Foreman Tries to Scapegoat Civil Engineer After Pouring Wrong Concrete Foundations, Refused To Take Mere Minutes To Refer to the Drawings Despite Being Asked 3 Times—Gets Fired When the Engineer Comes With Receipts

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jul 29, 2026 4:00 PM EDT

A civil engineer documents a foreman's mistake after being blamed by the foreman for having poured incorrect concrete foundations

When does documenting workplace mistakes become responsible accountability, and when can it feel like someone is protecting themselves at another person's expense?

Mounting pressure in the workplace often leads to mistakes. Pressure can't always be avoided, but workplace cultures- coworkers, collaborators, or leaders who insist on finger-pointing when something goes wrong, and organizations that feed into this and insist on punishing those who are bearing the blame become a concrete issue. While accountability is important, creating a culture where everyone is scurrying to make sure the blame doesn't stick to them and where people can effectively be scapegoated for something that wasn't their fault presents a more foundational problem.

Besides, these days it's kind of hard to get away with blaming someone for something. With so much being written and recorded electronically, there is a paper trail following you everywhere. Of course, there is always the risk that all of this evidence is simply ignored by toxic leaders and sycophants who are eager to stay tucked in behind their coat tails. 

When you have repeatedly ignored repeated warnings and then tried to shift blame to where it is unwarranted, you can't fault anyone but yourself when it comes to bite you.

In this story, an engineer found himself facing blame for a foreman's hasty error. The engineer documented the conversation and the builder's decisions in a follow-up email. He learned later that the foreman had been fired, and wondered whether or not he was wrong for redirecting the blame right back at the foreman like an uno reverse card.

In the case of the foreman's ranting about engineers always being problematic… You see it said often that if you encounter someone who is a problem once in a while, they're probably the problem. But when you are always encountering people who are problems, you are probably the problem.

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  • 01
    Construction workers consult plans after already pouring foundations on a busy construction site
    via Andy Quezada
  • 02

    AITAH for documenting that a builder ignored my drawings after he blamed me for his mistake?

    I work as a civil engineer in construction. A builder was under a lot of pressure trying to get some concrete foundations built, so I tried to help him out. First thing in the morning I called him to let him know I'd finished revising the foundation drawings and was emailing them through.
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 03
    He wanted me to explain the changes over the phone. I told him. I'd give him a brief overview, but I repeated three times that he was to wait for the drawings and build from the drawings, not from my verbal description, in case there was any misunderstanding. The drawings arrived only minutes later.
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 04
    I got to site and found the foundations had been built incorrectly. When I asked whether he'd looked at the drawings, he said, "No, I trusted what you said on the phone."
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 05
    He then blamed me, questioned my qualifications, told me my calculations were wrong, and completely lost his temper. His second-in-charge had to step in and calm him down.
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 06
    I calmly went back through exactly what I'd said on the phone. Despite being blamed, I told him I'd see whether what he'd built could still work so he wouldn't have to demolish and rebuild it. He demanded an answer immediately, but I explained I'd need to run the engineering calculations first. That just triggered another rant about engineers.
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 07
    Fortunately, I managed to make his construction work with some design changes. However, because of how the interaction went and because he was trying to shift the blame onto me, I documented in my follow-up email that I had repeatedly instructed him to wait for the drawings, that he chose not to look at them before building, and that he also never sent the site photos he'd promised.
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 08
    On my next site visit there was a different foreman, and I was told the previous foreman had been let go. Now I'm wondering if documenting what actually happened contributed to him losing his job. Part of me also wonders whether he'd already been on his way out and simply used me as a verbal punching bag that day. AITAH for documenting the facts, knowing it may have played a part in him being fired?
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 09
    Workers consult plans on newly poured foundations on a brightly lit construction site
    via Andy Quezada

    Workers consult plans on newly poured foundations on a brightly lit construction site

  • 10
    PicklesMcpickle NTA- you know it. Safety first. I had a co-worker at a group home. And I had gone through some directions and I could tell that they could not read. And I was concerned and gotten a managers pulled aside and I let them know. Turns out to be the last straw or something. I wasn't out to get someone fired. But we handle medication. I don't feel bad because safety first.
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 11
    Immediate-Employ-952 NTA. From now on "Call me when you are looking at the drawings and I can answer any questions." I would also record if that is possible by law in your area.
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 12
    pinesguy NTA. This wasn't the first time a guy that doesn't look at plans made a costly mistake. I hope the fellah lands on his feet somewhere where he doesn't need to look at plans. It's not your fault OP, your first priority is to the safe and sound design and you followed through guarding that.
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 13
    Grant Winner_Extra NTA You know what contributed to him getting fired? His incompetence and impatience. You had good intentions and clear communication, it's not your fault he was incompetent
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 14
    microfibrepiggy NTA. You know what happens if you don't document his f up and a part of the building fails because of it? You get sued into teeny tiny little bits.
    via EmotionalMuffinEater
  • 15
    rahocca NTA, his poor work performance lead to his firing.
    via EmotionalMuffinEater

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aita internet workplace stories toxic workplace builder workplace engineer construction workers workplace issues
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