When your boss thinks you messed up but it was your coworker Forum

[Anonymous User]

Alright I'm a paralegal but humor me?

I'm new to a job and my main boss is a grumpy old lawyer who is, understandably, a stickler for details.

He just chewed me out (extensively) because he thought I entered a client's address incorrectly into our database. Got a whole lecture about how sensitive this info is and how I could have fucked everything up. Which I get. I happen to be a very detail oriented person and I get why this matters.

I told him I was almost positive that I did not enter this info (knowing in my head that I was completely positive 'cause I remember this shit). Sure enough, I looked in my email correspondences and it was a different paralegal who did this. So, do I tell my boss and throw this person under the bus, or do I just take this one for the team?

I know it seems like I'm reading into this a lot, but I am new to the legal profession and details matter and I don't know how much of a big deal this is at a new job.

What do you think?

[Good Guy Gaud]

I think by now your boss has forgotten all about it and will probably say something like 'don't care just want everything to be right'

[HonestAdvice]

I personally would take the hit, but I'm not skilled at the political game. I'm not a particularly ethical person, but for whatever reason have always taken the don't be a rat rhetoric seriously. If you rat a person out you'll be a rat to your boss, and that other person will hate you. Being the manipulative son of a bitch I am I'd confront the coworker, and tell them you took the fall for them, and then that next time something like this comes up, they need to take the fall. They will agree. At this point you embezzle millions of dollars from the company, but do it on your coworker's computer. Your coworker will be tried and convicted, and you my friend will have 5 million clams waiting for you in Tijuana.

[TheoO]

Take the hit. Tell other para that they owe you one.

Scooped.

[Anonymous User]

OP here. Thanks for your thoughts.

Yep, not normally a snitch type but not super happy to have apparently fumbled on a serious case during my first month on the job.

But also not the type to tell a new coworker that she owes me.

Sigh. Oh well. Hoping that the boss has indeed already forgotten.

[HonestAdvice]

OP here. Thanks for your thoughts.

Yep, not normally a snitch type but not super happy to have apparently fumbled on a serious case during my first month on the job.

But also not the type to tell a new coworker that she owes me.

Sigh. Oh well. Hoping that the boss has indeed already forgotten.

You should key her car. That way everybody wins.

[Dcc617]

OP here. Thanks for your thoughts.

Yep, not normally a snitch type but not super happy to have apparently fumbled on a serious case during my first month on the job.

But also not the type to tell a new coworker that she owes me.

Sigh. Oh well. Hoping that the boss has indeed already forgotten.

Why not tell your coworker? That way you can feel completely justified in tanking them if they stab you in the back again.

Don't go up and tell your boss unless it keeps happening though. That will just make you look petty and dumb.

[Anonymous User]

I personally would take the hit, but I'm not skilled at the political game. I'm not a particularly ethical person, but for whatever reason have always taken the don't be a rat rhetoric seriously. If you rat a person out you'll be a rat to your boss, and that other person will hate you. Being the manipulative son of a bitch I am I'd confront the coworker, and tell them you took the fall for them, and then that next time something like this comes up, they need to take the fall. They will agree. At this point you embezzle millions of dollars from the company, but do it on your coworker's computer. Your coworker will be tried and convicted, and you my friend will have 5 million clams waiting for you in Tijuana.

TCR

haha I like you HonestAdvice. You always live up to your name and also make me laugh. Good stuff

[Barack O'Drama]

I must have accidentally hit anon above. Fucking iPhone lol

[Danger Zone]

You missed your opportunity. If you're gonna throw someone under the bus, do it as soon as you're accused. Doing it later is weird and will reflect really poorly on you.

[zot1]

He does not sound like a good boss to work for. Good luck!

[TakeItToTrial]

If you know for a fact it wasn't you, then I would deny it outright. There's no need to blame someone else. If the attorney really wants to find out who made the error, then they will do so, but I doubt they have the time/desire to follow up and figure out who is responsible. Rule number one: CYA (cover your ass)

[delusional]

Alright I'm a paralegal but humor me?

I'm new to a job and my main boss is a grumpy old lawyer who is, understandably, a stickler for details.

