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?!

If this individual has posted something on a work chat that is so discriminatory that it could get him fired, the OP is not responsible for this.

If the OP turns a blind eye, she is complicit. Why would you try to guilt her into this?

The virtue signalling on here is going into overdrive.

You'll end up with nobody ever communicating with each other if you demand formal action every time someone says or writes something you don’t like.

If you find someone offensive then simply avoid them.

The WhatsApp group is informal therefore my view would be it is not relevant to the company and HR have nothing to do with it. I would be appalled if I was a member of a WhatsApp group like that and HR interfered.

My view is that whilst at work and employer has the power ti control actions as the company dictates- according to policies, law and expectations. Outside work their powers are limited. Also the employer does not control what I think

That said I personally would not get involved or post on such a group unless it was factual.

I'd challenge it directly on the group chat if offensive but not hate speech. And yes I'd report if it was racist or targeted a minority group.

I work for the civil service and not doing so would get me in trouble if the Whats app group was seen.

Because she could just speak to him rather then purposely go out her way to risk someone's job

If it was something like all the stuff I’ve seen on Twitter /X and elsewhere about 72 virgins, no. Tasteless but not dreadful, bearing in mind that Hezbollah members are terrorists. Freedom of speech and all that. Just post that you find it offensive.

He was on a work chat with around 50 of his colleagues, some of whom he had never met. The fact that it was a social chat is irrelevant. He was not talking to his friends.

If he got sacked it would be because HE did something that warranted it. That’s his choice and therefore he is the only person responsible for the outcome.

But sometimes people make mistakes, get carried away, get to comfortable to quick where all human with different personality types. A little understanding and forgiveness wouldn't go amiss before trying to ruin someone's life over one incident

If it was me, I would have to say something in the chat, screenshot and leave the group.

Not sure if I would take it to HR or not. For me, the most important thing would be to say it.

But a lot of people lose their careers because others get involved and push so management have to be seen to be doing something. Things can get out of hand really fast and small things can turn into huge things because of others twisting the knife

But this is different. It wasn't a wrong pronoun, or a bit of swearing. The OP has said it was something to do with the exploding pagers. People were badly injured and died in that attack. In a group of 50 people, in a diverse country, there's a good chance someone on the WA group may know or be acquainted to someone who was affected.

Depends on work they do but admitting to being mates or acquaintance whose Hezbollah pager exploded (or as you say ever so politely "was affected") should probably mean bit extra security vetting... Logically using math, the chance of person on team of 50 in UK knowing personally someone from the very few civilian victims is basically 0.

She could challenge him directly, yes. But there is probably a policy that states that all incidents of racism etc should be reported, so she would be well advised to follow that.

We all have a shared responsibility for the work culture that we are a part of. If the individual hasn't said anything that is bad enough to get him fired, then reporting him won't be putting his job at risk. If he has said something that is bad enough to get him fired, then that's on him and he is the one that has put his job at risk, not the OP.

If you say something racist on a chat with 50 people, some of whom you don't even know, it's fairly predictable that a few of them will take issue with that. We all have to live with the consequences of our actions.

No. The op saying ‘I find this offensive and upsetting’ to HR will not loose him his job. You can’t just demand your employer sacks people you disagree with, all you can do is flag behaviour.

The op can only provide evidence for this incident- she can’t make it out to be more than it is because the comment has been published online: it’s there for anyone to see the full extent of.

It's interesting how everyone is just assuming it's incredibly offensive when they don't even know what it is.

Yeah make sure you report it to HR before someone else does! Full disclosure but ask to remain anonymous, take screen shots before it’s deleted.

This.

You need to make HR aware

.

There is a lot of work involved in sacking someone, and managers are always mindful of the risk of tribunal etc, so it's generally a last resort. I suspect that things which you consider to be small are regarded very differently by those with responsibility for managing work culture.

O, so if a policeman let's say assaults someone, but does it in his free time and not in uniform it's OK?

Depends on what it is. There was something like this at work. Someone else reported it and ALL the phones used in the chat were looked through. Some people were sacked/ demoted based on what was found (in both the chat reported and others)

We can only go by what the OP says. If she reports it to HR and they don't agree that it's offensive, then no action will be taken.

Tell the person it’s inappropriate, maybe just report to HR if it continues?

@MrsBennetsPoorNerves I just find it interesting how so many people are quick to leap to "report it, he's a racist dickhead" without even knowing the circumstancesz

Well, I'm glad that you find it interesting. What do you think the OP should do about a comment that she clearly perceives to be racist?