Disciplinary process over employees slagging colleagues on private WhatsApp group

[Ladyjuicy08]

Sorry to clarify it was screenshot by 'someone' in the group ( we know who process of elimination but don't want to accuse anyone) who in turn sent it to the person it was about who then showed employer No-one else at work has seen it as far as I'm aware but knows about it as I said everyone knows everyone's business

 

[RETIRED2017]

Sorry to clarify it was screenshot by 'someone' in the group ( we know who process of elimination but don't want to accuse anyone) who in turn sent it to the person it was about who then showed employer No-one else at work has seen it as far as I'm aware but knows about it as I said everyone knows everyone's business

Reading between the lines everyone knows everyone's business .I suspect the only person who did not know about it was the person in the screenshot until someone in your group called a halt to it,

 

[Ladyjuicy08]

Reading between the lines everyone knows everyone's business .I suspect the only person who did not know about it was the person in the screenshot until someone in your group called a halt to it,

No need to be reading between the lines nobody knew about it until it was brought to bosses attention I've already stated it was a once off and forgotten about

 

[RETIRED2017]

It doesn’t mean it can be used though, for disciplining.

WE don't know both sides of the story and what prompted one in the group to inform the person concerned,
It was not forgotten about by one member of your group ,
Ladyjuicy08 may have forgotten about it and I can understand well how she would have but others did not and this is the angle she need to be looking at it from ,I am trying to be helpful to Ladyjuicy08 all may not be as happy as she thinks in her group ao with the people outside her group ,

 

[Ladyjuicy08]

WE don't know both sides of the story and what prompted one in the group to inform the person concerned,

Stirring up trouble but I don't think they expected this much trouble to come from it as they walking around not looking anyone in the eyes

 

[Ladyjuicy08]

I would understand the person who screenshot it more if it was show to the other person right away but why wait coming up now nearly 6 weeks to do anything about when in mean time it was all forgotten about and never mentioned I've had plenty of conversations with this person since then and they've never mentioned it once to me

 

[mathepac]

You understand that we can only provide general advice in the absence of information from both sides.

I was under the impression we made general suggestions here and that anyone needing "advice" needed to pay for the professional kind outside of the forum. I'm not sure what the proponents in this thread need in the line of advice though, whether parental, legal, H&S, general conduct or other.

I'm not sure whether the forum is becoming more like FB, boards.ie or a childrens' school playground at break time, but threads like this one add nothing to its hard-earned and well maintained reputation. IMO of course.

 

[RETIRED2017]

Stirring up trouble but I don't think they expected this much trouble to come from it as they walking around not looking anyone in the eyes

I would not be so sure about that I would go so far as to say you may be surprised at how little support there will be if things go against the person who put it up in the first place,
I suspect some of your so called Friends may not stand with you. the screenshot was just something used to damage you both ,
the fact that it was used 6 weeks later tells you to mend fences with the person in the screenshot and look after your own interest and stop allowing others to be using you to get at other people,

 

[RETIRED2017]

Infairness there are a queue of people now willing to make complaints against him,he's opened a can of worms with making his complaint

How many have so far Most times it is just talk with no action,
Next time the mention it ask them why the have not already done so,

 

[Ladyjuicy08]

How many have so far Most times it is just talk with no action,
Next time the mention it ask them why the have not already done so,

Numerous people have come to me saying it but I'm in no way encouraging them I actual don't think they should as this will only make the whole thing worse than it's needs to be
Plus my original post which I've sidetracked from also various other posting have was just to ask the question legally have my employers the right to my private messages which again where not posted in public and screenshot without my permission especially since it wasnt handed to them directly from anyone in the group

 

[Leo]

It doesn’t mean it can be used though, for disciplining.

Once it was brought to the attention of management, it became public, and the employer now has an obligation to act on it. Messages such as this have been used in the EAT in the past.

No one should be under the impression they are immune from repercussions just because such messages were shared via a private service. Anything you commit to writing via any medium can come back and bite you.

 

[MangoJoe]

Isn't this all very simple? Someone did something wrong through poor judgement, got found out and now faces some appropriate sanction which the company is obliged and duty bound to deliver.

Secondary to this, people may well have a change of perspective regarding this "victims" own history of prior misconduct in the office. Seeing as this individual has opted to pursue this via the HR channel now others may feel that with the benefit of further perspective this is an option well worth considering themselves & make retrospective complaints about the persons past behaviour and personal comments relating to peoples anatomical attributes and sexuality - for which they surely deserve sanction themselves.

For the record and contrary to some previous commentary, WhatsApp is very decidedly a social media platform - Also it should be noted there's nothing "private" about WhatsApp's obliging nature in allowing one to forward images or video to 9 or 999 people outside of the original "private" group of addressees.

If you go around accusing people of poor behaviour you'd better be ready and willing to answer for your own.