Racist 'Joke' by colleague

[ChanedForThisPost]

I’ve NC’d for this, just in case…

I work in a public sector organisation. Since the start of covid, we have all been working from home so our ‘Head of’ set up a WhatsApp group for the team. We can’t talk about work specifics but we chat about work things in general terms occasionally, however, mainly it’s for team chat, personal stuff, happy birthdays, etc.

Today one of the women in our team posted an inappropriate joke, it was racist, although some people may not see it as such. What I mean is I’m sure she didn’t mean any harm by it. I didn’t find it funny and messaged her privately to ask her to remove it before anyone else saw it.

I think our ‘Head of’ and some junior colleagues saw it but I’m not sure. She has now deleted the post and left the group - I’m not sure whether it’s due to embarrassment or outrage.

She reports to me and I know she’s going through some problems so I don’t want to add to her burden, however, she’s an adult and should have known better.

I’ll have to discuss this with her on Monday and I’m not sure how to go about it. Generally, when I’m facing something new, I’d ask our senior manager for advice but, if I do on this occasion , I’d have to tell her and I’m not sure if she saw it. If she did, I think she will take it further but I’m not sure what that might look like.

Does anyone have any advice?

You are minimising this OP.

Speak with your report, outlining why it's unacceptable to send such content, and then speak with HR.

Don't enable her any further. If, as her manager, you downplay it, why should she think it's a big deal?

What a disgusting video to share. She's awful and needs to be disciplined.

@BootsScootsAndToots

You are minimising this OP.

Speak with your report, outlining why it's unacceptable to send such content, and then speak with HR.

Don't enable her any further. If, as her manager, you downplay it, why should she think it's a big deal?

I see that. I haven't done that intentionally. It's just that she's so sensitive and would never mean to offend anyone. She's not a stupid woman though, she should know better.

Having slept on it, I know what I need to do

@Creamdo

How quickly was the content removed? Is it reasonable that others could have seen it?

Personally, I’d cover my back as I wouldn’t want it to be seen as though I was enabling it.

Does your workplace have policies on social media use and discrimination? These may stipulation the process involved.

At the very least I’d speak to HR and ask what the options are and could it be dealt with with 1-2-1 due to her personal difficulties but be fully prepared for HR to be involved as this is a very serious issue and your workplace could be taken to a tribunal and suffer financial (and reputational) harm.

Good luck.

It was removed after approx 1 hr (only when requested though; she didn't remove it of her own volition).

We are a team of 9. Most us us respond to messages in this group chat within an hour so I'm reasonably confident some (possibly most) will have seen it.

No one has responded within the group though.

OP when you say I’ll have to discuss this with her on Monday and I’m not sure how to go about it. Generally, when I’m facing something new, I’d ask our senior manager for advice but, if I do on this occasion , I’d have to tell her and I’m not sure if she saw it. If she did, I think she will take it further but I’m not sure what that might look like.

I think you need to discuss with your manager first, it is not a good idea for you to keep this from your manager. This is a serious incident IMO and you ahve to protect the organisation.

I imagine no one has responded to it because they are all aware of how bad it looks and don’t want to be associated with it so are keeping their heads down. I would do on the assumption it was seen by most if there for an hour.

I think that given it is not an isolated incident you do need to speak with your manager, and be factual in that you objected to it and that the offending post was removed after one hour.

You can be a sensitive person and be offensive, do not let that cloud any views or judgment. You can also be different face to face than in other forms of communication, indeed many people are.

On Monday I'll look for the social media policy and follow process.

I suppose I'm worried she'll lose her job, although the other 'questionable behaviour' shouldn't be taken into account as it was dealt with locally and informally by our head of dept.

I know this is a really big thing but I wonder, given that none of the group are any other ethnicity than white british, will that be taken into account?
(We have plenty of colleagues outwith the team who are of Indian descent - thank god it wasn't a wider group chat - but this was just our small team)

I would involve your Manager. In our part of the public sector it would not be tolerated. It shows a crass lack of judgement. Even if she has other things going on in the back ground it is not excusable behaviour. There may be other members of the team who also have background issues that you are not aware of that the posting of a racist meme causes harm.

When Coronovirus first hit we had a Chinese girl living with us - the amount of abuse she received was unbelievable. To be exposed to more abuse in a place that she had previously thought a safe place would have had a really damaging effect.

