Jump to content


Advice about a comment on Facebook


style="text-align: center;">  

Thread Locked

because no one has posted on it for the last 4772 days.

If you need to add something to this thread then

 

Please click the "Report " link

 

at the bottom of one of the posts.

 

If you want to post a new story then

Please

Start your own new thread

That way you will attract more attention to your story and get more visitors and more help 

 

Thanks

Recommended Posts

I'm asking this on behalf of my best friend who also works in the same company as me. A small store but part of a huge retail chain. Well my friend has recently been promoted to a team leader and on the 2nd Febuary I noticed a comment on one of my colleagues Walls calling my friend an 'F***ing 'tard'. A lot of our other colleagues had commented agreeing with this and 'liking' t

he comment. My friend has obvious mild learning difficultiesbut has been given a chance with this job although he does struggle sometimes. Well my friend wrote a letter of complaint and the lad that made the comment apologised to him but I have been on his profile since and the comment is still there. I've spoken to the lad

a few weeks ago and asked him to remove it which he said he would and also spoke to the manager again who said he would also ask for it to be removed. Well I have been on there today and it is still there! What can my friend do about this? His name isn't mentioned but it's blatantly obvious who it is aimed at and we have new members of staff starting constantly who this lad is adding to his Facebook. It's making my friend look and feel a fool and people aren't taking him seriously. Our boss has done nothing, not even a warning to this lad and I feel it's very unfair. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Replies 55
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

Top Posters In This Topic

Hello there, welcome to the forum. When I saw your thread title, I'm afraid I thought 'Oh dear, not another one', but this is an interesting angle on the FB thing. I'm wondering if your company has a policy on bullying, harassment, discrimination etc. This is only thinking aloud and I'm sure the others will comment on how this matter should be approached.

 

I hope we can help.

 

My best, HB

Illegitimi non carborundum

 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

A complaint needs to be made to the company HR department, as your boss isn't dealing with the issue properly.

I've just realised something, Mark Zuckerberg is the Second Coming. Facebook is going to destroy human civilisation.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well we have a union and in the complaint letter my friend said how upset it had made him and how he would go to the union about it and my boss said he didn't like being threatened with the union and that my mate should have just stuck to the facts and not included his feelings. The only other person we could speak to is the Area manager but this could make it awkward for my friend as everyone is very pally pally and they don't like any complaints being made. My friend would probably rather brush it under the carpet and hasn't pushed the matter further but people are laughing behind his back and making fun of him.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Yep it's a very big retail chain but a small store with about 14 members of staff. We have two managers and two team leaders. My manager is very laid back and doesn't really seem to care much about the people in the store and fobs people off with 'leave it with me, il deal with it, don't take it outside the store etc etc'

Link to post
Share on other sites

Refer it to the union, that's what they're there for.

If the manager doesn't like it, he'll land himself in serious trouble if he tries taking any action against you/your friend.

It was perfectly reasonable of your friend to state how this made him feel.

If he has a learning disability, he's probably covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. For a colleague to publicly call him a "FR" is unlawful harassment, and the employer has a duty to address this matter properly

Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks for your advice. Just needed to make sure it wouldn't come back on my friend but thinking about it this is the only thing we can do. My friend doesnt have a recognised learning difficulty but he struggles with communication and the doctor has suggested he could have mild aspergers but can't explore it any further as he

Is over 18. Everyone recognises he has issues though and the older staff members are wonderful with him and very patient. It's just the younger ones.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello again cinammon. Please don't go for the jugular just yet, wait for a few more comments first. But I think Elpulpo might have the right approach for you in going to head office and HR.

 

Do you have a screenprint of the Facebook page? If you don't, my technical adviser tells me you need to do something like 'Ctrl + the Prt Sc button', which I have just found on my keyboard for the 1st time. Depending on your PC, it could be the Function button.

 

Then you can copy and paste or save it to another document or an email. If you haven't shown someone this already, and I apologise if you've already mentioned this, I think having this sort of proof could be useful to you.

 

My best, HB

Illegitimi non carborundum

 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Oh yes we have print outs of the status, comments and the people who 'liked' it. I will definitely hold back for a bit. Really don't want to make life difficult for my friend but something has to be done.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hmm. Frivolity over? This is serious and it's nice to see someone on Facebook who deserves sacking. Go to the union - this is disability discrimation and having done the " informal route" ir really is time for the heavy guns. It may be a store of 14 people, but I bet the company take it more seriously. Just make sure that everything is in writing - download copies of the pages, and put everything in writing.

