You have a manager who managed to turn this situation into a problem for you. It is important to emphasize that the problem is not the two employees who met with him. Although you would prefer to have them meet with you rather than bypass you, it could be argued that they met with you during their evaluations, and they were not satisfied with the outcome.
It was your manager’s reaction that totally missed the mark. In these types of situations, a manager needs to listen carefully to what the employees say, make sure that the employees have tried to resolve the matter with their manager, and then discuss the employees’ concerns with the manager.
Your manager ignored any kind of discussion with you, and he essentially chastised you on the basis of half the facts. This means that on a ten point scale, he earns a five, a failing grade. As for the future, you should let your manager know that you agree that your employees should have the opportunity to discuss their side of a story with him, but then add that you would like to have the same opportunity.
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