Op this is a serious issue and possibly a disciplinary offence. Why as her manager are you trying to “protect” her? It doesn’t matter if the whole team are white - you don’t have to be bame to find something racist & offensive?! I am mixed race straight person and find homophobic jokes offensive. I don’t understand why you think the ethnicity of the whatsapp group will be taken into consideration? Plus why that would even cross your mind? (It’s worse in a way as she may think you’re all -‘like minded’) If something is offensive then it is offensive. I have not heard or seen the video (& frankly wouldn’t want to) As someone that is employed as her manager surely you should just report it no questions asked? If someone else in the group saw it and reported it and then she says you told her to remove it - yet essentially did nothing else then I doubt that would bode well for you in your position as her manager.

I work for a small company, so my work situation is different - but could you go to your manager or HR on Monday, give them an outline of what’s happened, without mentioning names or what was posted, and ask if this needs to be formally reported or if you can deal with it informally.

If they do allow you to deal with it informally, then arm yourself with the docs and for this woman’s sake come down on her like a ton of bricks. From your comments re previously inappropriate behaviour it sounds to be that she is not the brightest button so spell. It. Out.

Alternatively if it has to be dealt with formally then you can lobby for whatever you think is fair.

@fairydust11

I’m not suggesting the ethnicity of the group SHOULD be taken into account, I simply wondered if it would.

As a straight whiten woman, I also find homophobic jokes offensive, and racist jokes, hence my immediate concern and action.

I agree re my responsibility as a manager. This, however, is new to me and I’m scouting for opinions before returning to real life on Monday morning and having to deal with this appropriately, which I will.

That's FOI-able by the way, just because it's on WhatsApp and supposedly "not work related" it doesn't suddenly remove it from FOI. You're public sector workers.

Report it.

You need to treat her as you would anyone else, you can't show favoritism or let her off as you don't want her to lose her job. The policies are there to make the decisions for you easy, just follow them and you'll be fine.

I’m a senior manager. If one of my team leaders had tried to brush this under the carpet I’d be questioning why. The fact that you colleague has problems are not relevant. The two aren’t mutually exclusive - you don’t get to excuse that sort of racist behaviour because you don’t want to add to her problems.
You need to cover your own back here and step up if you are in a supervisory role.

Op - I highly doubt the ethnicity of the group would be taken into consideration at all. I would think they will just deal with what was actually posted. The fact she has other ‘questionable behaviour’ most likely will ring alarm bells to HR - but that frankly isn’t your problem & I wouldn’t worry about it.
There is no excuse - she’s not a child & no one made her do it, therefore it was her decision for which she should be accountable for. You are doing the right thing by reporting it. Good luck

It's not subject to foi if its not info held by or on behalf of the public authorithy which I doubt is the case here.

Why do you have to talk to her on Monday, you told her it was inappropriate and suggested she remove it .. end of
Non need to rehash the entire thing on Monday

@MoonCatcher yes it potentially is, it's why most public sector authorities are now banning use of WhatsApp employee groups because it's too easy for lines to blur:

Given the often cherished “private” feel and functions of social media and instant messaging, this may be surprising to some but in fact follows well-established principles under FOIA (see Practice note, Freedom of information: When is information held?: Is information in private e-mail accounts and on personal mobile phones “held” under FOIA??). Section 3(2)(b)) of FOIA provides that information is held by a public authority if it is “held by another person on behalf of the authority”, be that an employee, for example, or a contractor. As the ICO’s Guidance on Official information held in private email accounts (May 2016))^ states, information is “very likely” to be held on behalf of a public authority where:
• The information relates to the business of the public authority.
• The third party has a direct, formal connection with the public authority.

Are you very new to line management, OP? Your approach to this seems quite off. You can be decent and compassionate towards staff without trying to brush unacceptable behaviour under the carpet. If you fail to deal with this appropriately, you risk putting yourself in the firing line. As a senior manager, I would be shocked if a team leader tried to cover this up.

It makes no difference if all of the whatsapp group members are white. We absolutely cannot have a situation in which racism is quietly condoned by white people when people of colour are not present. That would be utterly abhorrent.

Please don't minimise your team member's behaviour. What she posted is really offensive and there is no excuse. Yes, it is hard to add to her problems with a potential disciplinary when she is already having a tough time, but that's your job. If you try to protect her or minimise it in any way, you become complicit in her racism. I'm sure you don't want that.

Talk to your line manager on Monday. Explain that you asked your colleague to delete the post immediately, and tell her how you're proposing to take the matter forward. Take it seriously because it is serious. We will never stamp out racism in the workplace if managers like you make excuses for people and fail to hold individuals accountable for their behaviour.

