To have pushed back at my boss

[spanieleyes22]

So my job involves getting people to follow certain procedures. We need certain information and it's my job to gather it and get people to give us what we need. Some had been chasing for this document. Had emailed once and got a very angry reply back. I messaged back and gently said that it was just something we needed even if he hadn't had to provide it in previous years. Another angry email from
Him. So I escalated it to my managers. I have 2 of them. Not sure why I need 2 but ....! Neither replied. So this afternoon I put it in the chat. What to so etc just leave it or: one manager was wfh the other was in the office and just to say she had been chatting and laughing really loudly for the whole day: literally since the morning at 845 she did not take a breath. So loud. Chatting with other managers. My team were all super busy and had our heads down: she said I need to email again. So I said at this stage I don't think there's any point it would be better coming from a manager. No she said: you need to email him. I pushed back again and said I don't feel comfortable emailing and chasing again. I've had 2 angry emails: it's better for a manager to step in. Then she comes over to me and starts berating me and saying why won't you send that email. And I said again that I didn't want to engage with him again that he was getting angry and if it came from a manager it would
Have more weight. I said why won't you do it? I was getting upset at this point: she said no I'm not doing it you have to. So I said fine whatever you say. It's fine. I was upset at this point and she knew it. She spent the rest of the afternoon laughing and chatting as she had been all day. Didn't see if I was ok. Basically ignored me. Wibu

Best advice is to start job hunting.

Sounds a hideous place to work

One of the best things I learned from a colleague was to ask a manager what they'd like me to drop when they asked me to take on other work.
For now, don't work at the weekend, that will only encourage them and on Monday morning email the person again saying you have spoken to the manager and she wants the task done, cc her.
This weekend I'd be looking for another job, nothing is worth this stress.

That's a trite answer. It doesn't help where those being asked for information won't cooperate. It usually means that more senior managers, and often very senior managers, haven't done their work well in clarifying what needs to be provided across teams, and why that data important to the organisation.

I know you say you don't want to send the chase email now, after the confrontation with your manager , but I'd suggest replying to the 2nd angry response, saying you nevertheless still need the information (ignore his angry/excuses), have talked to your manager and ask when he is going to provide it. And definitely cc in both your managers. That way they also get to see how resistant he has been - and he can see that they can see (I don't usually like using email this way but you've tried twice - three times if you count asking your manager for help ).

Separately to this issue, you need to sit your managers down and say your work load is too high while you and your colleague are having to pick up the departed colleague's work, so which of your "top priorities" do they want you to drop?

Alternatively, you need to be assertive and say until the former colleague is replaced, you'll no longer be able to x and y. I'm not directly saying "Don't do any of former colleague's work" because it could be that some of his/her work is more important that some of your own remit, so it should have priority. Only you (and your managers ) can know that - not random people from t'internet.

Good luck.