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?

No real answer but learning how to set out of office replies by schedule can really lift a lot of stress in situations like this

Are there any data protection issues about CCing 72 people or are they all works email addresses?

You might like to point this out too. The original mistake wasn’t yours.

CCing 72 addresses - if there were private ones amongst those - is a serious error - and deliberate.

I think @NoSquirrels suggestions are spot on. And wow- I can’t believe anyone would send an email like that, let alone on a reply all. Shameful. Sorry you have to work with such a twat.

@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. I definitely would do this.

You're a TWAT, Judy. TWAT.

But honestly, go with nosquirrels email

Before anyone gets upset about what @GabsAlot said, let’s all be really clear that Priti Patel has been found to be a bully at work. More than once.

Payments have been made and what we know is probably the tip of the iceberg

Bullies should be called out and made examples of. PP should have been dealt with approximately and civil servants should be better protected against bullies.

I’m not sure you need to do anything apart from mentioning it to you manager. Everyone who will have received the email will already know that it’s her being unprofessional and rude.

Appropriately! Sorry!

I'm sure you are absolutely fuming about this OP, and rightly so.

For what it's worth I would imagine that not many of the 72 recipients are impressed by this sort of petty-minded bullying. I certainly wouldn't be!

Don’t be embarrassed, she has made herself look bad not you.

Some goof responses here.

Before anyone gets upset about what@GabsAlotsaid, let’s all be really clear that Priti Patel has been found to be a bully at work. More than once.

Perhaps so - but equating that with the word "cultural" was a very pointed reference to her ethnicity and totally, utterly, 100% unacceptable. Play the ball, not the race.

Good*

Jesus, this is why I had to start my own business. Can't deal with working with/for peoplelike this. My advice would be reply telling her to go fuck herself.

But yeah, probably better to send what NoSquirrels wrote.

First make sure that the way you’ve collated the information is correct, and that the error this woman is referring to is actually about the underlying data.

Don’t reply until Monday, if today isn’t a working day for you.

If you don’t know which piece of information is wrong in the spreadsheet, reply all:

“please identify which data is incorrect so the relevant person can supply me with correct data”.

If you do, forward to the person who provided the data, add this woman, copy your boss, say: “[person who provided data] please see below message from [wanker].

[wanker] In future, please take up any data errors directly with the person who provided that data. If you don’t know who that person is, please ask me.”

Leave it at that. Don’t waste any time or energy on dickheads.

Don't worry about this having any negative impact on you, this person is clearly an arse with an inflated sense of self. I worked with one once, it's very painful, but try to keep emotions out of it. I'm sure the 72 people will be reeling just like you are. Chin up xxx

Yes, you need to reply to all in a timely manner stating that it is a collation of data you have been sent this week and that if any data is incorrect it should be sent to you amended as you have no way of checking the figures you are sent.

How fucking rude of them!!!!

I'd be on to HR, also. Even if you had made a mistake, this is not the way to deal with it.

I agree with the great response posted above. I would reply to "dick" and BLIND copy the other 71 - so dick thinks they got away with it but everyone else knows..

@visitorfromtheplanetzog

Reply to all saying if the person would like to point out which part of the data supplied to you (and which you simply collated) is incorrect, then you will ask the person who supplied it to rectify the matter.

Do not reply all if you do this! It would not reflect well on you to continue a disagreement cc 72 people.

Don't email back today. Don't reply all saying anything along the lines of 'I just cut and paste, guv' which is what some PP are suggesting.

I echo @4amWitchingHour's suggestion but I am also curious as to how you know the error makes no difference.

@CcWanker

She is well known for being a dick.

She once emailed a colleague to ask them if they could read. Seriously.

'Well, if you think I can't read, it's a pointless exercise emailing me. surely?'

I would sit on it for at least 24 hours. Then I would email to all:

Dear Twat Manager , cc all for info,

Thank you for your email. I am sorry you were frustrated about this.

As you know, I only compile the report and collate the information sent to me. If on reading the report any contributors note any errors, please email me individually and I can get these corrected for you.

Finally a reminder that we all mistakes, especially in these challenging times, but mistakes can always be addressed and very rarely are so serious that they cannot be remedied. A little kindness goes a long way, as they say!

With kind regards
The OP

I would wait until you have the updated data and a new version of the report, then you have a good reason for contacting the 72 again, and it will sound less passive aggressive. I'd structure it as: Here's the updated report. Thanks to Rude manager. Setting out the process so it's clear it wasn't your mistake.

I’d tell her that was RUDE and cc everyone as well.

@Bumpsadaisie

I would sit on it for at least 24 hours. Then I would email to all:

Dear Twat Manager , cc all for info,

Thank you for your email. I am sorry you were frustrated about this.

As you know, I only compile the report and collate the information sent to me. If on reading the report any contributors note any errors, please email me individually and I can get these corrected for you.

Finally a reminder that we all mistakes, especially in these challenging times, but mistakes can always be addressed and very rarely are so serious that they cannot be remedied. A little kindness goes a long way, as they say!

With kind regards
The OP

Really? You don't send a reminder to someone many levels above you at work, do you? Wouldn't it be better just to say that you will work with the appropriate people to get a corrected version or, as AndAll suggests, just send out the correct version if it can be done quickly?

@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

I might be in the minority but I disagree with this, you would be normalising / accepting of this incredibly rude behaviour. I would definitely pick this up with your line manager to tackle before doing anything. I would not get defensive by replying all as it looks like you are pointing blame which you don’t need to do as those in the know will know you are just collating.

Your responsibility to the 72 people on copy is to provide an updated accurate report, do not be defensive and point out which part had the error but pick this up with the relevant party separately and resend to all.