Your manager is, right now,
keeping files on you.
That’s one file
– the official one in Human Resources
– and there’s another file
– the secret, off-the-record file
only your manager knows about.
That second file
has every mistake,
every unprofessional comment,
every minor (or major) thing they could possibly
use against you
if they want to fire your a$$.
It is detailed,
has exact times,
dates,
screenshots,
other information
the manager can point to
in order to prove
the contents were legit.
You should be keeping
a similar file on your manager
(and anyone else who has authority
over you).
I call this the dirt file
because if things go wrong
and your employer is threatening
to fire you without the severance
you deserve,
that file gives you
negotiating power.
If things go well,
no one will ever see it.
Keep this file on a personal device,
a device your employer
would never gain access to.
I hope you never use it.
I used mine…once
and it not only saved my severance
but it saved the severance
of everyone on my team.
Keep a dirt file.