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The original was posted on /r/antiwork by /u/WallElectronic9458 on 2024-09-28 02:30:34+00:00.

I’m not sure how to start this, but I’ll try to make it as clear as possible. I’m looking back on this for no reason but to share my experience. I tend to be straightforward in text, but I always aim to get the message across. I’m not here for drama or to drag anyone down - I just want to focus on my work. Sometimes that requires being honest, even if it makes people a little uncomfortable.

So, here’s the situation. My manager told me that before I respond to anyone in the company, I need to run it by him first. That was odd, but fine, I complied. Then he took it a step further: I also had to check my “tone” with him before sending any direct messages.

I asked him directly what he meant by that, and he reassured me that I “did nothing wrong,” but that I can sometimes be “a little blunt.” Okay, sure - fair enough. But what does that really mean? Blunt, in what context? There was no incident, no complaints, no issue - just a random statement about my communication style.

What bothers me is the extent of control this turned into. It felt like I was being stripped of my autonomy for a while. I started to feel like June from The Handmaid’s Tale, constantly monitored and regulated, even though there was no clear problem. It’s frustrating because, despite the lack of any real issue, this became the new “way.” Was I being punished for something that didn’t happen?

For the next three months, I sent almost every message I wrote to my manager for approval, as he requested. The strangest part? He would often rewrite my messages to fit his exact wording - sometimes changing entire sentences that were perfectly fine into something that sounded like him. For example, a simple phrase like “Yes, I agree” would be rephrased as “Perhaps this could work as well.”

At this point, it feels less like guidance and more like unnecessary control. I’ve been through a lot in my life, but this particular situation has stuck with me. It’s the one thing that really took the crown in terms of making me feel worthless, unappreciated, and trapped.

To be clear, I don’t know this person very well. From what I can see, he seems like a decent human being. I can’t speak to his character or intentions, as I don’t know him personally.

But what I can say is this: no one should ever dictate your freedom of speech or make you feel this type of way - especially in a professional context. I mean that quite literally. It’s beyond reason, and it crosses a line into something that feels almost unreal.