WWYD: Team member accidently sent me a...mail

[Junestepe]

WWYD: Employee accidently sent me voice note via TEAMs outlining how they were hungover in work today. They were supposedly WFH and didnt attend team meetings were uncontactable for large parts of the day, they provided excuses BUT they just accidently sent me a voice note meant for a friend detailing their hangover and elaborate cover story for not attending meetings/not working today!!!

Employee is senior, established team member who can go rouge from time time but over all is a solid performer.

WWYD: How do I handle this? Person works full time remote. I don't want to fire them...don't want to involve HR..but I want deal with this appropriately and send the correct message so the incident is never repeated. I'm a new manager so your advice appreciated! Thank you

BTW, mistakes are not the same as outright lies. I'm not a fan of team members coming to tell tales on colleagues either but this situation, isn't a mistake it was a deliberate lie, they CHOSE to get drunk with work the day after. I'm actually guilty of doing what this person did a very long time ago, ie not showing to work after chosing to drink the night before, my manager at the time dealt with the situation appropriately. They gave me leave but they made absolutely clear that they would throw the book at me if this ever happened again. Guess what it never did, ever.

Just to add I have read the thread and I am very thankful I have never had many of you as managers. Utterly unhuman responses here. Find out what is wrong and support your employees,don't let them live in fear of losing their jobs over a one mistake.

Clearly most of the comments arnt saying sack them....

The mistake was sending an email to the wrong person.

Lying about being too hungover to be at work and lying about being at work is deliberate dishonesty, not a mistake.

He didn't make "one fuck". He deliberately lied about being at work. It says a lot about you that you can be so flippant about his dishonesty.

I think reply and say this obviously wasn't for me. Can we have a word about it? Then you need to say this is not acceptable and can they ensure it doesn't happen again. Doubt it will happen again and that will be that. We've all been there at some point so no need to go in too hard given they are good at their job. You might also say they need to take a bit more care about who they leave messages with

It wasn't a mistake. It was deliberate lying.

Tory Britain is alive and well in this comment section.

I'm just a nice person, you sound like hard work to work with who justifies being being bit of a bitch when given the opportunity because of 'management'

Not worth potentially compromising the career of a good person. Do nothing.

I'd keep it off the record if they were otherwise a good worker. I might say something like "Make sure you catch up on the work by Monday, and don't let it happen again."

Oh just ignore it- shit happens!

Self-important attitudes like this NEVER cease to amaze me.

You're not truly as stupid to believe there aren't many tens of thousands of people lying to their superiors at work on any given day, are you? You're not as naive as to believe lying in the workplace is some kind of rarity, are you?

But having caught out a liar we have to make an example of him, right? Sod it, let's hang him in the town square.

Nobody is going to ring in sick saying "I'm hungover and still half pissed so I'm going to take a duvet day and maybe have a big dirty curry later".

A white lie is going to be told. I'd guess a huge portion of people who ring in sick to work sometimes fudge the details.

As an ex hr manager my top tip would be that whatever you do or say is recorded, even if its informal. It could just be an email saying, I got your voice note, I'm sure it wasn't meant for me and I think you're aware this isn't the standard we expect and in the future please call in sick.
The amount of times managers rock up to hr with a long list of complaints they've constantly had "quiet chats" with an employee about and then think you can support them to sack the person because its finally gone too far.... more than I can count and every time, there's no written record and we have to start from scratch!

I'd follow your work policies for situations such as this. I wouldn't be a pushover.

Nice person maybe But Where's the actual management? You have a role to fulfil and it would seem that by doing nothing your not fulfilling it. The person needs to know your going to address this if it happens again as my manager did with me. She aswell could have just done nothing but they didn't they allowed me a second chance whist making clear it would be the last. Doing nothing means your not carrying out the required duties of a manager

He'd have far more respect for her as a manager for overlooking one fuck up than he would for her pulling him immediately. It's so childish when people think that unless they assert their authority over every human mistake they will somehow turn into a pushover with an unruly team overnight. Being liked as a manager is very important.

Arrange a meeting or give them a call to discuss the note. Explain you’re disappointed because they’re a good employee. Say you won’t take it further at this point but you will keep it on record if there is any other issue. (Keep the recording on file)

If you have a strict HR policy speak to HR and say this is what you want to do first.

I completely agree that being liked and being approachable is important as a manager but she's clearly stated they "go rogue". Doing nothing about this is not an option and is a lack of managerial responsibility. What would the company owner think about this person if they found out they had seen this and done precisely nothing? You can't be a manager and a friend at the same time. You can be fair minded and give chances but clear boundaries and lines must be drawn.

You can phone in sick. You don't need to say anything more than I'm sick.

He lied.

The point which sailed over your head is that he lied that he was at work and took a day's pay for it. He then boasted about his lie.

It's attitudes like yours that astound me. No wonder British industry, what's left of it , is such a mess.

Oh and your ridiculous hyperbole does nothing to strengthen your "argument"

But what if you're not sick?! What if you just don't feel like going to work that day because you're tired, or fed up with a colleague, or have a big night out planned and what to start on your fake tan and curlers?

Point being - not everyone who rings in sick to work tells the truth about why they are not going in to work that day. Most don't get caught out on it. This fella got caught. But it's hardly worth making a huge HR issue about it.

That's sensible. Particularly any policy about workplace dishonesty.

Are you so naive not to think records aren't kept of sick days and "sick days"?

The latter are easily identified and eventually will be looked at if a history emerges. Might not get you sacked but promotion and pay review will be affected.