'I'm normally never this petty': Employee receives mediocre performance review, responds by keeping track of everything to prove her boss wrong

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Ben Weiss • Writer and Editor
Sep 3, 2024 8:00 AM EDT

Everyone gets a little anxious before their next performance review at work. Even if you know you complete your responsibilities to the best of your ability, there is a part of you that fears you may not receive the validation you deserve.

Here, we have an employee who not only received a poor review, but she was also largely blamed for improper management. Essentially, her boss claimed she never completed all of her tasks, even though said tasks were never clearly written out for her to execute. She decided to respond to this unfortunate meeting by keeping track of every single directive her boss gave so thoroughly that she could defend herself the next time she was unjustly blamed for his poor leadership style. Let's just say that it did not take long for that day to arrive.

Keep scrolling below for the full story and for the best reactions from folks in the comments section. When you're done, check out this post about a grocery store Karen's freakout at an employee.

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  • 01
    Safari File Edit View History Bookmarks D = M Gmail + Compose Search mail C : Primary
    via Stephen Phillips
  • 02
    This has got to me the 4th or 5th time I've asked you to do this. No, actually, you asked me ONCE per my records that you asked me to start keeping since my performance review.
    via [deleted]
  • 03
    I had a performance review on July 1st and my boss told me that I have a hard time keeping track of tasks. It's really not my fault since the company is too cheap to invest in a task management solution. We literally have to go off massive email chains and when you have 30 people CC'd in an
    via [deleted]
  • 04
    email with 25 of them not knowing the difference between reply and reply all, you end up with a lot of s mix. getting lost in the
    via [deleted]
  • 05
    ANYWAY, my boss told me that I needed to start keeping track of EVERYTHING.
    via [deleted]
  • 06
    Everything, you say? Every phone call. Every email. Every bit of communication for EVERY GOD DỊ TASK. With timestamps. Because apparently I am very forgetful and don't get anything done.
    via [deleted]
  • 07
    I'm normally never this petty but he gave me bad remarks across the board so I figured - you know what, I ain't going down without a fight, especially when I'm being blamed for something that is not entirely my fault. Also, I know I am very effective as an employee because I get things done... but
    via [deleted]
  • 08
    my boss doesn't seem to know that. So I spent the July 4th weekend developing a simple task manager to be used by ONLY ME. Every Vonage phone call gets automatically logged. Every email I receive - saved as a PDF and timestamped-time received, time
    via [deleted]
  • 09
    opened, time that I completed reading the email. Got a package you're sending me? I'm logging that stoo - time the UPS/Fedex driver delivered it, time I brought it into the house, time I opened the package, time I threw out the packaging.
    via [deleted]
  • 10
    I don't care if it takes me an extra hour each day. I'm logging ERR- THANG.
    via [deleted]
  • 11
    So today, he emails me saying "this has got to be the 4th or 5th time I've asked you to do so and so task". It was my f time to shine.
    via [deleted]
  • 12
    I responded with this: <boss name>, In regards to the task in question, I have received the following communication: • TUESDAY, July 25th, 2023, 11:18 AM - Phone call received from <boss phone> asking me
    via [deleted]
  • 13
    to complete this task. • TUESDAY, July 25th, 2023, 12:08 PM - Task sent for review. Confirmed task pending review with your assistant. Emailed <boss email> reminding him that the task was pending review.
    via [deleted]
  • 14
    • FRIDAY, August 4th, 2023, 11:01 AM Email received - from <boss email> asking me to this is the 4th or 5th time asking me to complete this task.
    via [deleted]
  • 15
    FRIDAY, August 4th 2023, 11:02 AM - Confirmed with boss' assistant that the task
    via [deleted]
  • 16
    was still pending review. • FRIDAY, August 4th 2023, 11:03 AM - Confirmed with boss' assistant that the task was never reviewed by boss.
    via [deleted]
  • 17
    • FRIDAY, August 4th 2023, 11:04 AM - Re-forwarded email to boss from July 25th, 2023, 12:08 PM reminding him that
    via [deleted]
  • 18
    the task was pending review. You asked me once and it was completed within the hour. If you asked me about this task 4-5 times, I would told you 3-4 times that it was already pending review because it was completed the first time you asked. Asking me to keep a record of
    via [deleted]
  • 19
    everything was a great idea because now I know that I am not the problem here. I haven't heard back from him since.
    via [deleted]
  • 20
    mom2mermaidboo +1 . 2 days ago I had a boss years ago who would deny ever being told about stuff. This is about 25 years ago, so everything was paper then.
    via [deleted]
  • 21
    So I started writing him memos, then handing him the memo, and having him sign and date my copy. He then forgot he had signed the memo.
    via [deleted]
  • 22
    Then at staff meeting or whenever, he would bring up the issue he thought I hadn't taken care of, and I would bring out the memo, and remind him I had told him on such and such a date.
    via [deleted]
  • 23
    He hated that, and eventually gave up that bs as he knew I was way ahead of him on basically everything.
    via [deleted]
  • 24
    Visible-Disaster 2 days ago Wonderful. Although you better polish that resume as I'm sure he won't like being called out on his antics.
    via [deleted]
  • 25
    ayamrik 2 days ago Reminds me of my first job. The boss would always change their demands on the fly (nothing written). Once he came to me to complain about some task I did wrong.
    via [deleted]
  • 26
    I just showed him my written notes I started to make. "Yes, initially you wanted A. Three days later you changed that to B. So I did B and it is ready. Should I redo it as A?"
    via [deleted]
  • 27
    After looking at my notes for a few seconds he left without a word. His nagging was reduced in the aftermath as he knew he couldn't blame me so easily anymore. Maybe he also started to make notes...
    via [deleted]

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