Managers · Primly Community

manager asked me to work on something unethical. what are my actual options here

analyst_ana · 4 replies

Not going to get specific but: I was asked by my manager to frame data in a way that would mislead a stakeholder. Not technically lying, but definitely misleading. Cherry-picking numbers to support a conclusion we didn't actually reach in our analysis.

I didn't say yes or no in the moment. I said I'd think about how to present it. Then I panicked.

Here's what I've been thinking through:

Option 1: Do it. Rationalize it as "just presentation" and move on. The path of least resistance. Also the option I can't actually make myself choose.

Option 2: Push back directly. Tell my manager I'm not comfortable with the framing and suggest alternatives. Risk: I don't know how she'll receive it. She's not someone who takes pushback well.

Option 3: Propose a middle path where I present the data more completely, including the parts that complicate the conclusion. Frame it as "let's show the full picture." This is probably what I'll try first.

Option 4: Escalate. Go to HR, her manager, or whoever handles this. Nuclear option. I have no idea what the company would actually do.

Option 5: Leave. Start looking now regardless of outcome, because if this is normal here, I don't want to find out the hard way.

I think I'm doing 3 first, and if that fails, 2, and if that fails, 5. I'm not willing to do 1 and I don't have enough information to do 4.

Has anyone been in a version of this? I'm specifically wondering whether escalating ever actually helps or if it just accelerates the exit.

4 replies

careerveteran

The middle path (option 3) is smart. "Let me make sure we're presenting a complete picture so stakeholders can't poke holes in it" is a face-saving frame for the manager. You're giving her an out. Some managers will take it.

But document everything. If this comes up again, you want a paper trail.

tired_recruiter

Escalation is inconsistent. I've seen it work well (reasonable HR, clear-cut case) and I've seen it backfire badly. The factor that seems to matter most is whether the thing you're escalating is a pattern with documentation or a single incident with no proof. One incident is very hard to get traction on.

sdr_sky

If you do start looking, don't mention this in interviews. "I left because my manager asked me to misrepresent data" is almost impossible for an interviewer to verify and just creates awkward dynamics. Just say you're looking for new challenges.

analyst_ana

Update: tried option 3. Said I wanted to add context slides "so it's defensible in Q&A." She said fine. I think she knew what she asked was a stretch and was giving herself an out too. Relieved but also now I trust her less.