Would you report offensive message in a group work chat?

I was in the hairdresser’s chair yesterday when she talked about the shop owner next door and said some questionanable things. I’m in my 50s and she’s younger so was quite taken aback. I said ‘ I’m sorry, what do you mean?’ She quickly realised I wasn’t playing ball and corrected herself. You’ve got to call it out.

I disagree. The meme in question may be offensive or it may not. That's irrelevant in my view.

The point is that the OP thinks it is offensive. She is the one that needs to act on this situation so it is her assessment that matters, and not the opinions of other random MNers.

If she deems the content of the post on a work chat to be hate speech, then she should absolutely report it in line with her workplace policy. If it is subsequently concluded that there is nothing wrong with the content of the post and that she has misjudged the situation, then no action will be taken.

Whether you or I might be offended by the post is irrelevant.

So people who report racism in the workplace are the ones who should leave rather than the racists?

It actually doesn't work like that. If the OP reported and then experienced harrassment and bullying from other staff members, those staff members would be the ones who could lose their jobs and rightly so.

Lots of employers have these behaviour codes- especially anything in the public sector.

My experience is with social work- this would definitely be an issue there.

My friend nearly lost her job for something done outside work, not with work colleagues, not with her name associated or identifying her employer- a daft prank in her head, bringing the LA into disrepute in their’s.

If there’s 50 people in the chat I think you can report without worrying about repercussions. It’s not like there’s six people in the chat.

i have stopped pussyfooting around shit like this. I expect men to call out sexism and misogyny among their mates, and so i find it only natural that i call out racism and such like

In a situation like this i would: screenshot. Reply in the group, directly to the person who sent it that it is unacceptable islamophobia, think about HR depending on what happens next.

Depending on other replies i'd escalate to HR with a note in the group that i was doing so, and then leave the group. Or i'd just carry on in the expectation that it doesn't happen again.

Hmmmm sounds distasteful. I think I would have replied in the chat- not funny, suggest you take this down.

There really are degrees for all these things. Steering away from the topic for examples, I find "ginger" jokes largely offensive, but unless they are targeting a specific person would ignore or have a private word at the next level of offensive. Anti-semitic memes I would have a private word, or call out publically, or call out publically AND send to HR, it depends on level of offensiveness of the specific item.

So, it depends on the specific meme. If it's clearly targeted at terrorists not the general attack, then I would be at the level of a private word / publically call out, but not HR. "Some children died too as well as innocents maimed in markets, that's inappropriate not funny. Please would you take it down, thanks."

It's the same sort of situation as if you all go out as colleagues and someone said something racist then. Only in writing so there's a trail of whoever is laughing along with emojis

If it includes hate speech and it is a group solely used by staff of your work place then it is a work issue.

I just think if you find something offensive then you should be prepared to bring it up at the time to the person in question @MrsBennetsPoorNerves - not go running to HR behind their backs.

True. I was going to say something about "Christianophobia" but I don’t think it’s a word. Not sure it’s even a concept. (And no, I’m not a Christian, just bemused about how we’re allowed to say unpleasant things about some religions but not others.)

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves oh well.

OK, so you think that she should turn a blind eye to what she considers to be hate speech.

So you are also part of the problem.

I think we need to see it to see it as its hard to know if you have a valid point or if your just a bit soft

I'm a civil servant, we are told not to be bystanders and calm out any racism, sexism etc. As a civil servant this would be dealt with as a disciplinary, that is because we adhere to the civil service code and our behaviour inside and outside work is taken into account. Outside the civil service I think it's up to HR to decide. By not addressing it you are accepting, you'll probably find that lots of other people are thinking the same as you. But sitting on the fence not wanting to say anything. As far as the police are involved I don't think (may be wrong) they will do anything unless it entices racial violence

Are you trying to imply all people who report stuff are oversensitive? Or that we should ignore racist/sexist/misogynistic talk and not challenge them?

‘These nuts’ - but I’ve seen the Del Boy one as well!

I would pm the group admin and say you thought it was offensive so you have a trail of descent.
I bet others have already and it’s up to group admin to call that person out

Del Boy?

Are you suggesting that anyone whose experience of Islam is anything other than peaceful is not allowed to say so?

So not being Islamaphobic is a political position? I thought it was just being a normal decent human being.

@llamali I never said it mattered, just that I find it interesting.

We’ve been told it’s Islamophobia but we don’t actually know if it is or if that’s OP’s interpretation of it

@Nothinglikeagoodbook except several posters have come on here and said that if it's the meme they're thinking of, then it isn't really offensive at all.

I wonder how many of the answers would change if they knew exactly what OP was referring to.