a total dick) will just say that she was stating a fact, and did not intend to be rude.

Lots of PPs have given you good ideas about how to turn this episode into a win, by looking professional and a grown up. Don't throw this win away by launching a pointless grievance, which will involve tedious work for your manager (who would otherwise probably have been on your side), and will not achieve anything useful.

I’m not sure if you’ve responded but I’d do something like this

Many thanks for your feedback and great catch.

Please can I take this opportunity to remind everyone to validate their data to ensure accuracy prior to sending it to myself for correlation.

Many thanks

Jane,

@Bluntness100 - the OP posted an update yesterday where another senior manager responded to the rude email (copying everyone in as well). Looks like she has some support!

Seen the update, well done to the senior manager for their reply!

You don’t need to reply however I would speak to your manager about the tone of the email ASAP. Just incase their is a repeat of arsehole managers attitude!

Yes but anyone reading “sending it to myself” would immediately damn the op to hell. I detest the “myself” crowd it’s grammatically wrong and utterly cringe worthy

I can't believe how fucking hideous some people are - that email reflects on her, not you.
Personally I'd speak to the guy who sent the frankly brilliant response, or go to HR and your line manager if it's not her, and come down hard on her - it's bullying, intimidation and completely unacceptable. In some cultures it's ok to stone people to death, would this be allowable at your company because of culture - no, so bullying is also unacceptable

@TurquoiseDragon

OP, I'm hoping you've been discussing this with your manager.

Otherwise, I'd suggest you simply get an updated report sent out just stating something like "Please find amended report attached". Keep it simple, the other manager has done what's needed by sending that rebuke yesterday.

I agree. Although I love NoSquirrels' suggestion, it isn't the role of a junior person to put a senior manager in her place. That has been done by another senior colleague. It will look better to everyone else if you just don't get involved.

Good for the other manager! I'd ask them to send out, or if you could send out, something like

'A reminder:

• any comments on the report, please contact me individually
• the report is a collation from various teams; there may well be discrepancies/errors.

But whatever you do, do NOT write, "send it to myself!"
It's appalling grammar!

@NoSquirrels

I might reply with something like

Thanks for noting that, RudeManager.

Could I please ask that everyone double-checks their data before sending through as I collate what’s sent in to me but have no way of checking for accuracy of figures provided.

Many thanks,

Jane

^ this

What a bitch. Have had to deal with similar before not knowing whether information was correct.

Rise above it but make it clear that it is your job to collate and present the data not check it.

Do you request information by email when it’s the right time?

Just wait until then for reminder

No one will want extra emails on it

Sounds like your coworker has your back.

I’d probably approach by sending out a message to everyone to remind them that

1. This is a collated report
2. It is sent to a wide distribution list that doesn’t want to be cc’d unnecessarily
3. If errors or questions arise they should be sent to you with reference to the specific problem (along with exact location within the report) and you will forward to the correct author.
4. If urgent or substantial, you will send a message to group while edits are made. It not, you will send correction when ready

Basically point out that they are wasting everyone’s time

There are lots of good ideas for a group response. If it were me, I would also send a restorative response to her about how it made me feel.

“When I read that email and saw how many people were copied in I felt anxious and upset. I’d appreciate it if in future you contact me directly if you are concerned about inaccuracies.”

If people aren’t told of the impact of their behaviour, they will carry on. Have used this approach many times and every time it is nerve wracking to challenge, but every time the relationship has improved as a result.

I know I'm late to the party on this, but I would:

1. refer original email to my manager for response, pointing out I only collate
2. next time when sending out the report include a line that says you only collate, please contact responsible person if any piece of data appears to be incorrect

@Bluntness100

If she wants to he professional and correct, she shouldn't send any email which says, "sending it to myself" because that just will be another WRONG. You dont say myself in that context. The correct word is just me.

I dont understand the mumsnetter obsession of avoiding the word me at all costs, especially when saying myself makes you look like an idiot trying to be smart.

I dont understand the mumsnetter obsession of avoiding the word me at all costs, especially when saying myself makes you look like an idiot trying to be smart.

FFS. Was there any need?

Yey for second manager input!

@4amWitchingHour

Ugh, what a twat. I would take the (almost) high ground and send three emails:

1. To the twat, saying that you only collate the data, and have contacted the person responsible for a correction

1. To the person responsible for the data to get a correction

1. To all 72, setting out that you have requested a correction from the person responsible, and that if any further errors are noticed to please raise them with you directly so you can make arrangements for correction

This approach makes it clear you've done nothing wrong, and makes it clear the twat is a twat without having to directly respond to their email. I'm sorry you work with such a twat

This is the advice I would take. Even after the nice manager has your back.

I've changed workplaces now but i don't miss the days when a mail was sent out to 100 (or so) addressees and you'd get 80 Reply-All of "tks" and 10 reply-all of "stop using reply-all" and then a month later someone would reply-all with "there's a typo in the third line"

@Bluntness100

I’m not sure if you’ve responded but I’d do something like this

Many thanks for your feedback and great catch.

Please can I take this opportunity to remind everyone to validate their data to ensure accuracy prior to sending it to myself for correlation.

Many thanks

Jane,

Sending it to ME! Not “myself”. FFS. Faux formality at its worst.

Only OP can send something to herself...

@CcWanker, not RTFT. Do you work for the Home Secretary?

@NoSquirrels

I might reply with something like

Thanks for noting that, RudeManager.

Could I please ask that everyone double-checks their data before sending through as I collate what’s sent in to me but have no way of checking for accuracy of figures provided.

Many thanks,

Jane

This is a perfect response.

@ILoveShula that question was covered early on in this long thread. The presumption that cultural referred to race was quite correctly challenged.

Do Not reply or engage with anyone at this point OP

Just fix the report and email it out

Her email has been seen by many and she will be dealt with accordingly.

She is very much in the wrong and fortunately for you 72 people are witness to her unprofessional behaviour which will now have to be dealt with formally.

Wait till HR contact you about it or another Manager such as the one who sent the supportive email.

If you did want to do this, just send the email to yourself In the to line and put the group in the BCC line. They will all individually (including Rude manager) get a bcc of the email.

I wouldn’t send your response to everyone, though. For the most part, Rude manager’s email will have annoyed the others in the group. They won’t have read it and thought “God, Jane’s terrible for getting that wrong”. They will have thought “ffs Rude manager, stop being an absolute ass to people and wasting out time.”. Don’t make them think “ffs, Jane, stop wasting our time.”

Work with nice manager and your manager to decide if you need to send an updated report put or a general reminder of the protocols for the report creation or for report feedback. The send that to the whole group as a regular email or as a line in the report email every time you send it out. Leave response to Rude manager about her appalling attitude up to your or her manager. If you are really pissed off that she’s like this and nothing gets done, make a bit of a stink about being treated like that to your manager. Engaging directly with her is far more likely to damage your position at work than make her feel she was in the wrong in any way.