 

And by the way - the doctor is being lazy. Being over 18 does not ever mean they can't make a diagnosis.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi i have pm'd you, let me know so i can give you the correct advice.

 

Ignore any PM sent. CAG is firmly against sending advice by PM without valid reason to do so, such as preventing indentifiable infomation being made public. So barney, any advice should be posted in this thread not by PM, and as your certain your advice is the correct advice, implying the others here, including SarEL an Employment BARRISTOR, is wrong. Then i am highly sceptical of your advice being the correct advice, since you sent it by PM rather then postin g on the thread so others can view it and debate it.

 

That said i am in agreement with SarEL and others here as this is a very serious matter, another angle to having this matter dealt with would be defamation (i.e libel) which is a criminal offence. Which would allow your friend to take the individaul that made the post to court.

Please note that this advice is given informally, without liability and without prejudice. Always seek the advice of an insured qualified professional. All my legal and nonlegal knowledge comes from either here (CAG),my own personal research and experience and/or as the result of necessity as an Employer and Businessman.

 

By using my advice in any form, you agreed to waive all rights to hold myself or any persons representing myself of any liability.

 

If you PM me, make sure to include a link to your thread as I don't give out advice in private. All PMs that are sent in missuse (including but not limited to phinishing, spam) of the PM application and/or PMs that are threatening or abusive will be reported to the Site Team and if necessary to the police and/or relevant Authority.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Agreed on all points.

 

This is potentially very serious, and never mind the individual store, the company will take this as an extremely serious matter. There is a growing list of cases where Facebook and other public Forums have been responsible for dismissals, and your colleague needs to make a big noise about this - the manager concerned is also likely to be culpable personally for not treating this with the gravity it deserves. Equally anybody who finds this distasteful should be complaining and not just the victim - so that includes you!

 

And barney2 - please do not suggest that users PM you for advice or to give information away from public view. There is nothing which the OP can say in private which cannot also be said on an open forum. I am sure that your intentions are honourable, but there are very good reasons why forum rules exist, and if there is a genuine reason why a point needs to be made via PM then this should be at the OP's instigation, nobody else's, and then only to clarify a point, not to receive detailed advice on a subject.

Any advice given is done so on the assumption that recipients will also take professional advice where appropriate.

 

PLEASE HELP US TO KEEP THIS SITE RUNNING

EVERY POUND DONATED WILL HELP US TO KEEP HELPING OTHERS

DONATE HERE

 

If I have been helpful in any way - please feel free to click on the STAR to the left!

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Barney was asking over PM if it was a specific store and I responded before reading your posts not realising this isn't allowed. I just said it wasn't the store he was suggesting but didn't say which one it was. Not really happy to divulge that information as the outcome should be the same regardless of what company it is I'm assuming. My friend has reprinted the copies of the screenshots and a copy of the letter he originally wrote to our manager outlining the facts and how it made him feel. So would the next best

step be to contact the union? He is planning on calling them this morning to arrange a meeting with a rep. He wants to try and speak to our manager once more before doing this but we have gone to him three times so far and each time told 'leave it with me, I will deal with it' yet it is still on Facebook. Is it worth going to him a fourth time? Apparently after speaking with my friend last night he said the reason this lad gave as to not removing the comment is that he only has access to FB from his mobile phone and can't delete any comment made. If this was me and I'd had a proper warning about what could potentially happen making comments like that I'd be straight to a friends or the library to remove it. This shows in my eyes he didn't have a sufficient warning although when he apologised to my friend he did say he was aware that he could have been sacked. When I approached just after he had done it

him he promised he would find a way to remove the comment and he hadn't meant it, he was just angry as my friend had taken half an hour extra to lock up the store. This is an ongoing issue the staff have with my friend but this should be taken up with management not on Facebook! I know people have complained and again my manager has offered no training or support with time management. My blood is really starting to boil over this. Especially when the manager said he should only have included the facts. Also I'm assuming a letter of complaint is as good as writing a proper grievance form? We are supposed to use these but 'conveniently' never have any in store even though we are meant to.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Have just come into work and my friend has left a note to the manager asking him to speak to the lad in question again. He never mentioned last night he has done this. Is it worth waiting to see if he does or just go straight to the union? He said he will speak to him later on.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Fwiw, I'd be inclined to see if the manager comes back and says anything later. Equally, you probably don't want to let this drift and I personally wouldn't feel like being very patient. Saying that, I'm not sure who is going to speak to whom later on, now I read your post #18 again.

