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In the The Office episode Conflict Resolution, Michael goes through a folder and finds complaints about various members of the office. Some of the complaints are redacted, which means they went to Toby later on and redacted their statement. When the employees are confronted, they claim they didn't know Toby would write it down.

If they weren't aware that Toby wrote it down, why would they approach him to redact it?

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  • No, this was one complaint, IIRC it was Jim but Pam incorrectly thought it was Angela. And Jim explained that he was simply venting and didn't know that Toby was going to write it down, and likely later returned to Toby to say something like "forget about it". Also, "redacted" is Toby's term to indicate that he still saved the complaint but took off the name of the complainer.
    – BCdotWEB
    Apr 12, 2019 at 15:32
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    @BCdotWEB - According to Michael many of the complaints were redacted. From the script. "Toby, by the way, what does "redacted" mean? There is a file full of complaints in here marked "redacted?". Kelly also remarks she was talking to a friend or so she thought.
    – user71869
    Apr 12, 2019 at 15:53
  • @BCdotWEB - Redact is more than just removing the name.
    – user71869
    Apr 12, 2019 at 15:59
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    Toby explains in the episode what "redacted" means in this context.
    – BCdotWEB
    Apr 13, 2019 at 8:07

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You are misremembering some of the scenes where people who said they didn't know Toby would write down their complaints and they later went to redact them.

For instance, Kelly. She did say she thought she was talking to a friend and then afterwards realized Toby had written it down as a complaint then says she wants it redacted. Lines here (source: http://www.officequotes.net/no2-21.php):

Kelly: I didn't file a complaint. I was just talking.

Toby: To your HR representative.

Kelly: To my friend, I thought. I want that withdrawn.

And the other main redacted complaints are regarding complaints against Dwight, which are clearly complaints Angela had about Dwight that were redacted later once she started her relationship with Dwight.

Michael: Oh, ok. There were a bunch of complaints about Dwight that were put in the redacted file about six months ago.

Dwight: Whoa.. wha... wait. If someone has a problem with me, why would they withdraw it six months ago?

Pam: [notices Angela's intense concern] Um... let's move on. I volunteer. Did anyone have a problem with me?

And last there were complaints about Pam that Jim had made that he had later redacted which do actually follow in line with your question about people redacting if they didn't think Toby wrote their complaints down.

Jim: No, Pam.

Pam: [looks at to Jim] I am. [looks at Angela] It's about the Save The Date.

Jim: Pam, it wasn't her.

Pam: What?!

Jim: I'm the one who complained about you.

Jim: I... I didn't know that Toby was gonna write it down. [the camera flashes] I was just venting.

Michael: [off camera] Okay, good. Check that out.

Jim: You know, it was one day.

Michael: [off camera] That's terrible.

Jim: And I took it right back. It was like...

I see two possible scenarios. Either:

Jim is lying that he was just venting and didn't know Toby would write it down.

OR

(per a comment @BCdotWeb made) He was truly just venting and Toby possibly followed up with Jim about his complaints about the wedding planning and Jim told him to just forget it. We don't really have any evidence for either possibility.

I think any answers will just be pure speculation since there isn't any evidence pointing either way.

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    Let's not forget too, Toby's secret affection for Pam.................
    – MissouriSpartan
    Apr 12, 2019 at 18:13

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