I have to formally apologize to my entire team for a sarcastic comment in a a place nearby Doc.
By @nico · Work
Someone left a comment on our project tracker that said 'Per my last email...' and I replied 'If I had a dollar for every time someone used that phrase, I wouldn't have to work here.' Now my manager says it 'created a hostile environment' and I have to make a formal apology in our Monday stand-up.
The full story
I work in a pretty standard corporate environment where we use a lot of shared documents to track projects. On Thursday, a person from another team, who is notorious for being difficult, left a comment on a task I'd completed. The comment started with 'Per my last email...' which is the corporate equivalent of 'I'm about to be incredibly condescending.' The task was already done and I had notified everyone, so the comment was completely unnecessary. So, I replied to his comment in the a place nearby Doc with: 'If I had a dollar for every time someone used that phrase, I wouldn't have to work here.' It was obviously a joke. A few people on my immediate team saw it and reacted with the laughing emoji. I thought it was harmless. Apparently not. The original commenter reported my reply to my manager. On Friday afternoon, my manager pulled me into a meeting and said my comment was 'unprofessional' and 'contributed to a hostile work environment.' He said that because the comment chain is visible to multiple teams, it reflects poorly on our department's culture. they told me that on Monday, during our team's morning stand-up meeting, I need to issue a formal apology to everyone for my 'inappropriate use of company communication tools.' I am honestly stunned. It was a sarcastic joke on a a place nearby Doc, not a public declaration of war. My own teammates thought it was funny. Now I have to stand up in front of everyone and perform this act of contrition for a throwaway comment. It feels like a massive overreaction and a complete waste of everyone's time, but my manager is adamant. I don't know if I can even do it with a straight face.
How people voted
- Totally Cooked — 28% (39 votes)
- It’s Complicated — 42% (59 votes)
- You’re Fine — 30% (43 votes)
Readers say “It’s Complicated” (42%) — 141 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@gusliterally — My boss once made our entire department attend a 2-hour webinar on email etiquette because someone used the wrong font. Corporate is wild.
@cantbelieveit — lmaoooo
@nialiterally — i feel like we're not getting the full history between you and this coworker.
@ehhmaybe — can't wait for the follow-up 'per my last apology...'
@kiraforsure — Soft.
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