You’ve given your notice at your job. What would your first reaction be if you received this email from your supervisor regarding the transition?

@pratik a huge sense of reassurance that giving notice was the right move?

@pratik Well, I guess we know why you’ve given notice. The patronizing tone and micromanaging is next level, especially as you’re leaving!

@pratik I’d reply with “no.”

@GrantMeStrength Yup. It makes me wish my notice period was shorter. In Texas, I’m not even legally bound to give notice, but I chose to give three weeks.

@stevepbrady It surprised me, too, that someone so senior can be so petty. ​

@yorrike I would, but they are the vindictive sorts.

@pratik Well, the proper response then is malicious compliance.

@yorrike malicious compliance 💕💕

@yorrike Haha! I wish I had it in me. But yeah, doing the bare minimum is possible.

@pcora Ha! My first reaction, too, but it was more of, WTF! And shaking my head at the pettiness. ​

@pratik wow, that’s atrocious! Looks like you made the right call in giving notice

@pratik That’s some next level pettiness and micro-management. Sounds like you’ve definitely made the right choice!!

@mroutley @DaveyCraney Right choice indeed!

@MacPsych Such people exist. Feel free to use the example in your workshops or trainings.

@pratik OMG! If you don’t comply what are they going to do? Fire you? If i was in this situation, my response to this email would start an F and end with a U in all caps.

@pratik Yikes. I would not be okay with that. Gut reaction? Immediate resignation. But depending on the circumstances and potential ramifications I would either comply at the most minimal level or ignore it if it’s outside my stated job description/scope of responsibilities.

@Parag I wish I had it in me to do that 😊

@heyloura Some context: I was let go from this job (late August). My last day was the end of October. I found a new job and am leaving in the middle of October. This email was in response to my notice. I hadn’t heard anything from them about the transition for all of September.

@pratik Honestly, my resignation would change to “effective immediately”.

@pratik Wow. Shaking my head vigorously while reading this. Entitlement much.

@pratik First reaction, “Nope”. I’m in favor of complying at minimal level since apparently you already committed to doing it. Buy you now have an accelerated timeline, basically do what you can. For any written work: Ask ChatGPT to increase its volume by 1000% in bureaucrat-speak. Yes, petty.

@patrickrhone @pratik if you’re actually not bound to give notice in Texas, I would also do as Patrick suggests.

@pratik “Thank you for your message. I will continue to manage my transition as previously planned prior to my finding a new role. I expect to be able to complete the following tasks before my separation.”

@pratik +1 to @jsonbecker response. Given the “vindictive” nature you mentioned, maybe even throw in a “thanks for putting this all together in one place” and ask for a call/meeting to have them walk you through everything. And then return your own plan with what you want/can get done in that time.

@pratik This is so petty it makes me wonder if they are trying to get you to quit even earlier to save some money.

@pratik first I’d reply that I have questions without listing them, then I’d have a breakdown brought on by the stress caused by the micromanagement.

If you provide all the information required in the spreadsheet, you’ll probably spend more time on that than the tasks.

How have you managed to work for them for as long as you have?

@pratik That’s incredibly offensive!

@pratik wow. I’d just find myself unable to ever get that spreadsheet open.

@pratik I’d counter with “I’m more than happy to take my accrued vacation and sick leave either monetarily or to shorten my time in-person here.”

Whenever I give notice, I hand over all projects up to that point immediately because I expect to get let go within 2 days and have PTO paid out anyway.

@patrickrhone @estebantxo I’m sorely tempted to, but academics are vindictive and can poison the well.

@vaibhav @samgrover IKR? I love the ChatGPT idea. Doing that definitely -*Rewrite in a formal and bureaucratic tone and lengthen it.*​

@jsonbecker @humdrum Yup. I replied with something along those lines. I had questions tho coz I had already completed some tasks last month and informed them. Others are “save all grant-related correspondence and email exchanges related to XXX contracts” I guess I need to figure out how to save smoke signals I had sent in addition to emails.

@stupendousman I am tempted to use the “revert back” and pay homage to my desi-ness. I don’t want to react because I know why they are doing it, i.e., to elicit a reaction from me in their attempts to belittle and humiliate me.

@palousegeo That is entirely plausible. Also, surprising coz they laid me off, and I was supposed to end my term at the end of October, so in fact, I AM saving them money by resigning two weeks early.

@robertk Oh yeah, I definitely had questions because some tasks were insanely vague. And yup, I’m not sure how I lasted in this environment. I started to voice dissent because I sensed it was changing me. Apparently, that dissent put me on their “bad” side and led to them firing me.

@miraz @Annie Offensive and insulting. I wouldn’t treat a junior person this way let alone someone who has worked with them across various projects for over nearly six years.

@starrwulfe Since I’m staying within the university, my PTO rolls over, and I don’t want to spend it just coz they’re trying to humiliate me. That would make them happy and give them an upper hand. I know how they think because this has been done to others before.

@pratik I know you’ve had lots of advice from other people and have already responded. If I got this email, I’d be immediately calling to make an appointment with the university ombuds.

@KimberlyHirsh On what grounds?

@pratik So in my experience, the university ombuds can help you talk through possible responses. After getting that email I’d be annoyed and flummoxed and would trust an ombuds to help me move toward a plan. That’s how it is at UNC, anyway.

@pratik reading that made my skin crawl. :(

@KimberlyHirsh Hmm… just looked it up. We have one too. There’s only one request I have issues with.

@pratik You have no idea how many swear words, and variations thereof, just swirled through my head.

I am so happy that you will soon be separated from this odious piece of shit.

I had to check to see if you had asked something specific in your post since I think I passed out for a minute with pure rage…

@pratik

Oh.
Dear.
Fuck.

You have the patience of every holy figure I can name (not that I’m actually religious, but still) for putting up with this level of BS/fuckery for however long you have. Did someone say ~6 years?!

This is the pinnacle of petty, and so vindictive I would take it to…someone. I know nothing of academia, so no clue who that would be.

Print out and frame that email.

Then set about being as maliciously compliant as you can. Record EVERY. LAST. THING. YOU. DO. Fill that spreadsheet to bursting with to-the-minute, blow-by-blow, precision details. Then do as someone said and use ChatGPT to blow it up even more.

500 words in each and every cell?

Yes, please!

(Also, apologies for my language, this was as cleaned up as I could manage)

@pratik

In reply to:

This is weird af

@pratik Wow, I thought I had seen it all when it comes to blatantly vindictive aggression through micromanaging, but this really takes the cake. I’m so glad you won’t be working there anymore.

@cygnoir Me too. Sigh!

@pratik Until recently, I had not seen this type of tone in work emails. The reality is, if the boss is like that …you will
be the first of many to leave. Time to contact his PA to put in 3 x 10 minute slots for meetings a day. Time for a skip call with his boss

@pratik Ahh, didn’t know you were going to stay within the organization. In that case, carry on – you’re doing pretty much what I would do. They go low, you go high and just find very highbrow ways to insult them that they won’t get until the exact day +1 you’re gone and they can’t touch you.