Any managers here? Work advice re email etiquette needed please!

[FrostyChocolateMilkshake]

Hoping someone might be able to give me a bit of advice before I email my manager tomorrow. This may be a bit waffly, I apologise in advance.

I have been on annual leave today. We have an assistant (still in the throes of training) who can cover certain aspects of my job whilst I'm not there but understandably not all of it.

Anyway she rang me in a bit of a tizz today, basically one of our Project Managers sent us an email at 6pm last night - I'd finished at 5pm as per my contract, and my assistant had finished at 4.30. My assistant didn't see this email until today.

Anyway turns out the request on this email was urgent and needed to be actioned today. My assistant wasn't able to do this herself (not her fault) so had to let them know it would get done when I'm back in the office. Which is fine.

But what annoys me is that the Project Manager who sent the request had received an email off the Site Manager at 2.30 yesterday afternoon (basically the Site Manager had emailed the Project Manager at 2.30pm with a request). If he had simply forwarded it on to me at 3pm yesterday I could have actioned most of it then left instructions for my assistant to continue with it in my absence. If that makes sense?

My AIBU is - am I within my rights to raise this with my line manager tomorrow? To say that the team need to be more organised and not leave it to the last minute, then kick off when it isn't done? From what my assistant has told me today it looks as though we are in the bad books because the Project Manager forgot to forward an email early enough.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Hope this all makes sense!

What’s the dynamic and culture of where you work?

Oh and how do you know you’re in the bad books?

Hmmmmm id wait and see what you walk into tomorrow. Is your assistant blowing it out of proportion as their new and not used to this managers reactions? Or have the actually kicked off? If it’s the first I’d maybe mention to your assistant that this is a normal reaction. If they’ve properly kicked off or this is a recurring problem I’d bring it to your line managers attention and ask for a circular email about taking appropriate action in a timely manner etc.

I don't see why you couldn't say:

'Just a heads up we had this situation over the last couple of days

Would it be possible please for you to remind X team that it would help us to help them if they .....

Many thanks

@Goingtogetflamed

What’s the dynamic and culture of where you work?

I work in Construction, the team is 99% men (not that that's a bad thing, but to give you an idea of the culture)

@TeenMinusTests

I don't see why you couldn't say:

'Just a heads up we had this situation over the last couple of days

Would it be possible please for you to remind X team that it would help us to help them if they .....

Many thanks

This is really good advice, thank you.

But I don't want to send this to everyone then have my manager call me out on it.

@TeenMinusTests sorry I've just reread your message. So you suggests sending this directly to my manager? I think that should work, thank you

I meant send it to your manager, and get him to contact the project team.

@Ivy48 from what the assistant has said there has been a lot of angry emails firing about today. I'll find out for myself tomorrow.
It is a recurring problem with the team I work with (I work on several projects and it seems to be the same guy causing these problems)

x-post

Can't you have that conversation with the PM directly?

You are overthinking it. You're entitled to take annual leave, and sending emails after hours shouldn't result in an expectation that the task will be done outside of working hours. I'd be emailing them directly saying, sorry I was unable to do this yesterday due to annual leave, for future urgent requests I suggest you provide as much notice as possible.

If you want a conversation with your manager then I'd frame it as "how can we ensure there's support to allow me to take annual leave", because if you're the only person who can do an essential task then there's a massive risk there.

Unless there's something you haven't told us then they haven't done it deliberately. If you're happy for them to come directly to you in future then tell them. Sounds like you're overthinking a bit?

If it is 1 guy in particular you almost need to escalate it up so someone the level of his boss gets something from your side at the same level.

@Nohomemadecandles

Can't you have that conversation with the PM directly?

I thought this but he would no doubt then forward it onto my line manager. And potentially drop me in the shit which I don't want! I'd rather not go over my line manager's head

I would do anything unless its mentioned then you can that the request was forwarded too late for you to action. Assistant helped as much as she could but unfortunately wasn't able to take forward completely '

Unfortunately, you can raise it, but it is unlikely to result in change even if your direct line manager supports you, the team who were late will likely pay zero attention, and unfortunately, I speak from experience!

That said, you can't get annoyed about the way things are unless you try to change them, and at least then you will know you have done what you can. I try repeatedly to promote change.... Failing doesn't stop me trying!

They'll soon learn if they actually want things done!

But you've nothing to be in the shit for. You weren't there.

In that case I’d be inclined to forward any emails to your manager and explain it’s not acceptable behaviour any longer and this needs to noted with all parties. I had a similar experience recently, thought I’d just taken personal offence but my manager was very angry on my behalf and fed back to the person it was unacceptable behaviour.

Did you have an out of office set? So when they emailed they knew you wouldn’t be dealing with it until tomorrow?

At my place (also construction) if the PM had emailed and got my OOO but needed it doing urgently they’d then contact my manager.

Got no idea how this will blow back on you.

@LordEmsworth thanks for the advice and I completely agree. I'll try and word something to my manager tomorrow.

@Palavah I probably am massively overthinking. I guess I am just worrying this is going to come back on me...

Also there are certain things that I am responsible for, and when I am off, I send a heads up email around to let people know if they have anything of an urgent nature to send it by a certain date to ensure its actioned, otherwise I will see to it on my return

Do you have a detailed explanation on your out of office because I would expect that when out of the office to prevent this sort of thing being an issue.

@MiloAndEddie yep my OOO was set, and the "advance notice of leave" had been in my signature for the past week.

It is one person. That person's lateness is not someone else's emergency. Raise it with your line manager.

Hopefully your line manager is not a coward and will deal with the individual project manager. General round robin reminders when one person is the issue is not I think the best thing to do.