I have just been sent an email by mistake,

[iwantitalltobenormal]

AIBU to be massivley hurt and pissed off from the email I have just read which was sent to me by mistake?

at the begining of this year, I offered to do a monthly blog for our small team, so other departments are more aware of what we do internally - (manager thought it was a great idea ) baring in mind this was my first attempt at this , and by no means a mandatory task , I did it all on a power point presentation , I also do not claim to be a professional blog writer and I really enjoyed doing it, and putting it together, I sent it to my manager back in March, It took a little while due to also carrying out my day to day job.

fast forward to today ( baring in mind I had no response or feedback on my blog, whether it be positive criticism or any type of feedback) someone has unfortunately sent me a long email trail between my line manager to his line manager slating my work on the blog I had done and slating how unprofessional it the content is - but in a really distasteful way , and nasty.

I feel hurt, upset and belittled.

I have a colleague I’m struggling with and I have emailed our managers about her because:

A) they need to know she’s doing barely anything and that her knowledge is severely lacking.
B) I like to ask for their help on how to manage her as its not my strength.

I do also feed back to her separately to help her improve though.

However, @WiseOwl69, what you presumably DON’T do is send a copy of your criticism of said colleague to her peers with a note saying “please take over her work because she isn’t capable?”

What were they slating you about? While it's fine for them to discuss what wasn't right or correct, spelling etc in your blog, they may have a point. Bear in mind they may not have thought it was good and maybe it wasn't. We don't know as we haven't read whatever you wrote in this blog. Yabu to be hurt by it but yanbu to be annoyed at your coworkers' in professionalism.

Why was the person who sent it writing to you? Ok, they didnt read the chain, but why were they forwarding you an email?

I agree your first two points. But I’d argue you don’t have enough info to say it was knowingly, because it could have been an error, I’ve done it myself. It’s easy done when you’re busy, stupid, but easy done.

Fwd-ing sensitive comments in an email chain you were added to afterwards because you didn't read it first is stupid but understandable.

Fwd-ing an email chain you've been on from the start containing your own sensitive comments about one report to their peer is a whole other level. I really don't think a competent manager would make that mistake.

Oh I received an unpleasant email mistakenly once. I just replied to all "Excuse me!!!" there followed to my amusement much panic

My DS once received a chain e-mail the head office had named all those to be made redundant and why, he was not on it but colleagues were. Egg on face all round.

No @ArgumentativeAardvaark I don’t. That is a very good point! And in fact we are told that we must keep giving her work and just have to support her more in the hope that it helps her.

I agree that at the very least you need to make them aware that you know.

Personally, I would consider the person who 'accidentally' sent the email to the wrong recipient to be more incompetent than the OP has been allegedly painted to be in the email itself.

I would prefer to pull someone up on a bad idea or poor spelling or grammar than to have to deal with the catastrophic outcome of a sensitive document being sent to the wrong party. And the more important the business, the more important this would be to me.

So hey, OP 🤷‍♀️ at least you're not the guy who sent you the email.

Someone sent an email slating me once to a whole load of colleagues - it was particularly annoying as she had completely got hold of the wrong end of the stick. I went straight to her department and spoke to her directly about it. She was mortified and apologetic.

I think its good to address these things head on. I would let your manager know you have seen the email, say you are sorry it wasn't was s/he was looking for, and that you would appreciate getting direct constructive criticism from her/him about your work to help you to develop.

Absolutely what @PrincessConsueIaBananaHammock said.

I don't see from anywhere here that the email containing the criticism which was sent to a colleague of OP was sent by mistake. The OP says that the email sent from her colleague to her was sent in error as her colleague had not read the entire email and didn't see the criticism at the bottom of it.
This for me is the greatest issue. Management can discuss a staff members performance with his or her line manager but should not be discussing the performance if a member of their staff with a peer of that staff member. via email or by any other method .

I think I'd forward the e-mail back to the managers with a really icy professional response:
"Very interesting to hear your opinions on my work, could we please schedule a meeting to discuss further?"

Great advice from @Blibbyblobby

I wonder whether the reality is that your line manager feels insecure and that you are a threat? That is often the motivation behind this sort of bitching.

In any event, it may be worth entering a formal grievance. The failure to give you feedback coupled with this unprofessional behaviour is really incredibly poor.

@Teawaster I agree and I said something similar up thread. I'm not sure if you were referring to my post when you mentioned the 'mistake' but if you were, just to clarify, I meant that the person who (inappropriately) received the email from management is, in my opinion, more incompetent than the management consider OP to be (based on what OP has said in the OP, I certainly don't think that of her). I would much rather somebody presented me with something I consider to be a bad idea, than have to deal with the fallout of some foolish person sending a sensitive email to the worst possible person.

And all that of course is if this was an 'accident' - there is also the chance that this idiot sent the email on purpose to make some kind of a point.

And also, if you weren't referring to my post, please ignore my ramblings

It's unfortunate you've seen an email not intended for you, but honestly I can't see what is wrong about a manager discussing your work with his manager? Even in a blunt way.

Especially given it was a vanity project which you initiated yourself.

I would probably do nothing, let them stew when / if they realise but take the criticism (no matter now harsh it was) and learn from it.

There's nothing to be gained from calling out the managers, what do you think they've done wrong? And it sounds as though it was sent to you by your colleague as a genuine mistake

Hey ladies,

I hope you, your LO and loved ones are all keeping well...
My family and I moved to Putney a few month ago and we are currently looking for an outstanding nursery for our daughter who is 3 years old. Would love some recommendations!!!

Thank you thank you thank you🤗

Definitely do not mention your feelings. That's the best advice on this thread. Just send your manager a copy and arrange to meet to discuss a way forward for the blog.

@Canada425, you need to go to this topic and click top left to start your own thread.

“Bear in mind”

@JesusInTheCabbageVan

Panic ye not

Thou soundest like a twat, sire.

Fucking hilarious!

Suckingdowndarjeeling, no I wasn't referring to your post, although I agree with what you said about the incompetence of the OP's colleague. It was hopefully a mistake though , unlike what appears to be an intentional , unprofessional sharing of criticism of the OP with one of her peers.

I am thinking in the absence of further response from OP that she has in fact reread the criticism and seen it is merely constructive criticism and therefore that is why she will not say what they said (or even the gist). Still wrong that a manager sent it in error to her colleague. Still susoect the colleagues motives in sending to her. Why would it need to be forwarded at all?

Honestly OP, I am furious for you. If I were you, I'd just say to the manager "I will not be doing the blog anymore, it is not in my job description and since colleagues are unhappy, perhaps they can do it themselves."

Drop the mic
Walk away