Would you report offensive message in a group work chat?

[ChilliPB]

As the title says really. A pretty offensive meme sent as ‘banter’ (not funny and genuinely offensive). It was sent in a group chat - a non-official WhatsApp chat with over 50 people, used for social chat. We have a separate more official group chat for work related stuff.

Options are to pick it up individually with the person (who I don’t know and have never met). Or flag direct to HR. Or flag up to HR but not disclose what was said or who said it and hope they could send a stern but general reminder about behaviour and conduct and the individual wouldn’t actually be identified.

Appreciate its a non-official chat but even so. Really likely to offend some of the members there and also it’s the sort of job where if it came out it would look awful, and I’m worried those that don’t report it could also be in trouble as complicit.

What would you do?!

https://www.acas.org.uk/hate-crime-at-work

No, I was responding to a pp.

You're right that the OP hasn't shared the content of the meme and I have repeatedly said that that's irrelevant. It doesn't matter if the MN hive mind thinks the meme is acceptable or not. The material point is that the OP thinks it's hate speech, so she should report. Your opinion about the content, and mine, are irrelevant.

So you don’t think Hezbollah are terrorists. Lovely.

Don't do nothing. Or you risk making your work a hostile, unwelcoming or "othering" place for Muslim colleagues. Screenshot it as an insurance if the person causes you hassle in future, then ask them publically, on the chat, to remove it and why. Screenshot that too. "Hi x, please can you take that meme about x down, I don't think it should be on a work group chat, it could offend or upset people though I'm sure that wasn't your intention"

Wait! Is that you John? Have you still got the mug? 🤣

Actually, in most workplaces, yes you can. Most HR policies on bullying and harassment have 'exclusion' as one of the examples that can be reported.

I don't think many people wank over eyes

I don’t agree. I think it’s very important if I want to give my opinion to know what I am giving my opinion on especially more important that you want to tell me my opinion is irrelevant on something we both haven’t seen and have no idea what the content is. I’m offended by what you just said.

You absolutely can. I returned from mat leave to a colleague absolutely blanking me. I'd send emails. Ignored. I'd ask a direct question when we were in the office together she'd pretend not to hear me. HR got involved at my manager's request and she was in serious shit.

Did anyone else say or do anything op?

I’d speak directly to the person who sent it.

I now have 7 one for everyday of the week 😁

When did designating people terrorists stop killings? Oh that’s right- never.

The reality is - it is talking that will negotiate the peace. Being so stupid as to think blowing up people is good for peace and stability makes you sound like an arms manufacturer.
OK, you’re happy for other people and their children to be blown up because it’s good for business. But at least own that.

Well if he starts having a wank in the office then she has a point

I haven't said that I found any meme offensive. I haven't actually seen any memes.

However, given that the exploding pagers killed some innocent children, I wouldn't consider the attacks to be joking matters. The same applies to the attacks by Hezbollah on Israel in which innocent children were killed. I don't personally find it acceptable to make and share "funny" memes about events that have caused suffering for innocent people, and I certainly wouldn't find it appropriate to share such memes in a work chat.

In any case, my opinions don't really matter here. The OP has seen the meme and she considers it to be hate speech, so she should report.

We don't need to know. It's irrelevant to the query.

Give over.

People don’t want to see it. It isn’t funny, and it has no place in a professional workplace.
mrschocolate was right, and you are hopelessly wrong.

You're missing the point completely. Intentionally, I suspect. Whatever.

Given people are discussing the Middle East issue , I just wonder if on this WhatsApp thread whether anything related to that would be viewed as a problem. People have different views on what is happening there and they are entitled to them - we don't all think the same. A HR dept is not there to pass judgment on opinions that are allowed.

The massive hole in this argument is that it is based on someone sharing a view. In OP's case, the post in question wasn't putting forward a view, it was making a joke about a violent event which caused deaths, including the deaths of children. You may claim that that involves putting forward a view that killing innocent children is funny, but who seriously doesn't know that that could never be acceptable?

Don’t be ridiculous! You think I’m an arms manufacturer??

I don't understand whether you think nobody should be called a terrorist, even if they are one, or if it’s just Hezbollah you are concerned about,

Have you been this vociferous about the thousands (literally) of rockets fired by Hezbollah into northern Israel in the past year? How about when the 12 Druze children in a playground were killed by a Hezbollah rocket a few weeks ago? Or is it only when Israel fights back that you disapprove?

I have no issue with seeing this

Setting aside the question of whether it's a good idea to discuss Middle East politics in a group chat with 50 work colleagues, it is entirely possible to express different views about what's happening without resorting to hate speech, which is what the OP thinks she has seen.

HR absolutely isn't there to pass judgement on people's opinions, but they do have a legal duty to protect staff in the workplace from discriminatory behaviour. Where comments start to cross over from "opinion" to "hate speech" is exactly when HR need to get involved. And yes, this will involve a judgement call on their part, but it's usually pretty straightforward to see when someone has crossed the line.

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves
The point is opinions as to hate speech vary and what is viewed as acceptable. I find it alarming that HR is a firm is seen as so powerful as in my experience those who work in that department have variable skills and expertise.