To hate it when a colleague replies to an email *copying in unrelated people*

[elemenopeee]

I've sent Susan a query. Nothing stressful, nothing concerning, just a straightforward question. Susan replies and copies in all manner of bosses and line managers.

Why do you do this Susan?

Firstly - if I wanted others to read my email to you I'd have copied them in.

Secondly - you are embarrassing me as the higher ups then feel they have to respond to me, and do. But it was a simple query, Susan, you should have found out the info yourself and got back to me. Now I feel like I'm wasting their time with a simple query.

I'm absolutely cringing with embarrassment.

this is taken care off"

she didn't understand basic English

Quite.

Of course it is not as sneaky as in my previous role where they would respond to the person who sent the email and then forward .... as least you know who saw it

In my experience everyone’s just trying to cover their own asses all of the time. Susan has issues.

Ooh Discussion of the Day, clearly this strikes a chord!

'Susan, what happened about x?'

'Susan, what happened about y?'

'Susan, this is incredibly important but as far as I can see, you haven't done a thing about'

'Susan? Sorry to call you on your off, but what's happening about z?'

[Susan opens her Outlook at 9.01am. 25 new emails from her manager demanding updates on things she dealt with last Wednesday, all requiring extensive replies as her boss turns up at her desk demanding updates as she hasn't replied to all the emails yet]

'How do I know what has been said to a, b, c and f if you aren't here? I called your mobile but it rang and rang and rang.'

Susan takes a deep breath and says brightly 'How about I copy you into my emails so you can see what's happening?'

Boss: yes. That might help.

Susan says 'I'll copy you into the important ones'

Boss: No, something might be missed. I want to be copied into everything.

[Susan adds the boss onto every single email in the hope that they will get annoyed with the sheer volume of emails to the Site Team asking for more toilet roll in the ladies, a bulb has blown in the broom cupboard, IT have told her to turn her computer on and off again because the printer says it needs a new toner cartridge, she's had to reply saying it's toner needed, not a problem with the network, they've replied telling her to take the cartridge out and shake it, then she's had to reply that she's already done that...and stop pestering her for updates to unimportant things.]

It's not always about you.

Best thing I ever did was create a filter for anything in cc into.

Where I work there’s a reasonable turnover of staff (nature of the business) so any request for clarification by another department (usually accounts/finance) is sent to you and your immediate line manager, no matter who you are so it can be dealt with if you leave, have a day off, annual leave etc

I had a very controlling annoying colleague that persisted upon receipts for every single email. She would call over the office to me asking if I'd 'done it' yet? I would ask her 'done what' and apparently she would have had a receipt that I'd seen an instruction. I would tell her I'd seen it but hadn't read it because I would see the prefix but not open it
Evil I know. It was great to see the discombobulated expression on her face. Idiot

I had an employee like Susan, she wanted acknowledgement when she should have dealt with things herself on easy matters. Susan annoyed a lot of people, she is now redundant. Don’t be like Susan :P

I hate this too although I have to hold up my hands and say I copied my boss in on an email this week. I have an aspect of my job that I really can’t do without an action from another team member. I have emailed and spoken in person to said team member countless times with absolutely no response. I’ve been getting it in the neck off my boss. Magically, after sending the email with boss cc’d in...things happened and I could get on with my job.
I did feel a bit snitchy but hey-ho.

I wonder actually if it's her trying to suck up to managers to make her look busy... or something...?

Or trying to make you look thick!

Is she that type?

I had a colleague who would “bc” blind copy managers in certain emails. So sneaky.

Bastard!

At least she isn't bcc so the recipient doesn't know others have received the email copy. She might be hoping you will stop sending her queries when she only works x hours per week. Or someone on the cc can answer you directly to save her time replying to you. Perhaps she is drawing her manager's attention to your request.

"I had a colleague who would “bc” blind copy managers in certain emails. So sneaky.

Bastard!"

It's not always that sneaky. It's no different really to forwarding something on for information, which I have to do often so that people have all the information they need.

It’s also a culture thing. I don’t know about all of the Civil Service, but the department I deal with cc their whole organisation chart chain. And the Armed Services? The whole unit, command structure, CO’s dog and the tea lady.

I copy others in when my awful line manager passes her work onto me.
I'm basically snitching.

There is a manager (not mine) that does that and he really fucks me off!!!

I only ever reply 2 him and I know he gets annoyed having 2 reply and add everybody again lol...dickhead!