Lawyer’s Calm “Reply All” Ends Up Being More Brutal Than Any Angry Response Could Have Been

Politics is a common reality in many workplaces. For the most part, these dynamics can get toxic and cause tension among employees. 

Politics in government offices, for example, can involve a lot of bureaucracy, much like what this woman experienced. The slow movement of documents requiring sign-offs from higher-ups was exacerbated by her supervisors’ incompetence, for which she was ultimately blamed. 

Fed up with losing face to valued clients, she devised a revenge plot that pushed office executives to make the necessary changes. 

Office politics can get out of hand and ultimately ruin the workplace dynamic

ollyy / magnific (not the actual photo)

This woman bore the brunt of it all thanks to her supervisors, whom she eventually got even with through some petty revenge

magnific (not the actual photo)

foxgotsocks

One employee’s undermining actions towards another can affect the entire office, albeit silently

Compagnons / unsplash (not the actual photo)

Based on the author’s account, she experienced different forms of sabotage from her supervisors. They likely persisted because these actions were less overt than bullying or other blatant aggression. 

Developmental clinical psychologist Susan Krauss Whitbourne calls this social undermining, which she says is common in the workplace. It can carry hefty, long-term, office-wide repercussions. 

“The negative outcomes on affected workers include ‘feelings of insecurity and workplace vulnerability’ and can lead to ‘diminished productivity, increased turnover rates, and engagement in counterproductive workplace behaviors,’” Whitbourne wrote. 

The author was in a tough spot because she was up against her supervisors. Talking to them about the problem didn’t work, and she had no other options. 

Her petty revenge plot was necessary to raise awareness of the ongoing issue, but she did it without confrontation. This is the correct approach, according to clinical psychologist Dr. Marilyn Puder-York. 

“You need to carry out the discussion of your concerns in a non-adversarial way,” she said. “Like a marriage, you should try to handle your complaints in a manner that does not do further damage to your relationship.”

The author offered more context to her story

Some readers shared similar experiences

While many shared congratulatory messages

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