Who is responsible for the content of a forwarded email?

[Illana]

So just had an earful from my boss about something I wrote in an email that he then forwarded to other people in the company.


I wrote "apparently due to a lot of incompetence" and this was a conversation I was having with a vendor to request a last minute quote on some work. Note that the reason I wrote this is because it's what my boss gave as a reason to why the quote was needed on such short notice.


I did not know who the incompetent party was and honestly it was not directed at anyone in particular.


My boss called me up to tell me he had forwarded the subsequent email with the quote I had forwarded him to other people and my comment was noticed. From what I could understand, someone within the company had taken offence to it believing I was referring to them (though I had no idea that person was even involved)


All of that is context and my main question is:


Am I responsible for writing it in the first place? Or Is my boss responsible for forwarding it?

[Annamarine]

So just had an earful from my boss about something I wrote in an email that he then forwarded to other people in the company.


I wrote "apparently due to a lot of incompetence" and this was a conversation I was having with a vendor to request a last minute quote on some work. Note that the reason I wrote this is because it's what my boss gave as a reason to why the quote was needed on such short notice.


I did not know who the incompetent party was and honestly it was not directed at anyone in particular.


My boss called me up to tell me he had forwarded the subsequent email with the quote I had forwarded him to other people and my comment was noticed. From what I could understand, someone within the company had taken offence to it believing I was referring to them (though I had no idea that person was even involved)


All of that is context and my main question is:


Am I responsible for writing it in the first place? Or Is my boss responsible for forwarding it?

Of course you are you wrote it ... others may have some responsibility for forwarding it but dont write something you dont want spread around.

[Super Kami Dende]

If you sent the Email under the belief it would only be seen by your Boss, then your Boss reading it and deciding to pass it on makes it his fault.

[Deleted]

Unless he is the final boss send a complaint above his head for being an ass, while looking for a new job.

[ItachiZaku]

Bit of both.

[Zephire]

It's the boss' fault. You've no control over something someone else is forwarding. Ofc you should only write things you can stand for and if you do and someone forwards it you're not to blame.

I'd be sceptical to that boss in general if s/he does such a simple mistake. Sounds very much like s/he could send confidential information when forwarding stuff or leak authentication information by answering a fishing mail or something. you should give your boss an earful!

[Deleted]

Easy.

You are ultimately responsible for the content of the email.

Whether or not you expected it to be shared isn't really relevant, if you didn't want an opinion like that to be shared, then you shouldn't use the company email.

[Cyclone Duke]

You used unprofessional phrasing in an email from you to your boss. Depending on how your relation with your boss is, that might be okay if it was just a personal communication - you can chat with your friends how you like to a degree.
If the mail to your boss was a professionally based one, you were acting/speaking poorly for a business setting but if it was only to your boss, it was a minor issue.
Your boss then fucked up on his own responsibility by forwarding inappropriate content to other people. He is responsible for the content he sends to others and can't just cop out by blaming it on you - he should be reading what he is sending to others - to not do that is pretty poor performance.

He's trying to get all the blame onto you, but he's the one who forwarded inappropriate material to other folks. Yes, you should be more professional within business-related communications, but you were only contacting him and did not offend any clients or others. He was the one that did that, and if he does not vet what is he is sending en-masse, that's just a very irresponsible method that will inevitably lead to these situations - at his own fault. If he actually vetted the content he was forwarding, there was no issue.


You slipped up and shouldn't speak like that in business communications and shouldn't act as if you've done absolutely nothing wrong. But in the vacuum of "who's fault is it that other people saw this inappropriate communication" that's on the boss.
He slipped up because you slippd up, but the fact this happened is only possible due to him either not vetting/reading communications he is sending (which he is responsible for) and that's a really shit process for him to be using which nearly begs for problems like this.
You are responsible for the mails you send - he is responsible for the mails he sends.

[fengosa]

It's the boss' fault. You've no control over something someone else is forwarding. Ofc you should only write things you can stand for and if you do and someone forwards it you're not to blame.

I'd be sceptical to that boss in general if s/he does such a simple mistake. Sounds very much like s/he could send confidential information when forwarding stuff or leak authentication information by answering a fishing mail or something. you should give your boss an earful!

This is incorrect. Email doesn't receive 4th amendment protection because it's stored by a third party and accessable by others including those you sent the email to.

[unbound]

Am I responsible for writing it in the first place? Or Is my boss responsible for forwarding it?

Actually, both are at fault.

One of the harder lessons to teach people is that they need think about what they put in documents / e-mails. You need to always be cognizant that the document / e-mail could very well be sent to others. Never assume that a document / e-mail will be read by someone that understands the background...this is why smart people add information to e-mail chains many times so that the context is readily available.

That said, your boss is equally responsible for hastily forwarding such an e-mail without him performing that same due diligence in reviewing the contents.

