To call out my work colleague on her unacceptable view

[Marg33t]

She posted today on Facebook that she was sick of hearing about the death of one police officer as there's more important things going on and it's a risk they accept.

I've got family members in the force and quite honestly they are hero's doing very difficult work that not many people would do. I can't stand this anti police sentiment. I've got a meeting with her and many others tomorrow afternoon and I'm worried I won't be able to keep my cool. Would it be unreasonable to send her a private message to say how offensive her post was? I want to say nothing, but I m not sure I can

Yes you’d be unreasonable. It’s none of your business. If I was her and you pulled me up on it I’d complain about you

She’s a colleague, not a friend so based on that it’s unfair of you to pull her up on it, even if it is ludicrous. There’s loads I don’t agree with on social media, scroll along.

I don’t think you can unfortunately. It’s a disgusting thing to put on the internet but it’s not a crime to have disgusting views.

Just delete her

Unacceptable view? That's in your opinion. If that's all she said, it's not great but it's not anti police

I think it would be best to leave it alone in case it spills out into your professional relationship. Maybe mute or remove her on social mesh’s. Definitely don’t mention it in the meeting when you see her, that would be unprofessional.

Media not mesh’s!

It is not an 'unacceptable' view, it's just one that you don't agree with. Telling people what they should or shouldn't think is part of the hideous 'cancel culture' pervading society at the moment.

If she has made her opinion public on FB and you are able to reply to her post directly then I can't see a reason why you can not say something along the line of you disagree, and how you wish we'd adopt the US model where if someone assaults a police officer then the penalties are higher than if they assaulted a member of the public. Perhaps finish off with it might be time to consider reintroducing the death penalty for people who murder police officers? That might start a discussion with other who might make her reconsider.

This is what happens when you add any old random as a friend on Facebook.

She's a work colleague, delete her if you don't like what she posts. To carry it on into work would be completely unprofessional.

I’d just remove her from FB.

I’ve unfriended loads over the pandemic, conspiracy lunes, people complaining about masks, people sharing videos about how all this is just a plot, etc etc etc. I know people suggest just hiding them but I don’t see why I should. Unfriending does no harm.

She is as entitled to her opinion as you are to yours.

With people who consistently post things I really don't want or need to hear, I unfollow them.

And I have a standing rule never to have current work colleagues on facebook, to avoid just these situations.

(RIP Matt Ratana, you sound like you were one hell of a bloke.)

Her views are horrible, but I wouldn't raise it. Won't change anything.

Unpleasant thing to say after someone has died. There's nothing stopping her from ignoring the news stories and leaving conversations.

However please leave it. It sounds as though she wants a reaction and she's a colleague, not a friend. She hasn't crossed any lines in terms of it being threatening or hate speech and you don't want any drama at work.

It's a perfectly valid viewpoint though.

She isn't saying we should all go out and shoot custody sergeants. Just that there is a bigger picture.

Including the one that encompasses institutional racism. Which is a thing.

Stephen Lawrence? And the Christopher Kapessa.

Christopher haunts my day to day. Whenever my teenagers are out, I worry.

The overall picture counts.

It's not 'anti police' and not all police are heroes. Her post was not very sympathetic to the surroundings involving that officer but you are taking personal offence when you really shouldn't.

"Call her out"
"Unacceptable view"

You've summed up what's going wrong with society. Intolerance, cancel culture, thin skins, a need to jump in.

She is entitled to have her view and express it on her own Facebook page if she wishes. You would be very unreasonable to pull her up on it at work.

I wouldn’t PM her because she could start making things difficult for you at work.
Does your workplace have a policy about certain behaviour or expressing certain views on SM? If so you could mention it to your employer if what she is writing is breaking any guidelines. But it could be argued that this is her opinion.
At my work I had a colleague who was warned about what she had written on her Facebook but this was different because it was more a personal view on another colleague. But when she was warned we were all reminded about the SM policy and that we would be reprimanded if we broke the rules.

@GetRid

It is not an 'unacceptable' view, it's just one that you don't agree with. Telling people what they should or shouldn't think is part of the hideous 'cancel culture' pervading society at the moment.

I agree.

What do you think you would achieve by challenging her on her opinion?

I agree with pp. It's not appropriate to criticise someone at work for their personal social media posts. Definitely unfriend her on fb.

I'm not saying I agree with her and I understand why you were upset by the post, but you need to behave professionally and rise above it.

Would it be unreasonable to send her a private message to say how offensive her post was? I want to say nothing, but I m not sure I can

This would be written warning territory in my place.

A lot of people, particularly those of BAME heritage, don't share your view of the police being 'heroes'. Those are reasonable views that they are entitled to hold, without being harrassed about them in the workplace.

Keep personal views and work separate. You can delete her or hide her from your feed.

I agree with her tbh