# "My boss is too busy to send you an email" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 11, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436 "2003-08-11T17:33:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/1 "2003-08-11T17:33:47Z")
I work as a systems analyst for a government contractor. One of my jobs is to restrict access to the accounting database to prevent people from getting to information they’re not supposed to be able to see. The rule is (and has been this way for years before I took over) if you need to see something you don’t have access to, ask your boss to send me an email. That way, I have his/her authorization for you to see that information. Today I have this woman email me twice. Each time she was asking me to grant her more access to the system. I emailed her back and asked her to have her supervisor send in the email so I have his authorization. Her response: > [@](#): > > That’s not possible, Ashtar. (Her boss) travels almost constantly and does not have time to send these types of emails. If you would like, I can ask (random bigwig #1) or (random bigwig #2) to send these requests, but not (her boss). I guess I’m a little confused as to how he is too busy to send in an email. Couldn’t you just email him and say, “If you’re okay with this, forward it to Ashtar”? How can he be too busy to forward a email? I’ve just about had enough of your little power trips. From now on, I exert the full authority vested in me by my company. Send me another of those emails, and I ignore it. Or better yet, I foward it to your boss and let him know you’re trying to usurp his authority. Or, you could just email it to him and ask him to forward it to me. Your call. Oh, and since this is The Pit, fuck-fuckity-fuck-fuck. ---
**Author:** ![Read\_Neck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e19b73/32.png) [@Read\_Neck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Read_Neck)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/2 "2003-08-11T18:01:18Z")
> [@](#): > > I’ve just about had enough of your little power trips. From now on, I exert the full authority vested in me by my company. Send me another of those emails, and I ignore it. Or better yet, I foward it to your boss and let him know you’re trying to usurp his authority. Or, you could just email it to him and ask him to forward it to me. Your call. At long last,a use for the obnoxious FW. If he’s too busy to write an e-mail,maybe he’s not too busy to read one. ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/3 "2003-08-11T18:06:59Z")
She’s not an auditor is she? If so, maybe she’s trying to see if she can get you to break the rules. 😉 Don’t do it though - access to the accounting database does need to be restricted fairly tightly, and if it’s really important that she have the access, she will find a way to get her boss to send that e-mail. And just keep calling her an idiot every time you get one of these e-mails. Not to her face though. Or in an e-mail. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/4 "2003-08-11T18:27:27Z")
Maybe I’m missing something here, but if random bigwig’s #1 (RBW1) and #2 will take the resposibility of granting that right, then what’s the deal. Do RBW1 and RBW2 have the ability to authorize their own underlings? Seems to me the correct course would be. 1-obtain OK from RBW1 or RBW2 via email 2- Grant access 3- Forward RBW# email to “her boss” and say, " RBW# has granted “annoying lady” access to restricted data base in your absence. If not she’s just going to make you out to be the bad guy in all this and try to get the bigwigs to smote you for being a road block. I think following steps 1,2,3 gets the burden of the issue off you shoulder’s and on to the bigwig team. Bubba oh yeah, and fuckity fuck fuck ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/5 "2003-08-11T18:33:06Z")
That’s just such BULLSHIT that the boss doesn’t have the time. It’s his job to HAVE THE TIME. And she should be able to get the information to her boss, regardless of how much she travels. It all stinks. Oh. And FUCK FUCK FUCK. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ccd318/32.png) [@John\_Kentzel-Griffin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Kentzel-Griffin)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/6 "2003-08-11T18:39:52Z")
It sounds like she might be trying to access something behind her boss’s back. Just send your reply to her stating the rule that the request must come from her boss, and cc her boss. Please try to be as concise as possible, because, as I’m sure you’re aware, the boss is a very busy man. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/7 "2003-08-11T18:49:00Z")
Or it could just be that this person is trying to get some work done and the boss is out of contact frequently enough that she finds herself deadlocked. So she’s hoping that an alternative authority source will work. If this is the case, you might meet her halfway by getting allowing the boss to delegate authorization to someone else in the organization. ---
