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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To not want to be in a work WhatsApp group?

102 replies

workwhatsapp · 22/12/2021 07:26

I got added to a work WhatsApp group when it was originally created sometime last year and it really annoys me. They don't really use it during work hours, but every evening and even on most weekends it's pinging constantly talking about work.

I'm a part time employee with young kids and a life. When I leave work I don't think about work until I am next in work. I don't want to spend my evenings chatting about it with my colleagues. I muted it straight away but sometimes don't click on it for a while and it will have 100s of messages and it shows everyone I haven't opened it and then I get comments made to me about it.

AIBU to just leave and tell them the frequency of messaging is too much in my spare time and I would rather not be in the group at all then be dug our for not opening and replying to the messages in it?

OP posts:
RandomDent · 22/12/2021 07:29

Yanbu. I have the same. I’m too scared to leave so I archived the group and periodically clear the chat without reading the messages. My evenings and weekends are much more peaceful now.

TheRedTowel · 22/12/2021 07:30

I mute mine. Don't need bad memes and pictures of pets up Christmas trees thank you.

ellesbellesxxx · 22/12/2021 07:32

I left a work WhatsApp chat for this very reason, I was only in one day a week and it was pinging constantly. I did mention it to the head teacher first.

MrsLarry · 22/12/2021 07:33

Just mute it. I've done that with ours. I really don't want to interact with these people outside of work - I'd rather eat my own eyeballs - most of them are two faced twats.

invisiblereally · 22/12/2021 07:37

Yes just leave it.
There's too much chattery traffic on it for it to be useful.

Your work can have a group MS teams chat of emails for urgent communications that you keep up with. You don't need to be member of this WhatsApp group. It is causing stress as you feel they can see when you are on it or not.

You're not expected to keep up with communications outside work.

icelollycraving · 22/12/2021 07:39

Is it your own phone or a work one?
We have similar issues with ours. I’m in about 5 work related ones. I am a manager though. I leave the group every holiday and rejoin when I come back.
I have one person in my team who refuses contact other than email if she’s not in. It’s her time away from the business so her right to choose.

SomeoneInTheLaaaaaounge · 22/12/2021 07:42

Delete WhatsApp - you can manage without. It’s a game changer.

ZenNudist · 22/12/2021 07:44

Mute. View messages in work time.

PurBal · 22/12/2021 07:45

We have more than one. Different teams and different purposes. Horrible.

ForestDad · 22/12/2021 07:52

Of course you should be free to leave the group.
I'm in a few for different jobs/roles both work-related and social. Sometimes they get a bit much and I've left one of the social/banter ones.
But overall it's nice for keeping in touch with what's going on. In my work you might not see people for weeks/months.

underneaththeash · 22/12/2021 07:52

I have three one day jobs with different companies. I actually find them quite useful and just flick through the content the day before my working day with that group and probably once more in the week.

It means, I know the majority of what has gone on during the week and I can ask the receptionist about her new puppy when I walk in.

BirdyBirdyTweetTweet · 22/12/2021 07:53

Another vote for mute. Or you can exit.

CheesusWept · 22/12/2021 07:55

Does it show when someone in a group chat hasn’t read the messages?
I didn’t think it did.
I mute and archive my group chats and only check them when I want to.

sjxoxo · 22/12/2021 07:56

I use WhatsApp often with clients and I make a point of not reading messages outside of work hours. Turn off your read receipts notifications- the blue ticks, and mute the group. It means you can’t see if anyone has read your messages but makes it far less intrusive for you as no one can see what youve read or not. I wouldn’t leave the group but I would put some limits on x

StayOrGoOrWhat · 22/12/2021 07:57

We have one but there’s hardly any communication and it’s usually relevant. For example: ‘for anyone in work today, the back door is broken, please walk through the main building’. We were told from the start not to use it for photos or memes, only limited work chat.
I think everyone’s should follow the same rules!

WiganDiva · 22/12/2021 07:58

I don’t think you should leave it. Rightly or wrongly, they will take offence and judge you as moody or weird. Just mute and archive it.

Work WhatsApp groups are strange to me. My colleagues don’t even have my personal number or I theirs as we have zero need to communicate outside work hours but I suppose it depends on the nature of your work.

Longingforatikihut · 22/12/2021 07:59

We have one. Almost entirely focussed on work. Very rarely a meme. I do check it as can affect patients. There is a second group for all the same staff to share social stuff. That never gets checked by me.

notacooldad · 22/12/2021 08:02

We ( a d a few other teams in our department) have two WhatsApp group. One us strictly for work matters and no banter ( eg asking can anyone do a shift change, letting us know if anything significant is about to happen etc and is useful and is on our qirks phone . We are asked to check it before we come into work which us fair enough.

The other one is the banter one, pictures of our kids, memes etc. Not everyone is on that ine. Optional and no judgement if you are not on it. This seems to work well for us.

KatherineJaneway · 22/12/2021 08:03

Just mute the group

littlefireseverywhere · 22/12/2021 08:06

I don’t see the issue, mute at the end of your working hours for that week? Restart when in work?

KatherineofGaunt · 22/12/2021 08:09

I'm not in our team WhatsApp. It's my personal phone - why would I want work people on there? They're mostly lovely people but I don't need photos of their cats or whatever while I'm trying to have a weekend. I have the numbers of those I'm friendliest with and that should be enough.

Mute or leave, OP. It can't be mandatory so don't worry about leaving. No-one wants to be bothered when they're not in work.

Blueeilidh · 22/12/2021 08:11

If it is just chatter and not work discussions, then it isn't unreasonable to leave.

FlamingoQueen · 22/12/2021 08:12

WhatsApp have changed their rules and you are no longer allowed to use it for work purposes (they got a massive fine for something).
So, the group should be shut down or you at least can leave the group.

mistermagpie · 22/12/2021 08:15

Just mute the chat? That's what I do with the school mum chat!

ElectraBlue · 22/12/2021 08:15

I always ignore any suggestion of joining any work WhatsApp groups.

I don't need to follow inane discussions about people's holidays and social activities or birthdays...