To hate it when people CC managers into emails for no reason?

[CCMeNot]

I find it so passive-aggressive when someone copies a manager into an email thread when it’s completely unnecessary. If we’re having a straightforward discussion or resolving a minor issue, why escalate it by looping in management?

It feels like a power play - a way of signalling something without saying it outright or trying to cover themselves unnecessarily. To me, it undermines trust and open communication.

AIBU to think this kind of behaviour is petty and unprofessional or is it just standard office politics I need to get over?

Fucking hated it, used to work with some bitch that had it out for me and literally everything would be CC'd to the manager.

I agree. An old manager of mine would try to micro manage the team & would pull you up for the smallest of things, then cc in his line manager in the email summarising our discussion. Very petty & unnecessary

It's awful. I cashed in an old pension in February and vowed never to work in another office as long as I'm alive. I made of list before I resigned - " Why I Hate My Job" - and this was one of the 56 reasons! 😅

Sorry for typo- "a" list. Doh.

It likely has nothing to do with you. I line manage someone who is required to CC me in to every email as part of their PIP. Alternatively, there is a politically sensitive project and it’s good to have seniors CC’d for awareness.

Yes I agree it’s petty & who knows if management have been bcc’d into an email?!

It's very annoying, but it says more about the relationship between the manager and the employee than it does about you. Arse coverers have nearly always got either zero confidence, a bad manager, or both.

This is one of those things where it entirely depends on why. I can't get worked up about it usually - I just assume it's someone looping someone else in and/or wanting an opinoin/steer from someone higher up the food chain.

The reality is that at work if you are confident that the way you have handled something is fine, there should be no issue with your line manager seeing the entire chain of communication etc.

Depends on why. If you've been asked to complete a task numerous times and not done it I think its justified. Especially when the work is then done straightaway because the boss is aware. Its infuriating. Just do your job.

It feels like a power play - a way of signalling something without saying it outright or trying to cover themselves unnecessarily.

It may very well be the latter, and related to something going on behind the scenes that you aren’t party to or aware of: if somebody is, e.g. having their performance questioned, or has their manager on their back about making the wrong decisions, or not appropriately following something up, when they know they have followed up an somebody else hasn’t actioned it, they’re going to want to demonstrate that this isn’t the case however they can by ensuring the manager sees everything first hand.

I had a former team member who also CCed left, right and centre - and it frustrated me until the company concluded a grievance I hadn’t been fully aware of. She’d been asked to CC particular individuals into all emails involving the colleague who had raised the grievance, so they’d be able to see whether she was was doing the things she was being accused of, and to cover her back if she wasn’t.

I manage several large teams. Many of them copy me in to emails to other departments, because the other departments won’t action things unless a “senior “ person has oversight of it. I literally delete every single one, I have no time to oversee every basic transaction that my very capable team can deal with. So much time wasted with unnecessary emails.

CC emails are sent by those trying to play silly games and drove me mad. So, having repeatedly had the same issue with a particularly awful colleague, the straw broke the camel's back! I ignored the email and walked the 6 foot to said colleague and replied, loudly to the query, making it clear that copied emails showed a lack of confidence in your work and did she need additional training? CC's stopped. I hate how toxic and Teflon coated workplaces are now.

I am required to CC my manager in basically every email. The whole team is. I hate it but have to do it

Yes, you're right. It's often passive aggressive. Sometimes though there are people who always cc all and sundry and it's not nasty. You'll often find that managers don't open those people's emails because they know it's yet again a cc to everyone, not important for them email.

Standard practice in many organisations.

I can assure you that if I continually copy your line manager into an email, I am not doing it to 'play silly games', I am doing it because you are chronically late, incompetent, underperforming, or all of the above, and I am blue in the face from telling you so.

Unnecessary micromanaging is a form of bullying.

You think it unnecessary/ if they are escalating it and copying in the manager mid way through perhaps they are not happy at the progress ?

instead of starting from the assumption they are wrong start from the assumption what have I done wrong ?

It depends massively on the culture of the teams, the managers, the individual and where they’ve worked previously.

There are lots of reasons to do it. Some a reflection of you, many a reflection of others.

Let’s be honest, it’s not for no reason - but yeah, it is a slightly dick move.

We all have to cc, not just me. Its just easier to do it now although it wouldn't be my managerial style and I think its ridiculous

Meh, I do it sometimes. If said person is being an idiot and not realising they’re wrong and resolving the situation (yes I’m always right, obviously 😂) then I might.

I hate it too, I get irrationally irritated by it. If I cc somebody into an email I tell them why.

A lot of emails I get are copied to my boss. I had similar thoughts but in an unrelated chat she said she'd asked people to copy her in because she knows I have a lot (too much really) on my plate and if she knows all the things I am dealing with she has a better idea how to support and can field things away when appropriate

Oooh, it's absolutely a passive aggressive power move!

I have a colleague who used to do that all the time (we reported to the same person). It was nearly always a sly dig concerning something he thought I should have done, but he would never just speak to me directly, he would email in a really snarky tone, copying our manager. No matter how trivial - the tone was just "CV hasn't done her job, but hey, look at me being great and bringing this to your attention".

It used to make me absolutely fume! Which was the reaction he probably wanted. It didn't help that our manager was an absolute wet-wipe, and would never confront him. I felt I was constantly having to justify myself.

This has all stopped now, though, because wet-wipe manager has left, replaced by new kick-ass boss who cannot stand him. And most people in the company are aware of how he operates.