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?!

Or some of the innocent people that also got hurt or killed in that terror attack.

I'm fairly certain OP wasn't

So anything goes in your opinion?

Why does it make a difference whether it was a social chat or not? It's still a work group chat. If someone is causing offence to their colleagues, then of course they should be reported to HR.

I would call it out, leave the group and send the screenshot to HR

@EagerGoldViper its a group of work people and in my experience everyone ends up with a disciplinary.

Presumably you're all adults

As such, I'd expect an adult like yourself to say something in the group.

Maybe along the lines of "Hate speech isn't amusing Bob", or something similar.

I see. You want to perform your political values.

@ChilliPB was it DelBoy?

Don’t be silly! That’s far too obvious and straightforward.

WhatsApp groups with work people are often more trouble than they are worth.

Nothing is private, side of a bus and all that. Call them out and leave especially if you don't even know some of them.

So a colleague sends me inappropriate messages or tells me what he wants to do to me despite my being married and giving no indication that I’m interested in them, then drives by my home? I should just ignore it?

If you are offended by something said in a group chat that is a non official social chat, then bring it up directly with them. Not HR. That should only be done, if absolutely necessary, for something that's happened at work or in an official work chat group.

Agree with this

Whilst I think it is disgusting to share (and even have) views of that kind, and especially share them in a work chat, I really don't think that your employer can do anything about a social media chat group so I doubt that reporting to anyone would make a difference

The only thing you can do, is as above - make a personal stand

If you don't argue back against racism, then you are basically condoning it

Ok so casual racism is ok then? How does casual racism differ from formal racism?

It's unofficial that a bunch of colleagues started separately and it's probably grown over time. So it's about as to do with work as a mates group chat. You have a choice as to be part of the group or not. It should say top of the group who is administrator, you could contact the administrator to ask them to take the post down, or, as is usual in a mates group, people post after it that it's inappropriate and should be taken down. Has nobody in the group challenged it, or is everyone being quite wet over this?
If you don't like what written, why not just say it in the group, or at least leave the group on the grounds of it not having like-minded people.

Why isn't an option to call it out there and then in the group chat?

"That's pretty offensive Brian, please remove it from the group chat."

Seriously? Have we all lost the ability to speak up and say things 'out loud' ourselves?

Private chat - nothing to do with HR. If it is offensive, say so.

"Dave, sorry but I'm going to have to call you out on that comment about XXXX. I found it really offensive and I suspect many others did. Can we please keep this group chat friendly and palatable! Thanks"

The end.

Report it to HR and let them deal with it. It's a work chat between colleagues and not a private chat between friends, so it's entirely appropriate to report.

Casual racism should not be tolerated.

Casual racism is "general bantz" that has no victim?

FFS!

But I would call out racist bantz from any colleague, I suppose that makes me a snowflake then.
if you were subjected to indirect racist bantz daily then maybe you’d feel differently.
I'm off to bed.

Mute the chat or come out of it.