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Original poster

Walking back into a ****storm tomorrow

564 replies

ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDay · 25/08/2025 22:10

I've been away on holiday for a week, back in the office tomorrow. There was a bit of a crisis happening before I went so I wrapped up as much as I could and did a decent handover. It's all blown up, my boss (CEO) has been sending furious emails and I've spent the week keeping a face on for DH and the DC while lying awake for hours at night thinking about it. My team have handled it like troopers but have also been messaging me and have set up a meeting first thing tomorrow before CEO gets in so I'm not blindsided, bless their thoughtfulness.

I'm going in extra early to clear my desk before my team get in, in case I'm getting fired. I don't know how I'm going to hold it together TBH. I've told DH that it's bad, but not how bad. He just said it's a bank holiday, don't worry about it until tomorrow. I'm tired, my holiday was ruined and I just want to go in and get it over with.

OP posts:
Angryfrommanchester1 · 26/08/2025 15:57

ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDay · 26/08/2025 15:11

I'm not head of all of compliance (we don't have that role) but head of the department that deals with this sort of thing. This has exposed a knowledge gap in less than ideal circumstances. We're not a huge company but larger than an SME.

The decision I made was to meet a regulatory deadline rather than spend any more time investigating and miss the deadline. The golden rule that gets rammed down all our throats during regulator training is if in doubt, report. You can always send a follow-up report afterwards when you have full information but regulators look dimly on late reports because it smacks of complacency or cover-up, so I stand by the decision. The new information is that we should have used a different process, which we're preparing to do now.

Are you talking about FCA reporting? If so I think you made the best call, so be fully transparent about the knowledge gap now it’s known, continue with your gap analysis and commit to further training and anything else from your gap analysis.

Again good luck with your meeting, as others have said stress it was a decision based upon what you knew at the time.

muggart · 26/08/2025 15:57

good luck OP.

Probably most of us know that horrible feeling when we have made a mistake at work. it’s awful. fingers crossed for you that they get over it and there are no repercussions for you!

Thepeopleversuswork · 26/08/2025 15:59

SunnyD4ys · 26/08/2025 15:56

Obviously we only have the OPs side of the situation but I'm surprised that posters are thinking she will be sacked, on what grounds?

For all we know the CEO has spent the day finding a resolution and from what we now know it seems like the OP made the correct call in the circumstances

As a result some process issues have been found that can now be addressed which is actually a positive too

I hope I'm not being too optimistic

I don't think the OP will be sacked either because it would reflect very poorly on the CEO, who has the ultimate responsibility here.

I think there's every chance the CEO, having had time to cool down a bit, will realise it was his fault above hers.

But I can see it's going to make for a difficult few days.

Eliza342 · 26/08/2025 16:03

ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDay · 26/08/2025 15:11

I'm not head of all of compliance (we don't have that role) but head of the department that deals with this sort of thing. This has exposed a knowledge gap in less than ideal circumstances. We're not a huge company but larger than an SME.

The decision I made was to meet a regulatory deadline rather than spend any more time investigating and miss the deadline. The golden rule that gets rammed down all our throats during regulator training is if in doubt, report. You can always send a follow-up report afterwards when you have full information but regulators look dimly on late reports because it smacks of complacency or cover-up, so I stand by the decision. The new information is that we should have used a different process, which we're preparing to do now.

Good luck, OP - hope it goes better than you expect.

FWIW I work in a similar function to you by the sounds of it and I struggle to see what you did wrong in the approach above. I engaged with regulators regularly in my role and always take this approach. If we have to clarify later or follow a different process then, fine but it’s better than not having engaged at all. This certainly doesn’t feel like a career ending thing that you’ve done! Appreciate I don’t have all the details but from reading your posts so maybe things are not as bad as you think…

littlefireseverywhere · 26/08/2025 16:15

Yes, rooting for you. You made the decision based on the information and resources you had available at the time is worth reiterating that your CEO wasn’t available so you made the best call you could.

spoonbillstretford · 26/08/2025 16:17

Me too, OP.

AMurderofMurderingCrows · 26/08/2025 16:20

Hope all is going well with your meeting OP. Nothing like keeping you hanging all day 🙄

OleanderBoat · 26/08/2025 16:21

Good luck OP. You sound competent, reflective and willing to learn. Does not sound like they should get rid of you. Hope it goes ok. Poor you having a holiday ruined. X

WifeOfAGemini · 26/08/2025 16:22

Rooting for you too. It sounds like you did your best - if you made the wrong call, it wasn’t due to negligence. You may be made a scapegoat especially if there’s a financial consequence, but the reality is you probably would have got in trouble whatever decision you made.

It sounds like an absolutely horrible job, I’m sorry you are stuck in this stressful mess.

OleanderBoat · 26/08/2025 16:22

If it was that urgent, the CEO should have met with you first thing. Meeting you at four feels deliberately cruel. Maybe I’m reading too much into it.