[Elim Garak]

The one who took offence is clearly incompetent and responsible for this, good catch

[MonsieuRoberts]

Column A and Column B. This is such a PC "professional" answer, but you should probably try not to say stuff that could be misinterpreted in any message that could be forwarded around. Keep that sort of thing to 1-1 conversations or private Slack DMs etc. Surely "apparently due to a lot of incompetence" could've been subbed for something much more placid and boring, yeah? Something without any sharp edges? Additionally, anyone forwarding anything should probably be aware of what they're forwarding. "Oh I didn't know that I was handing you a drink that dudeman at the bar spit in, I didn't even look to see that snot floating in there, I had no cluuuueeeeeeee!"

Yes, you're responsible since you wrote it, and I suppose being at the bottom of this specific totem poll means you're the one held accountable. But people should be aware of the messages they're sending around and what lies within them, generally.

I have a feeling that you're the kind of person who already knew the answer to this question before you even posted this thread, kinda like me. If you made the conscious decision to quote your boss verbatim to this vendor (something I probably would have also done), to convey the message and the understanding that would come with it (regardless of who was at fault for that incompetence) then you could probably work out that some sissy would eventually become pissy about it, even though no one was mentioned. All it takes is one of these "incidents" to happen and you'll remember to "censor" yourself now for less headaches later due to idiots.

TL;DR: See signature.

[Zephire]

This is incorrect. Email doesn't receive 4th amendment protection because it's stored by a third party and accessable by others including those you sent the email to.

I'm sorry, what? What is the 4th amendment? I'm Swedish so I guess it's something that has to do with law and such in another country? Also, I was just using common sense and stated my opinion. Had no thought about some law or such^^

[zenkai]

So just had an earful from my boss about something I wrote in an email that he then forwarded to other people in the company.


I wrote "apparently due to a lot of incompetence" and this was a conversation I was having with a vendor to request a last minute quote on some work. Note that the reason I wrote this is because it's what my boss gave as a reason to why the quote was needed on such short notice.


I did not know who the incompetent party was and honestly it was not directed at anyone in particular.


My boss called me up to tell me he had forwarded the subsequent email with the quote I had forwarded him to other people and my comment was noticed. From what I could understand, someone within the company had taken offence to it believing I was referring to them (though I had no idea that person was even involved)


All of that is context and my main question is:


Am I responsible for writing it in the first place? Or Is my boss responsible for forwarding it?

Always write emails like everyone is listening, you could have used less harsh words.

Remember, even Darth Vader said "You have failed me Admiral" He didn't say, "man, you fucking suck at your job". At least the guy didn't get his feelings hurt before he was killed. :P

[Deleted]

Haven't you learned how you can denounce others while sweet-talking?

[Lochton]

So just had an earful from my boss about something I wrote in an email that he then forwarded to other people in the company.


I wrote "apparently due to a lot of incompetence" and this was a conversation I was having with a vendor to request a last minute quote on some work. Note that the reason I wrote this is because it's what my boss gave as a reason to why the quote was needed on such short notice.


I did not know who the incompetent party was and honestly it was not directed at anyone in particular.


My boss called me up to tell me he had forwarded the subsequent email with the quote I had forwarded him to other people and my comment was noticed. From what I could understand, someone within the company had taken offence to it believing I was referring to them (though I had no idea that person was even involved)


All of that is context and my main question is:


Am I responsible for writing it in the first place? Or Is my boss responsible for forwarding it?

You have the reponsobility of your content. He has the responsibility for his content. So, if he forwards YOUR mail without making sure it is containing what is needed to forward, or isn't problematic, that is his problem. He forwarded it without making sure it was suitable for it. Though, if you write a comment like so in a work mail, you can expect problems.

[Machismo]

The person who originally writes the e-mail is ultimately responsible. The person who forwarded that e-mail can also get in trouble within a company, but since it was your boss, you are the one who is at fault. You said it, it's your words, you are responsible. Either your manager was condoning those words, or condemning them. It's no different than if someone recorded you saying those words, then played it for his friends to hear. You still said them.

[Kathandira]

So just had an earful from my boss about something I wrote in an email that he then forwarded to other people in the company.


I wrote "apparently due to a lot of incompetence" and this was a conversation I was having with a vendor to request a last minute quote on some work. Note that the reason I wrote this is because it's what my boss gave as a reason to why the quote was needed on such short notice.


I did not know who the incompetent party was and honestly it was not directed at anyone in particular.


My boss called me up to tell me he had forwarded the subsequent email with the quote I had forwarded him to other people and my comment was noticed. From what I could understand, someone within the company had taken offence to it believing I was referring to them (though I had no idea that person was even involved)


All of that is context and my main question is:


Am I responsible for writing it in the first place? Or Is my boss responsible for forwarding it?

I'd say he is responsible. No matter what, I always proof read any and all communications before I send them. He should do the same.

[noidentity]

I work for a law firm so we are always under the assumption any and all emails pertaining to one of our "files" can and will be audited meaning you should always be careful of what you say.

In your situation the fault is on both parties but it also depends on if your boss was asking your opinion in confidence. From your OP it seems you sent the email but your boss just forwarded the email before proof-reading what possibly should of been an internal only email.

Were you under the assumption it was an internal only email?

[prwraith]

Am I responsible for writing it in the first place? Or Is my boss responsible for forwarding it?

Of course not. You KNEW the audience you sent the email to. You knew this was safe.

This is 100% on your boss for forwarding an email with objectionable content.