How bad is it to be rude about boss in WhatsApp messages

[lurchersforever]

Obviously it's ill advised but what actual grounds for discipline would there be?

The messages are from lockdown when we were all bored/stressed and are rude and insulting about the way boss was handling the situation.

Fout people in the chat. One person has now revealed them to the boss out of malice. Boss has said nothing for a while then revealed he has seen them but lied about where he got them.

Where do we stand?

Are they on work devices? Pretty shitty of this colleague, haven't they implicated themselves?

Lockdown was 3....4? Years ago, it's likely no-one gives a shit.

I'd apologise and say it was lockdown you were all under a lot of mental stress and while you recognise that it was a lapse of judgement this isn't the way you normally behave, and it hasn't happened since. I don't think you'd get into an actual disciplinary over it at my work - although I'm not HR and haven't been involved in something like this. As a manager I'd personally be feeling a bit bad but probably blaming myself for not managing the team well for this to happen.

Not work devices. Person has impacted self but apparently it's worth it to drop us in it.

Depends how rude/personal and uncalled for it is. Just bitching or moaning about a situation is fair enough, but if it was out of line, mocking, cruel etc I'd expect some sort of informal chat about your behaviour.

Personally if I discovered my team had done this to me I'd expect my superior to take them to one side explain it was completely unacceptable and unprofessional behaviour.

Although I suppose it being a fews years old might lessen the string.

Don't expect any payrises or promotions anytime soon though!

Isn't WhatsApp social media? Have you a social media policy? That would be your first port of call. Then the other one would be harassment or bullying, but not sure if it counts if it's behind his back, but could be supporting evidence if he has other claims?

No, WhatsApp isn't social media. It's private messaging. The fact that a chat can include a fairly large number of people does not affect the fact that it's a private chat.

What your colleague has done is the equivalent of running to the boss to tell him that you were talking shit about him in the pub.

Was it in work time?

No it wasn't in work time. Has swear words about him but all in the context of work, not personal comments. Also about other senior leaders who were upsetting the one who has now handed the messages over. Others were trying to be supportive of her.

Check your policies whatsap will fall into anything from SM to bullying to data protection.

Apologise directly to your boss.

Keep out of the current ongoing issue.

This is true, but WhatsApp isn’t social media

It sounds a very toxic place to work.

Head off anything have a private meeting with you boss apologise, explain that it came from a genuine place of stress at the time and hope they accept that.

what has gone on with the other colleague that they felt the need to drop you in it.

I can't really keep out of the issue. Grievances have been made against me and others in the group. These have not been upheld as they are not true - they were thoroughly investigated and now a few months down the line we find this has happened. To me, it just proves the original grievance was malicious. Still have to work with this person but can't do that properly due to the way she is behaving.

5 years ago in a few weeks.

Slow clap.

I manage people.

If someone showed me this, I'd think badly of them. it makes them look like a terrible team player and really untrustworthy.

I really wouldn't care what you said about me five bloody years ago, in stressed circs as you say.

We all need to let off steam and in work situation usually about the boss.
I expect it, and it builds team relationships. Given so long ago mgr shouldn't start any grievances, but should address if those comments from team exist as issues in the present.

What does 'person has impacted themselves' mean?

What was wrong with what pp wrote? Makes sense not to put anything online that you wouldn't share with the world.
Stuff can bite you on the arse years later and quite often does. It will always out there in cyber space.

'Impacted' was stupid auto-suggestion for implicated.

@Christmassoxs Obviously what the PP wrote was correct, as I intimated in my OP, but it's a pointless/pompous comment as the comments have been made and I can't change that now. There are only comments from the Covid era because that was a very unusual time period and a lot of people, though not perfect ones, do things out of character and make mistakes at such times.

How does a pandemic make people do work stuff out of character and make mistakes?

It’s not social media. It’s a private messaging platform.

And some have been sacked for having an OF account.....