Harangued by manager

[Confusedformer]

We have a new manager at work and his style of managing people is really ‘off.’ He has been in post for 8 weeks.

For example, we have quite a few people off with stress. He will phone them up on the first or second day of sickness asking when they are coming back. I know that managers are ‘allowed’ to complete a wellbeing check, but that’s not how it comes across at all - there’s a cursory ‘how are you?’ Then he’s straight into trying to pin people down to when they are coming back and speaking in quite a pressured way.

He is contracted and paid for 37 hours per week but also sends emails all day, evening and weekend. The emails are always directions to action things - and although he doesn’t expect people to answer at weekends, it does mean that he’s generating twice as much work as he would if he worked the hours he was paid for. Nobody can keep up with the work he’s sending - and then he’s asking us to justify why things haven’t been actioned.

I can no longer get through my emails. Everyone is stressed out. We work really hard and give everything we can.

just recently, there’s been a really challenging tone to some emails. For example, I received an email asking why I had forgotten to do something. The manager has said ‘please explain how this happened.’

i can’t actually work out how to answer this very demanding email. It’s a really minor point, very ‘nit picking’ and really not worthy of making a big deal. I can’t believe the manager is even asking about it and I can’t believe the demanding tone.

we get 30 minutes for lunch - we often skip this due to having too much to do, however a team stress risk assessment revealed that we all need to protect our breaks. He knows this and in theory he agrees to it, but regardless, he invades our breaks by coming into our office and asking questions, taking notes etc.

I’m starting to compile a list of things he’s doing/saying and how it makes me feel.

how would this make you feel? What would you call it? What would you do about it?

any advice would be helpful!

Can you put an out of office reply on your email saying you are out of office and no emails will reach this inbox - please re-email on such and such a date?

That way, you don't have to action anything until you're actually on shift?

He's entitled to send emails when he wants - but you don't have to be available to answer them outside of working hours.

Yes, thank you.

on the subject of emails, we receive twice as many as usual (before he was in post).

pur previous manager worked 40 hours

If it was me I would make sure I had boundaries. It is not easy. Leaving work not done makes you feel bad even if it is not your fault. Often we can be asked to complete unrealistic workload.

I would start taking 30 minutes lunch every day. No skipping. Can you go off site or away from desk? If approached, advise that on lunch.

As annoying as emails are they don’t necessary have to impact you. If they are working longer and generating extra work not on you. Either needs to be done at later date or on overtime. Unless you are working in an industry where expected to work extra is the normal. Otherwise just do what you can in your hours. If asked to justify you can advise that you have done work you can in your working hours.

Have you sat down with him, as a team, to let him know how this is impacting you? Is he aware all the emails are causing stress? If so and he hasn’t taken it on board, is there someone more senior you can approach?

Few thoughts on lunch:
Take over ear massive headphones to wear at lunch with your back to the door. Don’t switch them on so you can chat to your mates but pretend you can’t hear him when he tries to disturb you.
Or say, please can you ask me after lunch,
or pre-empt him by phoning him or teamsing him to say I’m going on lunch for the next half hour, before I do are there any questions as I’d like not to be disturbed and make him look the a**e that he is

thanks for your replies. Will try the lunch thing.