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

@Marg33t

Ok thanks all, I've decided to let it go and unfriend her.

Work has a social media policy that I think she's breached so I've sent screen shots to them so they can deal with it while I try to stay professional and not mention it to her.

What she said was callous (imo) but telling on her at work for it is fucking out of order and I hope she doesn’t get into trouble for it because I honestly don’t think she should.

You'd better make sure your social media, every email you've ever written and every verbal comment you make at work from now on is squeaky clean, free of any possible prejudice, offensive word or "trigger" for someone else's private circumstances.

Make sure you're following every single company policy to the letter and make sure you're never late. Never cut a corner and never show any annoyance with your bosses. Never take a biro home with you. You may well now need to be perfect in every possible way, before someone decides that it's your turn.

Tolerance and respect for the rights of others to have an opinion and live their lives in the way you would like to live yours - without minute scrutiny from the self-appointed morals police.

One of my friends on Facebook thinks all members of the armed service are heroes. They were vociferous in their defence of Alexander Blackman and I really disagreed with some things they said but I did not call them out or unfollow them. They are entitled to their view.

Three 'c' words in about a dozen posts, all aimed straight at the OP.

I'm sure these will be deleted, and it's not cool really, but I hope you reflect on this OP. I've never seen a reaction like that on MN before.

@Marg33t

Ok thanks all, I've decided to let it go and unfriend her.

Work has a social media policy that I think she's breached so I've sent screen shots to them so they can deal with it while I try to stay professional and not mention it to her.

You're joking right?

I'll bet you haven't told her you've done that.

Ffs I fucking detest this cancel culture that's rampaging through SM. You aren't the thought police and you don't get to punish people for a different opinion to you.

I hope you get disciplined for being malicious towards a colleague. Nasty man.

You're an arsehole for sending those screenshots. She's entitled to her view. It is not unacceptable. Police officers aren't automatically heroes. That view is why so many of them get away with the shit they do.

And she's right. While what happened was very sad, you don't do a job like that without knowing the potential risk involved.

I am glad I don’t work with you - your reaction was mean spirited and spiteful

OP. I get you and wanted to vote YANBU

BUT

You can’t take that social media post into the work environment

Unfriend her now and block her so you don’t inadvertently see her posts if mutual friends comment or react to her posts.

Avoid her as much as puddings so your true feelings don’t come out. You’ll feel a bit less upset about it over time and will be likely to deal with her without your emotions being so high in the near future.

If you HAVE to deal with her now, take some deep calming breaths to calm yourself before you have to speak with her. Keep to the point of your business and then move in. Say you have something to do, people to see and just move on.

@roarfeckingroarr

"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.

This, exactly.

‘Three 'c' words in about a dozen posts, all aimed straight at the OP.

I'm sure these will be deleted, and it's not cool really, but I hope you reflect on this OP. I've never seen a reaction like that on MN before.’

I’ll hold up my hands to that- I used the c word and don’t feel comfortable about it but honestly, I completely agree with pp that the OP encapsulates a really awful aspect of our society. Someone disagrees with you - ‘call them out’/ cancel them/silence them ... all this is bad enough but now we’re adding ‘make malicious allegations to their workplace’ to the list

FFS it’s truly vile behaviour. I see things I disagree with every day on social media. Unless they are things which actually break the law, who the hell am I to try to act as judge and jury? If a media friend posts things I disagree with, I either challenge/ignore or if I feel really strongly i unfollow/ unfriend.
It takes a really twisted mentality to try to ‘punish’ someone for holding an opinion you don’t agree with. As @thedancingear says, I would suggest the OP thinks hard about this. Spiteful, vindictive behaviour towards someone because they hold a different view to you....rarely ends well does it

Jesus, freedom of speech yes, but if you say something to provoke there are going to be consequences. A bit like some of you jumping at the chance to call the op the C word (classy) because you disagree with her posts.
If the colleague is also friends with clients it is right that the company knows she is posting deliberately provocative rants.

I think she'll quite quickly link to you anyway if you've unfriended her. Word gets about in a workplace and most sensible people don't take kindly to a person who spitefully makes trouble over very little.

You may regret your actions.

Wow, you really didn't try and contain yourself at all, did you? Honestly if I was your HR team I'd be concerned about your behaviour more than hers - why do you feel it's going to be so difficult for you to force yourself not to say anything? It's quite worrying that you aren't sure you could keep your workplace behaviour professional.

Wow I really can't win! I took the majority advice to not confront her and instead took the other advice that she's breached social media policy and I get called the C word! Her Facebook profile is public and lists her employer, if she doesn't want to be held up to her awful views then she shouldn't say them.

I'm asking for this to get deleted

How embarrassing for you. People do not have to treat the police like they are more important than everyone else - they aren't. Get over yourself. Someone losing their life tragically is not more important than another because of their job. Glad the poster will find out it's you so she knows what you're like.

'her awful views' - perfectly valid opinion that you do not agree with. Not the same thing

Wow you really are a horrible person to screenshot and send....I really hope this comes back on you BIG TIME and bites you hard on your 'professional' arse...

Nasty

THEY AREN'T AWFUL VIEWS. THEY DIFFERENT TO YOUR VIEWS

You didn't let it go so you can't say you took that advice. You chose the most cowardly way to deal with a non issue of your own creation

You don't like it, you don't have to be friends with her. You've actively tried to get her in trouble so at least own it

It’s a view you don’t agree with OP - it doesn’t mean it’s breaching work social media policy. Your use of social media on the other hand, taking screenshots and using them for malicious purposes...

I’m generally very supportive of the police and I don’t feel her comment was anti-police at all. She has simply expressed that there is a lot more going on in the world, she is right, although it would have been better unsaid.

You would be totally in the wrong to bring this into the workplace and if you did that to me I would complain about you. Although that would not happen as I know not to have colleagues as my Facebook friends.

Jesus, I cant believe you reported her.

Will you do that for every opinion that's different to yours, or is it especially reserved for this particular, non offensive, view?

I really hope this comes back to bite you personally and professionally. Truly nasty behaviour.

@SinisterBumFacedCat

Jesus, freedom of speech yes, but if you say something to provoke there are going to be consequences. A bit like some of you jumping at the chance to call the op the C word (classy) because you disagree with her posts. If the colleague is also friends with clients it is right that the company knows she is posting deliberately provocative rants.

Thank you, a really sensible post. If they don't want these views know then they shouldn't send them, it brings the company in to disrepute.

If I shared the screen shot and people saw the exact anti blue lives words she said and told you what her role was I'm sure everyone would say she's a cunt and I'm doing the right thing.

I'm trying to get this deleted as unless people know the situation with all the details I'll be unfairly flamed.

Wowzers, truly vindictive OP! They are different views you don’t go snitching to her employer in these circumstances.