A Reddit user has shared how their manager allegedly used company resources to build his personal brand, leaving them questioning whether the behaviour crossed professional boundaries. The employee claimed their marketing director asked team members to manage his LinkedIn account and support his personal networking activities.
What happened?
Sharing the post on Reddit, the user wrote, "My manager is a micro influencer on LinkedIn and uses office resources to amplify it. I don't know if this is ethical, so I'm looking for perspectives."
According to the post, the user's manager, who is the Director of Marketing, is active on LinkedIn and regularly participates in networking groups and industry events through his personal connections rather than official company initiatives.
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The Redditor claimed that throughout the previous year, one of their teammates was assigned to manage the manager's LinkedIn account as part of her job responsibilities.
"The posts had nothing to do with our company's voice on social media. They were purely personal, with a few scattered company updates. Friends from other companies often commented that he was giving a line by line breakdown of everything we were doing, including hiring and firing information. Even our CEO commented that he was sharing too much company information. Nobody outside the marketing team knew that his account was being handled by a company employee. He then fired her last month," the post read.
{{/usCountry}}"The posts had nothing to do with our company's voice on social media. They were purely personal, with a few scattered company updates. Friends from other companies often commented that he was giving a line by line breakdown of everything we were doing, including hiring and firing information. Even our CEO commented that he was sharing too much company information. Nobody outside the marketing team knew that his account was being handled by a company employee. He then fired her last month," the post read.
{{/usCountry}}The user further alleged that the manager later asked them to help build his profile for another personal networking event.
"He is very clever. He keeps all these requests verbal. I have enough influence in the office to refuse politely, but I'm sure he will get back at me in ways only a sociopath knows. I've also noticed he tends to push vendors from his personal network for company activities in India. His vendors often charge more than the market rate, yet he calls our shortlisted vendors cheap. Our marketing department alone has an annual budget of $1 million, and the finance team has asked us to optimise and reduce costs. He does not seem to care about that. I feel like I am in a very difficult situation. Most of the time he is great, but these glaring red flags worry me. Am I overreacting, or is this normal?" the user asked.
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Reddit reacts
The post attracted several responses, with many users encouraging the employee to protect themselves before taking any action.
"Gather evidence and escalate it to the CEO," one Reddit user suggested.
Another commented, "I wouldn't be surprised if your manager is getting kickbacks from the vendors. Many people continue working with vendors they already know because of existing relationships and convenience. Do you know why he fired the person who was handling the account before?"
A third shared a similar experience, writing, "My last company had a manager who also used familiar vendors to get kickbacks. I assume this isn't a massive company. Most likely, the leadership already knows. They're either complacent or complicit. Don't risk it."
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Not everyone agreed with the original poster. One user wrote, "Correct me if I'm wrong, but this person isn't affecting your job or stopping your career growth. If founders benefit indirectly from influencers, they may see value in this."
Another advised, "Start looking for a new job. Until then, grey rock him. Look up grey rocking on Google."
(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.)