He just chewed me out (extensively) because he thought I entered a client's address incorrectly into our database. Got a whole lecture about how sensitive this info is and how I could have fucked everything up. Which I get. I happen to be a very detail oriented person and I get why this matters.

I told him I was almost positive that I did not enter this info (knowing in my head that I was completely positive 'cause I remember this shit). Sure enough, I looked in my email correspondences and it was a different paralegal who did this. So, do I tell my boss and throw this person under the bus, or do I just take this one for the team?

I know it seems like I'm reading into this a lot, but I am new to the legal profession and details matter and I don't know how much of a big deal this is at a new job.

What do you think?

Let me stop you right there bro. It doesn't matter. Once you admit it does, you may think you have salvaged something from the battle, but you've already lost the war.

[Anonymous User]

Alright I'm a paralegal but humor me?

I'm new to a job and my main boss is a grumpy old lawyer who is, understandably, a stickler for details.

He just chewed me out (extensively) because he thought I entered a client's address incorrectly into our database. Got a whole lecture about how sensitive this info is and how I could have fucked everything up. Which I get. I happen to be a very detail oriented person and I get why this matters.

I told him I was almost positive that I did not enter this info (knowing in my head that I was completely positive 'cause I remember this shit). Sure enough, I looked in my email correspondences and it was a different paralegal who did this. So, do I tell my boss and throw this person under the bus, or do I just take this one for the team?

I know it seems like I'm reading into this a lot, but I am new to the legal profession and details matter and I don't know how much of a big deal this is at a new job.

What do you think?

Let me stop you right there bro. It doesn't matter. Once you admit it does, you may think you have salvaged something from the battle, but you've already lost the war.

Mailing high profile and highly confidential documents to the wrong address doesn't matter...?

[pancakes3]

Alright I'm a paralegal but humor me?

I'm new to a job and my main boss is a grumpy old lawyer who is, understandably, a stickler for details.

He just chewed me out (extensively) because he thought I entered a client's address incorrectly into our database. Got a whole lecture about how sensitive this info is and how I could have fucked everything up. Which I get. I happen to be a very detail oriented person and I get why this matters.

I told him I was almost positive that I did not enter this info (knowing in my head that I was completely positive 'cause I remember this shit). Sure enough, I looked in my email correspondences and it was a different paralegal who did this. So, do I tell my boss and throw this person under the bus, or do I just take this one for the team?

I know it seems like I'm reading into this a lot, but I am new to the legal profession and details matter and I don't know how much of a big deal this is at a new job.

What do you think?

Let me stop you right there bro. It doesn't matter. Once you admit it does, you may think you have salvaged something from the battle, but you've already lost the war.

Mailing high profile and highly confidential documents to the wrong address doesn't matter...?

I think he's saying that the mistake in itself won't matter in that you won't be fired and if you're actually competent and the other para is legitimately incompetent, it'll all shake out after a series of mistakes like this so... don't fixate on this because it doesn't matter.

[delusional]

Alright I'm a paralegal but humor me?

I'm new to a job and my main boss is a grumpy old lawyer who is, understandably, a stickler for details.

He just chewed me out (extensively) because he thought I entered a client's address incorrectly into our database. Got a whole lecture about how sensitive this info is and how I could have fucked everything up. Which I get. I happen to be a very detail oriented person and I get why this matters.

I told him I was almost positive that I did not enter this info (knowing in my head that I was completely positive 'cause I remember this shit). Sure enough, I looked in my email correspondences and it was a different paralegal who did this. So, do I tell my boss and throw this person under the bus, or do I just take this one for the team?

I know it seems like I'm reading into this a lot, but I am new to the legal profession and details matter and I don't know how much of a big deal this is at a new job.

What do you think?

Let me stop you right there bro. It doesn't matter. Once you admit it does, you may think you have salvaged something from the battle, but you've already lost the war.

Mailing high profile and highly confidential documents to the wrong address doesn't matter...?

No, not really. I will grant you it's the kind of things lawyers worry about though. How many cases have been lost because HIGHLY CONFIDENTIAL discovery materials consisting of account records for 356,329 transactions during the Relevant Period (defined as June 1, 2009 - November 30, 2015) were sent on an encrypted disk to the building four doors down, where there is no Kevin MacWilliams, Esq. on the 19th floor?