**Author:** ![Bongmaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Bongmaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bongmaster)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/8 "2003-08-11T18:53:17Z")
**BubbaDog** nailed it, thats the right way to handle this lady. ---
**Author:** ![bayonet1976](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/77aa72/32.png) [@bayonet1976](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bayonet1976)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/9 "2003-08-11T18:56:31Z")
I’ll take the hard line here, but then again I am an Information Security Officer. If your procedures say you need the manager’s approval only grant access after you get that manager’s approval. If the manager bitches about it later inform him of the procedures and ask him to designate an alternate manager approver for his group. ---
**Author:** ![Svt4Him](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@Svt4Him](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svt4Him)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/10 "2003-08-11T19:00:30Z")
CYA, but don’t try to be too political, it could come back to haunt you. ---
**Author:** ![Geobabe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/geobabe/32/3908_2.png) [@Geobabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geobabe)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/11 "2003-08-11T19:29:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BubbaDog \* > \*\*Maybe I’m missing something here, but if random bigwig’s #1 (RBW1) and #2 will take the resposibility of granting that right, then what’s the deal. > > Do RBW1 and RBW2 have the ability to authorize their own underlings? > \*\* The correct question would be, do they have the authority to grant access _to this particular person_? Simply because they have higher rank than her does not necessarily mean they have authority to make decisions for her boss. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/12 "2003-08-11T19:45:42Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Geobabe \* > \*\*The correct question would be, do they have the authority to grant access _to this particular person_? Simply because they have higher rank than her does not necessarily mean they have authority to make decisions for her boss. \*\* They could give their approval, yes. But the fact of the matter is that the names she gave me are several levels above her boss. If her manager is too busy to send an email, how could these guys find the time? ---
**Author:** ![andymurph64](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a88e57/32.png) [@andymurph64](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andymurph64)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/13 "2003-08-11T20:06:52Z")
Don’t do it. Follow the advice above. Alternate explanation for her behavior… Her boss is an ogre who yells at her for disturbing him over little things and so she wishes as little contact as possible. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/14 "2003-08-11T20:32:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Lord Ashtar \* > \*\*the names she gave me are several levels above her boss. \*\* Looks like a winner to me. Except for one thing. Who initiates the request? Does the process involve you contacting the bigwig and asking for permission? If so, she’s putting you in the uncormfortable position of going to the well for her. Otherwise, if you suddenly get a request from a bigwig (not her boss) asking you to grant her access - I think you’re all set to go. But if she expects you to canvass the bigwig fraternity for somebody to grant her access just invite her to piss off. Bubba insert obligatory fuck here ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/15 "2003-08-11T20:52:16Z")
I love how she sets it…she mentions Lee Iacocca & Bill Gates via a phonecall while her requests go via email. i.e. No paper trail of her mentioning the bigwigs. So You contact Them (I’m sure she left it that way) and she risks nothing…and possibly gains an access she has no right to. 1. Ignore her. Let days go by until she contacts you. a) If its via email, reply (with a BCC to her boss) that her boss needs to approve such requests prior to her contacting you. whatever their drama is, it’ll settle between them & without you (as it Should!). ---
**Author:** ![yosemite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3ab097/32.png) [@yosemite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yosemite)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-boss-is-too-busy-to-send-you-an-email/194436/16 "2003-08-11T21:13:09Z")
The OP quotes the email from this woman thus: > [@](#): > > That’s not possible, Ashtar. (Her boss) travels almost constantly and does not have time to send these types of emails. If you would like, I can ask (random bigwig #1) or (random bigwig #2) to send these requests, but not (her boss). It sounds like _she_ will ask the (random bigwig #1 & 2). I don’t know what would be the best thing to do. If it’s OK for random bigwig to OK this, and Lord Ashtar won’t get in any trouble by taking random bigwig’s OK, then maybe that would be OK, _as long as_ this woman who is making all this a big hassle (by refusing to ask her own boss) does all the emailing and requesting and asking.