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Original poster

Work group chats

21 replies

thinkingaboutitall · 23/07/2021 20:36

We have large group chats on teams & WhatsApp. Both end up regularly turning into racist/sexist/ageist comments about managers and colleagues who aren’t in the group. I’m not sure how/why the Teams chat hasn’t been noticed yet as I swear all communications are monitored

I do want to leave both groups but feel awkward in doing so - I will sort of alienate myself at work?

Secondly I am thinking to report the racism in the group, but I’m hesitant as the WhatsApp group is private so I’m essentially back stabbing them. I also don’t want everyone to get in trouble. There’s 1 main culprit, but I’m unsure if management would think others are being unprofessional and reprimand them too. That isn’t my intention.

Essentially - how do I leave this mess with the least ramifications?

OP posts:
BackforGood · 24/07/2021 01:16

Well, I would challenge the racism / sexism etc when it happens. You might be surprised how many others agree with you.

However, as you are asking for 'the least ramifications' then I would just leave the group.
From the way you describe it, it sounds as if it is just a "social" group, not a way shifts are managed or anything that is actually work related ?

RogueMnerHidesUnderABigHat · 24/07/2021 01:37

Choices are, i think...

  1. Stay on the group and stay silent
  2. Leave group without explanation
  3. As 2 above but with explanation
  4. Report group to work
  5. Call person out.

I think of those, option 5 is the best. Not sure od have the balls to do it though

EBearhug · 24/07/2021 10:08

Do you have a code of conduct. We do, and we have to do annual training on it, partly for this sort of reason, so no one would be able to say they were unaware.

I would challenge the sexism and racism when it comes up (and probably be told I'm oversensitive about sexism, by white, male manager, going by past experience.) I'd also take it to management. We have a separate group to take it to, as well,becausethey are aware managers can sometimes be at fault. But I do not care if colleagues would be pissed off with me about it, and I know others have reported racism in the past, so suspect at least some would be supportive. But if they're going to be racist and sexist, who cares if they alienate you? (It might be bullying if they did, though.)

If you really don't want any ramifications, then I guess just leaving the group is the only way, but won't people ask why? And it should be called out,because who wants to work in a culture where that sort of thing is okay?

HalzTangz · 24/07/2021 11:46

@RogueMnerHidesUnderABigHat

Choices are, i think...
  1. Stay on the group and stay silent
  2. Leave group without explanation
  3. As 2 above but with explanation
  4. Report group to work
  5. Call person out.

I think of those, option 5 is the best. Not sure od have the balls to do it though

I personally would call out the person (option 5), screen shotting everything first (before they delete the evidence) then report to management. Hopefully others will back up you calling them out which will remove them from being reprimanded

Those staying silent are as bad as those being vocal. Should we not all be standing up the racism?

Original poster
thinkingaboutitall · 24/07/2021 21:14

Thanks for all the replies

The person being racist is quite rude and intimidating generally so 99% of the people in the chat wouldn’t call her out else she would likely make work difficult for them

OP posts:
Original poster
thinkingaboutitall · 24/07/2021 21:15

Wish I could report it anonymously

I don’t think there’s a way to do it without getting others in trouble though

OP posts:
daisychain01 · 25/07/2021 07:21

If racist/sexist/ageist comments are being made in full sight of the managers of your organisation this is more than just a question of calling it out or leaving the WhatsApp. People are breaking equality laws and it is being allowed by leadership.

I'd get the hell out of there because you will never be able to change that culture singlehanded. The strongest message you can give is voting with your feet, by refusing to have anything to do with those vile people. Don't get caught up in it or let it taint your work history.

lljkk · 25/07/2021 07:31

So it's only one person on the Whatsapp?
can you give examples of stuff the person has said?

Iwastheparanoidex · 25/07/2021 07:32

I would report the stuff on teams because that’s work supplied, and leave the WhatsApp group.

RomComPhooey · 25/07/2021 07:38

We have Teams at work. My IT colleague friend told me that all of the chat is archived. I’m not sure whether that is a standard/automatic software setting, or a decision by my employer but it would be worth asking the question at your place of work. If your colleague has made discriminatory comments on Teams, they are highly likely to have have breached local IT use policies and there may also be an archive which can be reviewed as part of the investigation.

I’d also look into exporting some of the WhatsApp chats in case this blows up. I don’t know if WA posts a message on the chat to say if a user has downloaded a copy - perhaps practice on a family/friends chat first.

