Would you go to HR about work colleague’s budget comment

[Rayaj]

I brushed this comment off but a colleague I spoke to earlier thinks I should look to report it.

I am a Northerner working down South. My line of work meant our team had a close eye on the budget.

On our team call on Thursday, someone was being very vocal about benefits. I spoke up to say I’m glad that those who need looking after in Society are taken care of. He basically replied ‘typical scouser, always wanting something for nothing’ which I refuted there and then.

I didn’t really think anything more of it until my colleague mentioned it to me today.

Was I right to brush it off and not report?

Brush it off.

OK so you might be offended, but is it worth the hassle? What do you hope to achieve?

I would not report this. I'd confront directly at the time, but I find this nasty HR grassing culture insidious, workers should stick together.

You said 'you didn't think anymore of it' so why report it?

Blimey that appalling. I’d report it.

I did, but my colleague has given me food for thought

I agree 100% with the above and what you said was full scale virtue signalling which would wind me up too.

One issue is none of you should have been talking about politics in a work meeting so you might not get very far. Anyway he’s a dick and has shown himself to be to a group of people so that’s possibly enough

Whatever happened to the quick comeback?🙄

Typically one thinks of it ten minutes too late. Or in the car on the way home.

But is it their bother or yours?

I'm a Scouser - we are not a protected characteristic!

You say you're a Northerner, presumably not a Scouser or you would have challenged the gobshite there and then 😊

Please, do not report this to HR.

I'd remember for future and if it becomes regular I'd report them but as a potential one off I'd have made it clear at the time I wasn't amused but I wouldn't report one comment

'Full scale virtue signalling'?! All she did was counter-balance the views of a colleague who had been slagging off the benefits system. She wasn't the one making personal attacks on anyone FFS.

How is it 'virtue signalling' for the OP to simply express one's view during a discussion that somebody else had started? Or is it only right-wing people who are allowed personal opinions?

OP, your colleague is a total cunt but no, I wouldn't bother going to HR about it. I'd certainly have pulled the colleague up on it though.

I'm in the opposite situation to you - I'm a London who lives and works in the north. I once pulled up a colleague here about something utterly obnoxious that she said about Londoners.

note it down and if there is a pattern you have a record

What do you expect HR to do?

If he says stuff like that there must be way worse?!

I bet he's racist, homophobic and ableist to boot.

Do you think it would be worth it? Would it make him stop? I probably would say something just because he sounds so awful.

Neither of you should have been saying anything.

He was having a rant, you embarrassed him with a virtue signal, he bit back with a personal insult. Now someone is shit stirring with a HR comment.

Sounds like everyone at your work needs to level up professionally.

Leave it alone. HR aren't there to referee grown adult squabbles and being Liverpuddlian isn't a protected characteristic.

Get some grit.

I think it depends how he said it. A bit of a joke, I'd brush off. Said with venom and a genuine belief in the words he said then I would be very angry, not sure if I'd go to HR but I'd have something to say about it to him.
The line of work matters too I think, someone in a role supporting vulnerable people claiming benefits saying this would be more concerning than someone working in IT saying it.

I didn’t really think anything more of it until my colleague mentioned it to me today.

Does your colleague get on well with this person or do they in anyway dislike them?

Report by all means but make sure you're not doing your colleagues dirty work for them.

Don’t be a ‘ bitchy snitchy’ - just have some good come backs ready

I probably wouldn’t report it this time but I would email him and tell him his comment was out of order.

Probably best to avoid conversations about politics in future and then you can’t get dragged down to his level.

I can never think fast enough. I lack what the French call 'esprit de l'escalier'
Repartee thought of only too late, on the way home.

Pfff are you aged 5 and still in the playground running to teacher?

Bit of a leap lol!