Michael Stuban was about to retire from a 35-year career with the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission a few weeks ago, and the only administrative issue left was to submit an exit questionnaire to the Human Resources Department.

On the questionnaire Mr. Stuban let loose, complaining that workers were often left in the dark about management changes and other issues, and that despite his supervisors' claims, open positions were filled based on politics and not merit. He went on to say that morale was low and his supervisors were out of touch with employees.

Instead of submitting this questionnaire directly to HR, Mr. Stuban hit "reply all" and sent it to 2,000 of his fellow coworkers. The email also went to the chairman of the Turnpike Commission, a former Pennsylvania state senator. The chairman wasn't pleased, telling Mr. Stuban that he was glad they never met. Ouch.

We know you've probably felt like ranting about the problems at work, but we really don't recommend Mr. Stuban's approach. He hit "reply all" just minutes before his official retirement, so it didn't affect him too much. That wouldn't be the case with everyone.

When you have legitimate work concerns (for example, you are being treated unfairly based on some protected characteristic -- pregnancy, disability, gender, race, etc.), speak out. But do it in a way that's respectful and in line with your company's policies and procedures. Go to your supervisor, another member of management, or the Human Resources Department. If you're in the state of Georgia, record your conversation (but remember to obey your employer's policies on this). While Mr. Stuban may have felt so satisfied by sending in that exit questionnaire, if he wasn't retiring within the next hour, he likely would have felt some serious repercussions. You can read Mr. Stuban's full story here.