 

Don't hand over your written evidence unless you can get hold of other copies.

 

And please let us know how it goes.

 

My best, HB

Illegitimi non carborundum

 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Sorry I meant my manager is going to speak to the lad that made the comment. One of our colleagues has told our manager that my friend is thinking of taking legal action if nothing has been done about the comment. Not sure what my manager said to him but my friend looked very unhappy when I saw him. Will find out more later but couldn't speak to him at the time as our boss was there.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Hello again. It doesn't sound as if they're dealing with this very well. I'd like to know what the others think, but I'd have said it's gone beyond handling it verbally. The comment about legal action is unfortunate, because it's probably not the way to go. I hope you're being careful about what you say to people at the moment.

 

Please come back to us later and let us know how the day's gone. Then we can help you decide the way forward.

 

My best, HB

Illegitimi non carborundum

 

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

The statement about legal action was from a third party so its deniable, as it wasn't said by the OP's friend. So it's nothing more than in store gossip and rumours basically, though your friend has every right to take such action, but at this stage there is no need to even consider legal action, as this can be sorted out formally and internally at the company still. Only when you exhaust all options such as formal grievance procedures, is it time to start considering outside action such as tribunal or legal.

 

So if your friend hasn't all ready said he is considering legal action, then when he is asked he should simply state he is not yet considering it, as he hopes for the issue to be resolved amicably, but failing that, then it will be one option he would consider but only if it can not be resolved amicably in house.

 

To be honest, your other collegue had no right to get involved our make assummative statements to the manager. As doing so, despite whether their intentions were to help or not, only serves to create unnecessary friction between your friend and the manager. Which given your friends mood today am guessing the manager was not happy to hear about the possability of legal action and may have said some strong words, though i would be interested in knowing exactly what those words were.

Please note that this advice is given informally, without liability and without prejudice. Always seek the advice of an insured qualified professional. All my legal and nonlegal knowledge comes from either here (CAG),my own personal research and experience and/or as the result of necessity as an Employer and Businessman.

 

By using my advice in any form, you agreed to waive all rights to hold myself or any persons representing myself of any liability.

 

If you PM me, make sure to include a link to your thread as I don't give out advice in private. All PMs that are sent in missuse (including but not limited to phinishing, spam) of the PM application and/or PMs that are threatening or abusive will be reported to the Site Team and if necessary to the police and/or relevant Authority.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Well I spoke to the colleague who I thought had told the manager and she swears she hasn't said anything which I'm inclined to believe as it was the the three of us who wanted to sort this out anyway. I think my friend has mentioned legal action himself to the manager and the manager has acted like he already knew to throw my friend off guard. All so confusing! I need to have a proper discussion with my mate later. He does have a habit of changing parts of his story and leaving bits out of conversations. I very briefly caught him on the way into the store earlier where he told me that our boss already had heard through the grapevine about legal action but I'm not sure how as the only people that are aware of the situation is me and the other colleague. Will post later when I find out more. Hopefully the comment will be gone later tonight if my manager keeps to his word but I'm not holding my breath lol.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Right things are a bit clearer now. Apparently the boss approached my friend and said he heard we were taking it to the union. This can only have come from our colleague who swore she hadnt said anything. We are the only people that know. Well the boss has told my friend he can go union if he likes but he has had three weeks to check up if the comment had gone and he shouldn't have left it so late. He is also angry that I have got involved in the situation and said my friend should have kept work and social life separate. I know I will be approached tomorrow morning for my involvement. It happened once before when I approached him about a 17 year old being made to work 12 hour shifts. He said she should have come to him herself and shouted at me telling me to zip it until I became very upset. How do I approach it if he starts having a go at me again? I know it's not my personal argument but I feel very strongly about any of my work mates being called words like that.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • Recently Browsing   0 Caggers

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Have we helped you ...?


×
×
  • Create New...