EBearhug · 25/07/2021 10:37

My IT colleague friend told me that all of the chat is archived.

There may be time limits on it. There are with ours, but I can't remember how long for, despite having been told.

LemonGelato · 25/07/2021 12:37

At the very least you need to leave the What's App group. Ideally you'd call out the offensive comments irst as its the right thing to do, but I can see what you might choose not to if the main perpetrator is aggressive.

It would be worth making a statement like 'can I remind everyone that as we are all here due to our mutual connection being work, it's important we abide by the Company code of conduct (or values or whatever these are) and some comments could be taken as rude & offensive or even racist/sexist etc"

Because the fact you are only connected via work is absolutely relevant. Your company can be held vicariously liable for things that happen outside of work. So if someone complained about one of these comments to management you could all find yourself subject to an investigation an potential disciplinary action. Your silence is not a defence,you are condoning the comments. Have you all had some sort of Equal opportunities/diversity training?) Because if yes, it makes it worse.

A RL example would be that a group of staff have lunch together. One overhears another making a racist/sexist/offensive comment or is sexually harassed. They make a complaint at work about that person- it would have to treated as a grievance and investigated. There are lots of circumstances to consider as to where the work/private line is drawn but it's entirely possible.

Leave the group now. If someone asks why,say it was making you uncomfortable and leave it at that.

CrouchEndTiger12 · 25/07/2021 12:37

Report it and don't leave the group. That way no one would know it was you

CrouchEndTiger12 · 25/07/2021 12:38

Don't delete take screen shots

LemonGelato · 25/07/2021 12:41

Oh and on the Teams chat you really must challenge (and report) anything unacceptable. That's clearly work related. You are putting yourself at risk if you don't. Believe me I have seen these sorts of things blow up spectacularly.

Original poster
thinkingaboutitall · 25/07/2021 13:12

That’s the thing, I thought the Teams chat would be monitored but nothing has come up yet. I know messages get deleted after 30 days, unsure if IT would have an archive though

I have exported the WhatsApp chat. With screenshots, I don’t want to take them on my phone in case someone tries to narrow down who has an iPhone/android etc and it leads back to me! You know how WhatsApp groups colour code the participant names? The racist’s name comes up as eg pink on my phone, but it will be another colour on someone else’s so again easy to narrow down by process of elimination

Annoyingly this is public sector so hard to leave or avoid this employer

OP posts:
Original poster
thinkingaboutitall · 25/07/2021 13:16

So wrt to comments - the person in question gets in trouble regularly and will bitch about the manager who told her off. Ageist, sexist, racist comments and emojis. Our managers on the whole are women in their 50s, a couple of Asian ladies and a gay man so you can imagine what is being said.

However others say low level comments eg “couldn’t organise a piss up in a brewery” and I wouldn’t want them to get in trouble if I report the racist comments

OP posts:
EBearhug · 25/07/2021 14:08

I thought the Teams chat would be monitored but nothing has come up yet.

With us, that would only happen as part of an investigation. I don't know how big your employer is, but actively monitoring every online conversation with us would take an awful lot of IT and human resource, and most of the time it would be pointless ("have you seen the ticket about the server outage in Amsterdam?" and other excitements.) So they rely on reports to monitor for particular investigations.

SorrentoLemons · 29/07/2021 14:14

Set up a new chat - report the old one.

whatisforteamum · 30/07/2021 12:13

Oh goodness I feel for you OP.im in the same situation.
Started off just work related.
Then in lockdown became a chat room which was quite nice for those who live alone.
Recently any old guff goes on there including stuff I don't need to hear about when I'm off.
I muted it as I can't delete as rotas go on there.
Some of the posts are graphic sexual ones.
A new school leavers started and mentioned it to the perpetrator!and the boss is in on it.
I must admit it is overpowering and crosses many boundaries.
Can you just mute yours OP?

LatteLady · 30/07/2021 12:30

We had something similar happen at my office with a group of Managers who used a WhatsApp group. When a member of the group was suspended for an incident unrelated, HR went through his phone logs and all hell broke loose. Those in the thread where an offensive comment was made were disciplined if they had failed to call it out.

As to Teams Messages, each company has a different retention policy, for us it is 48 hrs, our previous systems deleted comments immediately, so we are learning to be more circumspect about any comments we make when we are frustrated.

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