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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Is this workplace bullying? or am I over-reacting?

10 replies

SublimeLime99 · 13/04/2024 16:52

Boss is a bit of a primadonna. Not an inherently unkind person and can be pleasant but very used to getting her own way all the time, capricious and frequently very rude and inconsiderate of people's feelings/fails to take mitigating circumstances into account. There is a long history of her upsetting people, making junior team members cry etc. Will try to be as neutral as possible about this and prepared to be told if I am at fault but for context I am far from the first person to have a problem like this.

We have been working on a client project for over three weeks. She, I and a team of three other people (she is the lead, I am the second). A document has to be delivered by the end of next week. Boss asked the client last week if we could have a deadline extension, client said no, it was needed "ASAP" but no specific deadline given. She has been agonising over it (which I don't blame her for, its a difficult project which had to be delivered well and to exact specifications) and has been working on this for the whole duration of the three week period.

Early Friday morning she emailed me to say she was on leave, the document was ready to be sent back and would I mind proofing it and then sending it to the client. I had been expecting she would do it early next week. I said I had a meeting out of the office, a number of urgent deadlines and a GP appointment so would not have time to look until late Friday but would do later on.

When I got to the document I found it was riddled with errors , lots of editing needed and basically unfinished. I looked at it for hours and then sent a polite email asking her to clarify a couple of points, clarifying exactly what I had changed and asking her let me know if she was happy for it to go back on Monday morning (by this time it was after 8pm on Friday).

I woke up this morning to a furious email from her railing at me for my lack of professionalism, telling me I had ruined her husband's birthday by sending an email that she was "forced" to read on his birthday, he was pissed off with her about it and I needed to handle things on my own. For clarity, because I know this would be a no no in some businesses, our is not the sort of workplace where people don't send emails out of hours. There is rarely a day in my working life where my bosses don't email me after 8pm asking for things to be delivered by morning. I routinely receive emails at the weekend.

She also is known for micro-managing staff, bollocking people if they don't check documents with her before sending, proof reading people's emails etc. So it feels impossible to win. You get shouted at for asking her to check and shouted at for not asking her to check.

I'm so incredibly upset and angry about this and no longer feel trusted or respected, I don't feel I can work with her any more, I'm completely at the end of my rope. I love my job, I'm fairly good at it and its well paid and rewarding but she makes my life an absolute misery, again and again and again.

There's no union in my industry and our HR department is overseas. The only person I can raise a complaint with is her and one other line manager I have.

Am I over-reacting? I am so so upset I can't think straight, can't stop thinking about it and just don't know what to do. Terrified to go back into work on Monday.

OP posts:
BobbyBiscuits · 13/04/2024 16:57

She sounds appalling. I used to have a boss like that, constantly pedantic and obsessed with minor errors while enormous ones of her own and trying to make us take the blame.
I think you should talk to the other line manager, and strongly start looking for a new job.

Plant2628 · 13/04/2024 16:57

No you're not overreacting. Honestly can't please some people. Sorry you got that email. My work means evening emails etc but it's down to the individual whether to read them or not. I'd be more furious at getting told off by email on a Saturday morning.

Popchippps · 13/04/2024 16:57

It’s not bullying from what you’ve said

she over reacted. I wouldn’t response and wait to see what happens on Monday

You didn't force her to read the email she’s being incredibly dramatic with that comment

ExpressCheckout · 13/04/2024 16:57

This sounds awful, OP. If you're in the UK, then I recommend you look at these pages for guidance as to what you could do next:

https://www.acas.org.uk/bullying-at-work

You are not over-reacting. So please, if you can, put that thought out of your mind. You are not responsible for other peoples' behaviour.

What bullying is - Bullying at work - Acas

What bullying means, including employer responsibilities and what to do if you're being bullied at work.

https://www.acas.org.uk/bullying-at-work

FKAT · 13/04/2024 17:06

It's not bullying but it is incompetence and unprofessionalism. She knows it's a shit piece of work and she's trying to land it on you and get you to take the blame.

I'd ignore all the irrelevant emotional comments and just respond with a proposal and set of solutions on how to deliver the project to specifications and quality within the set deadline. You're going to get the blame for it so you need to ensure it is a good piece of work.

kinkyredboots · 13/04/2024 17:08

Your manager is out of her depth and not suited to a managerial role. As she is a constant bag of nerves it reflects in her behaviour and means she will micro manage to try and 'control' the narrative. I worked for a woman like this - they can be pleasant individuals, but also a bit of a 'jackal and Hyde' character and turn into an irrational monster at times. Tend to have a favourite(s) as well who can do no wrong in their eyes.

My bitter experience is that they do not improve with time and you just have to watch your back with them.

Terrified to go back into work on Monday. - Don't be. If you sent an email like that in the heat of the moment wouldn't you be mortified by the time Monday came along? Take control, set up a 10 minute meeting with her to state you consider her email completely unprofessional conduct, unacceptable and no one actually made her read it. You need to draw a line in the sand - and make sure she understands that this is never to happen again or it will be reported.

Newgirls · 13/04/2024 17:15

You’ve got her nasty unprofessional words in an email right? She should be the worried one.

vincettenoir · 13/04/2024 17:22

I wouldn't describe it as bullying but it's certainly unreasonable behaviour and I can see why you are unhappy about it.

You're best placed to decide whether you need to address it with her, escalate it, or look to move to a new team or new co.

But, it's not fair on you to deal with that kind of outburst.

Also, it obviously goes without saying that if she's ruined her partner's birthday with a tantrum that's totally on her.

Gazelda · 13/04/2024 17:25

She's unprofessional and a bad manager.

Don't be afraid to go in on Monday. Hold your head high.

Address her with steely, icy professionalism. Ask for a debrief meeting to discuss what happened on Friday. In the meeting, explain how much time you put into the document, how you understood it to be crucial for the client to receive a quality response and hence your email to her. Tell her you were baffled and upset to receive her email. It has damaged your working relationship.

I'd also email all of this to your other manager. Factually and without emotion. It could come back on you at your next appraisal, so you should put your view across now.

Daffidale · 13/04/2024 17:48

Your boss is completely unreasonable. I hope you know that.

you did not force her to do anything
it’s up to her to set her own boundaries. If it’s her husband’s birthday and she doesn’t want to be reading work emails she shouldn’t read work emails

from what you said the doc is due next week, not yesterday. So totally reasonable to hold off sending to client until Monday morning when she can check what you’ve done

I would try to grow a thick skin on this. Grey rock her over all the dramatics. You have acted entirely professionally. She hasn’t . Calmly take the high ground

If you have an excuse to expose her histrionic email to your other line manager, I’d do it.

However sadly I think you do need to start looking for another job. She isn’t going to miraculously change into a good manager. Unless you have reason to believe she’ll move on in next few months, or think you can survive working for her by grey rocking, then this isn’t going to get much better.

I think it is bullying or at least very bad management, and you could certainly take steps. Minimum would be raising with your other manager. Max would be raising a grievance. But don’t expect the outcome to be that she changes.

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