Not sure whether to bring up again

[indianwoman]

Work issue: I was asked to ask a member of staff to do something later on that day. It's something that's her job to do but it would have been better to have given her more notice so she could plan for it. It wasn't a massive job though.

I asked her at 10.45 for her to do it at 3pm. Her main job is not sitting at a desk so she's not checking emails all day. She rang me at 2pm saying she'd only just seen the email and she would struggle to get it done. I apologised and explained I'd only been asked that morning to ask her and I'd meant to come down to her to check she'd seen the email as it was late notice but I'd forgotten. The procedure is to email tasks , not ask in person. I apologised for forgetting to come to her but I thought she would see the email. She was quite cross and said she'd have to stay late to do it and I apologised again.
I heard later she was very cross as she was late to pick up her grandchild and he was upset. I'm obviously sorry about this.

A manager came to see me the next day and said as she was late to pick up her grandchild her daughter had said she couldn't pick him up any more. And implied it was my fault. I'd said I had asked her in the morning and didn't realise she wouldn't look at her emails at all. I said if I'd been asked to ask her with more notice than I would have but the person who ask me didn't organise it early enough.
I feel like I'm now being blamed for her daughter's decision when actually it wasn't really my lack of planning.
I'm wondering whether to bring it up with the manager tomorrow to say it was unfair of him to say that. Not make a big thing of it but just say it felt a bit unfair.
Any thoughts.?

It's not an exciting topic, is it?! 😞🤣

Why didn't she call her daughter to say she couldn't pick her grandchild up that day? You were just doing what was asked of you.

How long would it take her to do the job? Surely she should check her emails more regularly than that?

I’d bring it up again, but I’d present it as a question about process: what should be changed to prevent this happening again? Obviously if your colleague doesn’t check her email regularly there’s not much point assigning urgent work by email. Should you always follow up the email by physically tracking her down? Should assigning this kind of work always involve a 24-hour notice? That kind of thing.

the woman is being a drama queen. u asked her as soon as you knew. as u say it is policy to email requests this is what you did. you have followed procedures. not your fault. this woman is being a dick by making out you were to blame when all she has to say was either she couldn't do it or she had to pick up child late. either way not your fault. don't be a doormat and let them gang up on you. if any more gets said i would speak to the manager and say your not taking the shit for something that has grown arms and legs. if the woman is so annoyed then take it up with the company policy, not you. don't apologise again.

Thanks for replying. I'm wondering whether to just leave it with my manager but I feel like I'm being blamed for the end result which isn't my fault. I will actually speak to her next time if a last minute request is made but I just don't think I should get the blame, the request should have been made days before and then I would have asked her then, and I'm not responsible for that not being done. I just don't know whether to leave it now, or bring it up with the manager who spoke to me to say I feel it's unfair what he said to me .

Did you email her immediately when you knew? So 10.45 you were asked and immediately dropped her an email?

If her main job isn't sitting at a desk then tbh she can't be expect to be checking emails all of the time and if it had a 3pm deadline, why wouldn't you follow up at 12/1 ish and double check she was on with the task? I think if it needs to be done for 3pm and you know she doesn't have access to her emails all the time, it should be requested over the phone or in person the followed up via email, regardless of "procedure" because clearly giving such little notice isn't going to work.

Was it a task she could have just not done until the next day? Or a task anyone else could do? Honestly it just seems silly you've been asked by someone to ask someone to do something with a tight deadline, then never followed up on the email 🤷🏻‍♀️

The manager shouldn't be feeding back to you, in your position I'd speak to the manager about changing the email procedure / last minute request procedure so it doesn't happen again.

Her daughter might have been angry with her, but there's no way she's going to stop her collecting her child from school, simply because of the cost and inconvenience of finding care for her.

This is in no way your fault.

I don't think you should bring it up yourself. When it does come up have a strongly worded professional response prepared so that you're not caught in the back foot.

I'm going to talk to my manager I think to feed back what has happened, say next time I'll make sure I call, but ensure she knows what the response has been. The buck shouldn't stop with me.