@paralysedbyinertia

Are you very new to line management, OP? Your approach to this seems quite off. You can be decent and compassionate towards staff without trying to brush unacceptable behaviour under the carpet. If you fail to deal with this appropriately, you risk putting yourself in the firing line. As a senior manager, I would be shocked if a team leader tried to cover this up.

It makes no difference if all of the whatsapp group members are white. We absolutely cannot have a situation in which racism is quietly condoned by white people when people of colour are not present. That would be utterly abhorrent.

Please don't minimise your team member's behaviour. What she posted is really offensive and there is no excuse. Yes, it is hard to add to her problems with a potential disciplinary when she is already having a tough time, but that's your job. If you try to protect her or minimise it in any way, you become complicit in her racism. I'm sure you don't want that.

Talk to your line manager on Monday. Explain that you asked your colleague to delete the post immediately, and tell her how you're proposing to take the matter forward. Take it seriously because it is serious. We will never stamp out racism in the workplace if managers like you make excuses for people and fail to hold individuals accountable for their behaviour.

I'm not very new but I have no experience in this situation. However, as you'll see, I've stated I will follow due procedure. As you'll also see, I'm not at all condoning this because all group members are white, I simply wondered if it would affect the disciplinary process. I hear that it should not and I agree with that.

Be assured I will do what is right and I'm aware it's my job to do so. It doesn't mean that I won't find it difficult, but it'll be done properly

Is it really that bad? Badly judged, yeah, but not worth losing a job over.

Bigots DO "get it" or they wouldn't find the "jokes" funny in the first place!

She's also by the sound of things had previous warnings.

So if she hasn't learned her lesson that's totally on her!

It's hardly like this is a "new thing" such behaviour being inappropriate ANYWHERE let alone the workplace has been common knowledge for years, possibly decades.

all white British in the team

I know not what the thread is about but this would seriously concern me more even than the joke.

I'm white british myself and live in a predominantly white part of the Uk (I'm unsurprised by this as most locals very bigoted I hate it here) and I am always dismayed and concerned at how few non white people are employed in local public sector AND private workplaces. It's unusual to me as other places I lived were very diverse and so are my family and friends. I'm here because it's my parents "home town" but for many reasons i regret moving here, this is one of them

I would advise ensuring you do everything by the book too - because to be quite honest it sounds as if this person doesn't belong in the job! (Possibly ANY job!) and that being the case depending how long she's been there the organisation may need to document formal warnings etc

we can address it within the team and then protect her from disciplinary action?

Why do you want to?!

Her personal problems are nothing to do with this and aren't an excuse - there IS no excuse

You are minimising this OP.

Massively I'd say!

It's just that she's so sensitive and would never mean to offend anyone

The usual excuse used by bigots and bullies! It's BS! They're sensitive and must not be offended but reserve the right to blithely and frequently offend others!

although the other 'questionable behaviour' shouldn't be taken into account as it was dealt with locally and informally by our head of dept.

Nonsense! All her "questionable behaviour" IS relevant, it paints a picture of the kind of person she is and if you as her boss and the organisation as her employer don't treat her behaviour as it should be treated are complicit

given that none of the group are any other ethnicity than white british

Irrelevant! People don't have to be non white themselves to recognise and be offended by a display of bigotry! Such behaviour creates what's called a "hostile work environment" we all have differences which is what bigotry is really about and others in the team may well have things about them personally that her attitude and behaviour may make them feel they they can't comfortably be themselves at work, plus they may well have family/friends that are Indian or other nationalities and races and quite rightly be annoyed and offended at her attitude

You know what? I'm beginning to wonder if it was op posted the offending item and is trying to sound out what she is possibly facing when she returns to work next week...

I've been a line manager op some time ago too and even "back then" if I'd tried to minimise or downplay or not discipline behaviour like this (pre internet days but back then it'd be "joke" flyers etc) I'd have been in deep shit myself! So if you really are her line manager/supervisor you need to act accordingly which means reporting higher up and to HR and keeping a record of everything and having a clear and specific discussion with her at the very least that such behaviour is absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

@roarfeckingroarr I disagree and find your post shocking!

@Graphista

"You know what? I'm beginning to wonder if it was op posted the offending item and is trying to sound out what she is possibly facing when she returns to work next week... "

No, it definitely wasn't me that posted it. This is a genuine post.

I'm taking everything that's said on this thread into consideration and have said that I'll deal with this appropriately. Im also taking note of many helpful phrases that I will use when addressing the issue with her.