Telling a boss you find his emails demoralising? ?

Question

I have a manager since May who’s team I moved to while working from home in quarantine and he has sent me 2 emails today about some manual errors I made, basically in one case 0.76% of the work had an error and in the other case 0.6% (I did the calculations) and he has asked for an explanation, I usually don’t make these mistakes but we happen to be inundated with complaints to log since last week. He sent me a similar email for a similar amount of error a few weeks ago and he is asking for an “explanation” as to why they happened. I told him last time my only explanation was a mistake on my part and I apologised. He is very negative and I have stayed online to do unpaid overtime up until 10pm sometimes to cover work for ppl on sick leave etc... and he has never addressed it.

So say for example if I log 900 cases a month and usually there is little to no errors, the one month where we have over 1000 cases I make a mistake on 4 of them (btw it has been confirmed by a senior colleague that the mistake on the 4 cases have no bearing on them being handled and they get amended in the sanity checks anyway) he will send an aggressive email saying what is your issue and explain why this has happened. It makes me feel like a scolded child. I was covering a girl on Annual leave today so I worked from 9-5.30 but had to stay logged on to 7.40 to do unpaid overtime for work he kept sending me. I have emailed him asking for a c1:1 any advice on how to address it non confrontationally?

SCATTY c · Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, with a manager like this who chooses to pick up on the 4 you made errors on, rather than the 96 you got right, there is little you can do.

Do your set hours, correct what errors he thinks you have made and try and leave it at that. If he sends more work which you know you won't get done. Ask him if he wants you to do this new work or carry on with the original work, as you won't have time to get both done today. But, make sure you don't come across as confrontational!

Everyone, has to be adaptable and do a few extra hours from time to time. So you need to be reasonable. But when you are expected to do overtime regularly, and not get paid or time off in lieu, then that isn't acceptable!

With the covid job situation, you might just have to put up with this for the time being, just so you are working and earning, but I would be looking out for other jobs if I were you!

Anonymous · Answer

You have a Personnel Department. Use it. You're working in a Hostile Environment (a legal term). I guarantee that he's been warned before. Complain to Personnel. If you don't, it will get worse.

Elaine M · Answer

How about getting off this website and actually doing your job without making mistakes?

Anonymous · Answer

Looking at your posts, the PROBLEM IS CLEARLY 100% YOURS.

You need to find a new job and then another and another and you will then see that the bosses are not the problem, YOU ARE.

STOP BLAMING OTHERS FOR YOUR PROBLEMS.

Eva · Answer

DO NOT DO UNPAID OVERTIME!!!!!  As you have found, your boss doesn't appreciate it and besides that, it's illegal.  If the company has so much work that needs to be done, they either need to hire more people or pay you overtime to do it.  Nothing will change as long as you make it appear as though it's not a problem.  You need to be paid for ALL the hours you work!

ibu guru · Answer

The real problem is you are not meeting your boss's expectations. You're trying to manipulate your way out of it, minimalize it with your statistical analyses, etc. It won't wash with this boss.

You might be making more mistakes due to overload. If "unpaid overtime" comes in tomorrow, you are not available - you have to take your mother to the doctor or have had an event scheduled for weeks. See if a night off, other than your regular work hours, cures what's stressing you out & causing the careless errors. Double-check your work before sending it in to make sure you're not making careless errors.

Telling a boss you find his emails demoralising? ?

Trending Questions