Manager tries to gaslight a robotic developer into doing 3 jobs for 1 salary by manipulating the job description, pushing him to start job hunting: ‘[He] is deliberately misquoting and cherry-picking my contract’

Author image for Etai Eshet
Etai Eshet • Editor
Aug 14, 2026 8:00 AM EDT

Job descriptions are not buffet plates you can load up with as many things as you want, but that doesn't stop some managers from trying to pile on tasks they want you to do and pretend the rest of the menu doesn't exist

Their goal is always the same. Get one person to do the work of three while swearing the contract says so. This time it's a developer who joins a team that is already hemorrhaging people. No projects land on the desk. Everyone twiddles thumbs and comes and goes as they please. Then someone higher up asks what the team is actually doing. Suddenly, busy work floods in like a dam broke.

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  • My manager is trying to gaslight me by misquoting my contract.

    Man in a purple sweater uses a computer beside bold text reading “so many people have left since I started.”
    via ThisisEngineering

    Tense worker at a computer

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • One manager emails the whole chain asking for a status update. The developer explains the process for the third time. Architect designs it. Project manager documents it. Then it comes to the developer to build. That is how it has always been done. The manager responds by saying actually, this is all well within your job description. She quotes the job profile and cherry picks the parts that sound like extra work. She avoids the part about collaborating. She avoids the part about assisting. She changes the wording from reviewing existing automations to finding new automation opportunities. Two very different tasks. One is a developer role. The other is a business analyst role.

  • I started a new role a few months ago after being made redundant from my last one.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • I'm a robotics developer within the public sector and it is an absolute sh show. Since joining, I haven't been assigned a single project and SO many people have left since I started (red flag).
    via PremiumOxygen
  • There's basically no work to do and I genuinely don't know why I was hired. Everyone twiddles their thumbs and comes and goes as they please.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • Apparently, word of this got to our sr head of department and he's gone to our manager and asked what we're actually doing.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • Man in glasses holds a keyboard and phone beside robotics equipment in a workshop.
    via ThisisEngineering

    Robotics worker juggling equipment and a phone call,

    Stock photography for depiction only.

  • We're now being swarmed with busy work that does nothing and have pipeline managers chasing us for things we know nothing about.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • One such pipeline manager emailed me, my team and all our seniors to get an update on projects. She tagged me and
    via PremiumOxygen
  • asked me specifically where we were with one particular project, which I've already explained to her three times.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • "It needs to be designed by the solution architect and then the process design documentation needs to be created by the project manager before it comes
    via PremiumOxygen
  • to me to develop; I'm happy to assist from a technical standpoint where needed if required" - this is how it's always been done, it doesn't even come to a developer until it's ready to be built.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • MY manager responds to that email directly to me and the pipeline manager and says 'actually, this is well in your job description to do both of those stages and also build it too'.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • She then quotes my job profile and deliberately cherry picks or avoids key details of my role requirements.
    via PremiumOxygen

  • A colleague freaks out and says do not push back. The developer clarifies the role details anyway, framing it as not wanting to look like they are avoiding work. The manager schedules a catch-up meeting that never happens. Five hours pass with no call. The diary shows a meeting about a contract relating to someone with the same initials. The writing is on the wall.

  • She conveniently avoids the part where I'm to COLLABORATE with these roles and assist where possible, not to do it myself.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • She tells me I'm to look at where things can be improved in the business with automation, whereas my contract says I'm to
    via PremiumOxygen
  • look at existing automations in the business to see how they can be improved two very different - and role specific tasks, I'm not a business analyst.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • I told my colleague about this and he started fr king out telling me not to push back, but he's a bit of a doormat.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • I went back to my manager and clarified my role details and made out like I was pointing it out because I didn't want my last
    via PremiumOxygen
  • reply to look like I was avoiding work when it isn't even my responsibility.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • They're obviously trying to get me to do more work since we've had several people leave our team and not rehire.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • I'm so glad I saved the job spec for this role. I think I need to look for another as this is ridiculous. Can't wait to log on tomorrow and see what passive aggressive response I get.
    via PremiumOxygen
  • TLDR: My manager is deliberately misquoting and cherry picking my contract to try and get me to do more work outside of my role.
    via PremiumOxygen

  • This is what happens when departments lose people and do not rehire. The remaining staff get stretched until something breaks. The manager tries to gaslight the employee into accepting more work. The employee saves the job spec and starts looking for another role. The passive aggressive emails keep coming. The meeting never happens. The search for a new job begins.

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management workplace discussion employment issues boss workplace-stories hr coworkers colleague Horrible Bosses
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