Jeevesnotwooster · 26/08/2025 16:23

ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDay · 26/08/2025 15:11

I'm not head of all of compliance (we don't have that role) but head of the department that deals with this sort of thing. This has exposed a knowledge gap in less than ideal circumstances. We're not a huge company but larger than an SME.

The decision I made was to meet a regulatory deadline rather than spend any more time investigating and miss the deadline. The golden rule that gets rammed down all our throats during regulator training is if in doubt, report. You can always send a follow-up report afterwards when you have full information but regulators look dimly on late reports because it smacks of complacency or cover-up, so I stand by the decision. The new information is that we should have used a different process, which we're preparing to do now.

Hi OP. Hope the 4pm wasn't too awful

I'm a lawyer who has to deal with compliance queries all the time (although probably different sector) and I would say a couple of things...

Depending on the breach it can be quite difficult to know who to report to.

And, the situation where one issue brings to light other non compliance issues is quite common...

Also, agree with your comments about leaning into reporting rather than full being informed. It is difficult to know where the line is, and that is a judgement call, but sounds to me that CEO is probably now going to have to face into things he/she may have been aware of but hadn't yet addressed. Hence the panic

HollyhockDays · 26/08/2025 16:25

Hope it’s not been too dreadful. It’s awful to have your holiday spoiled.

Original poster
ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDay · 26/08/2025 16:25

Ok, out of my 4 o'clock. CEO was surprisingly nice and calm about it. No shouting from him, no tears from me. He did more than once indirectly allude to some rather violent thoughts last week, but at no point did I feel unsafe so here we are.

He wanted to know what went wrong, which I told him, and what I think we should do next. I was armed with some really great lines from the podcast recommended by a PP (💐), so was able to talk about "doing the next right thing" and the legal advice needed to ascertain what that thing was. He's accepted my recommendations and sent me and the VPs off to get them rolling. It's going to be a late night but I'm so relieved.

OP posts:
Beachtastic · 26/08/2025 16:26

ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDay · 26/08/2025 16:25

Ok, out of my 4 o'clock. CEO was surprisingly nice and calm about it. No shouting from him, no tears from me. He did more than once indirectly allude to some rather violent thoughts last week, but at no point did I feel unsafe so here we are.

He wanted to know what went wrong, which I told him, and what I think we should do next. I was armed with some really great lines from the podcast recommended by a PP (💐), so was able to talk about "doing the next right thing" and the legal advice needed to ascertain what that thing was. He's accepted my recommendations and sent me and the VPs off to get them rolling. It's going to be a late night but I'm so relieved.

Excellent, OP - that's a perfect result!

Now, if only we could wave a magic wand to put time back so that you could enjoy your bank holiday weekend!

MrsVinceVega · 26/08/2025 16:27

That's fantastic, and what a relief for you.

ClearFoundation · 26/08/2025 16:29

Well done OP. You went in as a problem solver rather than a blame thrower. Exactly right. Big hugs.

ParmaVioletTea · 26/08/2025 16:29

Good to read @ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDay - but what a way to come back from hols!

BonneMaman77 · 26/08/2025 16:31

How’d the meeting go?

I agree with the reporting on time and investigations continuing as a principle of compliance

If that’s all it was then you weren’t wrong. If CEO says otherwise then they are telling you to do something that will be even further out of compliance - so they shouldn’t be going down that route. If they sack you over this, then you can make a complaint against them surely.

JacquelineHigh · 26/08/2025 16:31

Sleep well tonight @ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDay !

Jaichangecentfoisdenom · 26/08/2025 16:32

Congratulations, @ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDay. Sounds like as good a result as possible in the circumstances.

MellowPinkDeer · 26/08/2025 16:33

Oh @ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDaywell done!! It sounds like you coped amazingly , I hope you asked him where the hell he was in all this?!?! Good for you!!

WaitWhatWhatWait · 26/08/2025 16:33

Good update @ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDay - best of luck with the next steps!
Make sure to do a lessons learnt for this - it's not all your fault, sounds like there were some knowledge/ process gaps that need to be addressed.

ThankULord · 26/08/2025 16:38

ThrowMeAwayTheVeryNextDay · 26/08/2025 16:25

Ok, out of my 4 o'clock. CEO was surprisingly nice and calm about it. No shouting from him, no tears from me. He did more than once indirectly allude to some rather violent thoughts last week, but at no point did I feel unsafe so here we are.

He wanted to know what went wrong, which I told him, and what I think we should do next. I was armed with some really great lines from the podcast recommended by a PP (💐), so was able to talk about "doing the next right thing" and the legal advice needed to ascertain what that thing was. He's accepted my recommendations and sent me and the VPs off to get them rolling. It's going to be a late night but I'm so relieved.

Phew!
Well done, OP.

A mini celebration 🎉🎉🎉. You can breathe now.

Ohthedelight · 26/08/2025 16:38

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Dancingsquirrels · 26/08/2025 16:39

Good outcome. Well done