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Original poster

Manager made a mistake at work but thinks it was me

26 replies

wasntmehonesttt · 11/03/2022 13:25

Me and my manager were working on a document together, I finished editing it and sent it to my manager for him to review and then for it to go to the client.

Before a piece of work goes to the client it gets tidied up. Usually my manager would say he's happy with the final draft and then ask me to tidy it up and then it would get sent to the clients.

For this piece of work I sent him it for review and he said it was ready to go, he tidied up most of it but left in a few things that the client shouldn't have seen. I wasn't CC'd in to the email to the clients so I didn't see it go at the time, otherwise I would have flagged that we needed to tidy it up and resend

The issue is my manager thinks it was me. I can see why as usually it would fall to be my responsibility but in this case it didn't.

I did try and say that 'it wasn't me' in a discreet way but he didn't catch on.

Should I just take the fall and leave it? I hate feeling guilty for something I didn't do

OP posts:
Gizlotsmum · 11/03/2022 13:28

Do you have evidence that you never receive the email to tidy it up before going? Do you normally send them to the client or someone else? Will you get into a lot of trouble because of it?

WhatTheWhoTheWhatThe · 11/03/2022 13:30

No don’t take the fall if nothing else he needs to review the process to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

YouCantTourniquetTheTaint · 11/03/2022 13:30

No, don't take the fall for someone else's mistake. Tell your manager what happened, that it was sent without being sent to you, to do final checks.

YforWanky · 11/03/2022 13:30

What do you mean when you say you "finished editing it" and that he just "reviews" it? How did things the client shouldn't have seen get left in, if you'd finished the editing?

Original poster
wasntmehonesttt · 11/03/2022 13:40

@YforWanky

What do you mean when you say you "finished editing it" and that he just "reviews" it? How did things the client shouldn't have seen get left in, if you'd finished the editing?
It was a mixture of leaving in tracked changes and comments for my manager to review to show I'd taking in his feedback/any changes I've made on the drafted version.

Usually once he has signed off that he's happy with it I'll go in he'll tell me I can now remove all the tracked changes and comments and get it ready to send to the client, I'll then save a final version called '[doc name]_final' that goes to the client

For this project the '_final' file was saved by my manager, most tracked changes and comments were removed by him apart from a couple of them

OP posts:
Original poster
wasntmehonesttt · 11/03/2022 13:42

My manager is fine with it, but I replied saying 'I didn't save the '_final' version for this project' and he replied with 'Not to worry!' and started writing about something else, without acknowledging that he understands that it wasn't me, it was him

OP posts:
Original poster
wasntmehonesttt · 11/03/2022 13:45

There is technically proof that when you go into the document you can see that the '_final' version was created by him but it's the type of thing no one will bother checking as it won't get brought up again and it's only me and my manager who know, and the client didn't say anything about it when they gave their feedback (it's a draft version for them to review, not a finalised document that's getting published if that makes sense)

OP posts:
Indoorcamping · 11/03/2022 13:46

He knows it was him.

WhatTheWhoTheWhatThe · 11/03/2022 13:49

@Indoorcamping

He knows it was him.
Agreed
SolasAnla · 11/03/2022 13:51

@wasntmehonesttt

My manager is fine with it, but I replied saying 'I didn't save the '_final' version for this project' and he replied with 'Not to worry!' and started writing about something else, without acknowledging that he understands that it wasn't me, it was him
"Not to worry!' That was and is proof he knows it was him.
johnd2 · 11/03/2022 14:08

Reading this it sounds like you're making a big deal about it and he isn't. Would that be fair? These things happen and as a manager you don't want to go into great detail about mistakes whoever made them. Perhaps it's worth having a brainstorm about improvements to prevent it happening again but it honestly sounds like it's not a big deal to anyone but you.
Take care,

tiredanddangerous · 11/03/2022 14:09

Yeah he knows full well that it was him

johnd2 · 11/03/2022 14:11

In reality it doesn't matter whose fault it is, blame is very unhealthy. Think about where the guilt is coming from, presumably you feel pride in getting this kind of thing right every time.
That's not necessarily a bad thing but do think about why you feel this way
Also nothing stopping you saying to the manager "i feel very let down about the whole tracked changes thing, because i felt like it reflected badly on me even though i wasn't involved in sending the document out" or words to that effect. They might help you feel better.

TillyTopper · 11/03/2022 14:17

Could you approach this not from the angle of what happened in this specific case, but more as a discussion about what should and who signs off and who does what and in what order?

I'd draw out a little process flow in boxes, with who signs off and who does what at each stage. That may help in future. You can discuss "What went wrong last time" too - so he is aware and you also stop it happening again.

Sweetmotherofallthatisholyabov · 11/03/2022 14:21

Why do you think he thinks it was you?

Citabell · 11/03/2022 14:22

Oh he knows it was him hence why he won't make a fuss and it'll be glossed over.

Babadook76 · 11/03/2022 14:23

This would irritate me op. I don’t like to make mistakes, and I wouldn’t want people to think I had if I hadn’t.

blushi · 11/03/2022 14:25

Even if it was me who had saved the final version, as he is the one emailing it he should also quickly check it over too

I think I just hate knowing he thinks I've made a mistake, I guess it's bruised my ego a bit lol

poetryandwine · 12/03/2022 18:29

He definitely knows it was him. Luckily this is not the published version.

Without referring to this incident, you might want to initiate a conversation about a clear cut editing/checking/removal of comments procedure for the future if you have never really had one. If you have I would just let it go

Idontgiveagriffindamn · 12/03/2022 19:09

Given your last would of messages I think you’re making a big deal out of something that’s not a big deal. Either forget it and move on or out forward a process / checks to stop this happening again.

HappenstanceMarmite · 27/01/2023 09:43

What boils my piss in these circumstances - and it’s happened to me several times - is the lack of apology or even acknowledgement that it was not my error but theirs. It is only what I would do - and have done - when I’ve realised that I made an error.

MrsMikeDrop · 27/01/2023 09:48

TillyTopper · 11/03/2022 14:17

Could you approach this not from the angle of what happened in this specific case, but more as a discussion about what should and who signs off and who does what and in what order?

I'd draw out a little process flow in boxes, with who signs off and who does what at each stage. That may help in future. You can discuss "What went wrong last time" too - so he is aware and you also stop it happening again.

Oh gawd, please don't do this, talk about patronising. Next time just be clear that this is NOT the final version and x,y,zip needs to be done. Tbh I think he knows it was him anyway and isn't bothered. If you must just raise it next time you go for a coffee with him in a casual way

ouch321 · 27/01/2023 10:29

It was 9 months back. I'm sure OP is over the trauma of it by now.

rwalker · 27/01/2023 10:39

So nothings happen nothings been flagged up

in the conversation asking him for Final copy why didn’t you say you sent it with some of tracked changed in

StickofVeg · 28/01/2023 10:29

I'd have an I formal.chat with her. Tell her you saw the 80k discrepancy and ask her why there is a gap and why that amount. But be prepared for tough truth. Also if anyone advertently screen shares something like that then screen shot it!

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