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'He said he'd destroy my career': Employee claims manager threatened them over coworker's notes
An employee who said they were wrongly dragged into a workplace controversy turned to Reddit for help.
A workplace dispute has left a Reddit user seeking advice after claiming their manager threatened to “destroy” their career over a coworker’s personal notes. The employee said they had no involvement in creating the document but feared they could become a scapegoat because they sat near the colleague involved.
The post was shared on Reddit with the caption, “Manager threatened my career because of a coworker's personal notes. What should I do?” The employee explained that a woman on their team had faced conflicts with several colleagues and often felt that coworkers were gossiping about her or behaving inappropriately towards her.
According to the post, the colleague created an Excel sheet listing several coworkers along with personal comments beside their names, including remarks such as “looks at me badly,” “talks behind my back” and “makes inappropriate gestures.”
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The employee claimed that after the coworker left for the day, their manager discovered the sheet and confronted them. “He started shouting at me because I sit near her and am apparently ‘too close’ to her,” the employee wrote. They further alleged that the manager threatened them, saying, “If my name came up in this issue, he would destroy my career.”
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Reddit users advise documenting the incident
The employee clarified that they were not aware of the Excel sheet, had not helped create it and had never encouraged the coworker’s actions. They asked whether they should document the conversation, approach HR or distance themselves from the situation.
Several Reddit users advised the employee to maintain records of any interactions related to the matter. One user wrote, “Stay away from this mess and tell your manager firmly to not discuss this matter with you.”
Another suggested involving HR, writing, “Get the HR involved. Send a written mail to HR with what has transpired and that you were threatened by your manager.”
A third commenter said employees should document everything and stand up for themselves. “The best you can do is record everything. Make sure to call out his behaviour,” they wrote.
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Another user questioned how the manager discovered the document in the first place and suggested handling the matter through official channels. “It is better to get in contact with HR, but only use official communication channels,” the commenter said, adding that the employee should consider having HR present during any future discussions with the manager.
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
