Under investigation at work

DarrenM343 · 4 Jun 2019 at 10:52

robinbanks said:
So a work colleague accidentally sent a inoffensive photo to him? If it's your personal phone I fail to see why you are under investigation. If it's work phone and you've been told to keep the contents confidential I still fail to see what they can do. I mean technically you could argue it was pocket sent. Seems rather odd for them to react over.

HR will investigate because a complaint has been made, simple as that really.
OP should be honest and emphasise sending of the photo was an accident.
The photo probably brought back bad old memories causing anger and a desire to do something (pay back!)

[FnG]magnolia · 4 Jun 2019 at 11:04

Just LOL if you're not already outside the guy's house ready to stand and bang.

Noobs.

Diddums · 4 Jun 2019 at 11:16

Stop sending dic pics to ex colleagues, especially those with an axe to grind.

Dugganator · 4 Jun 2019 at 11:25

The number of button presses required to do that by mistake seems crazy to me? Are you sure the person who sent it wasn't more trying to be a drunken bell end and get you in trouble with this person for the lolz bants init etc. Now its kind of back fired with the person who the message was sent contacting your HR.

Diddums · 4 Jun 2019 at 11:26

Dugganator said:
The number of button presses required to do that by mistake seems crazy to me? Are you sure the person who sent it wasn't more trying to be a drunken bell end and get you in trouble with this person for the lolz bants init etc. Now its kind of back fired with the person who the message was sent contacting your HR.

Exactly, this story is covered in red flags.

InvaderGIR · 4 Jun 2019 at 11:27

Why would you keep the WhatsApp conversation from years ago and also keep the contact in your phone? All seems quite odd really.

VincentHanna · 4 Jun 2019 at 11:36

InvaderGIR said:
Why would you keep the WhatsApp conversation from years ago and also keep the contact in your phone? All seems quite odd really.

Why not? I never delete WhatsApp conversations.

dowie · 4 Jun 2019 at 11:39

I don’t see the issue, you’re under investigation? So what? You’ve not done anything wrong so who cares.

Your idiot colleague sent a selfie of you when drunk, probably to wind the guy up, the claim that it was a “mistake” is clearly total BS, don’t be a muppet and try to play along with that story when they talk to you. I’m not sure that the picture in itself is really much to be worried about, you were dumb for not deleting it immediately after though - why didn’t you just do that, then you’d just have some unknown deleted message sent to the guy and could more reasobably just say you sent something by accident to the wrong contact.

InvaderGIR · 4 Jun 2019 at 11:43

VincentHanna said:
Why not? I never delete WhatsApp conversations.

Because clearly the person isn't someone you/anyone should remain in contact with and clearing past conversations with them would avoid issues such as this.

Transform_IT · 4 Jun 2019 at 12:10

InvaderGIR said:
Because clearly the person isn't someone you/anyone should remain in contact with and clearing past conversations with them would avoid issues such as this.

You're right, and as such, not having his details would have avoided this situation. However, the individual was let go because of their threatening and absuive behaviour to several team members, including intimidating and harassment of females. After several apologies and the continued behaviour, they were finally dismissed. The conversation was kept as a record in case it was ever needed as evidence in the future. Their number was stored and kept as it needs to be to keep the block on it, sadly it wasn't blocked in WhatsApp for some reason.

Some people have asked if it was a screenshot of selfie. Basically, when handing the phone to my colleague, they hit the camera button which subsequently went onto the forward facing camera and displayed an image of her and me next to her. She panicked as she has an iPhone and this is android, she went to get off it and hit capture. On me grabbing the phone back in haste, the image was sent. Nothing else was sent and the following day I received several phone calls and abusive messages from the individual. I reported and blocked them which deleted the WhatsApp messages and history.

I am now under Investigation as the works doo was arranged in works time for a, then works colleague. The Individual has claimed they are aggrieved by the message and work are investigating it as it may be classed as harassment. Please bear in mind this incident is isolated and hasn't ever happened before. The individual was dismissed over 3 years ago and has continually attempted to contact myself and various other employees and has indirectly threatened us and given us abuse via email, social media and in person. Something which the company have said can't they do anything about but can only advise and support (due to it being personal).

Pudney · 4 Jun 2019 at 12:13

So the picture that was sent to your ex-colleague was a picture of you and another colleague? And that's it? I struggle to see how this could end up being any real issue. Just seems that HR have received a complaint and are appropriately investigating it.

StoutMeister · 4 Jun 2019 at 12:14

Diddums said:
Stop sending dic pics to ex colleagues, especially those with an axe to grind.

VincentHanna · 4 Jun 2019 at 12:41

Was it the woman he harassed? Pretty unlucky to get a perfect selfie of the both of you whilst fumbling around with a phone....you sure it wasn't a drunken ****-you to the guy?

Transform_IT · 4 Jun 2019 at 12:47

VincentHanna said:
Was it the woman he harassed? Pretty unlucky to get a perfect selfie of the both of you whilst fumbling around with a phone....you sure it wasn't a drunken ****-you to the guy?

It's a blurred image but you can clearly make us out. She was one of the people he bullied, yes.

tom_e · 4 Jun 2019 at 13:01

I still don't see how you could randomly send that image to this person while drunkenly handing off a phone, it takes multiple steps to do so but that's neither here nor there it's a picture of two people and no one has their johnson out. HR are following it up because a complaint has been made but it won't go anywhere.

pepp77 · 4 Jun 2019 at 13:14

3 steps required as they were already in Whatsapp looking at this persons messages. one click the camera button which it looks like she did, two press the take picture button and then 3 click the send button. Probably could be quite easy to do step 3 after the first person had done step one and then accidentally done step 2 in a panic.

booyaka · 4 Jun 2019 at 13:17

Theres more to this story for sure....

No way HR investigate a selfie sent to a individual who has nothing to do with the company. What are they investigating and why even acknowledge the persons complaint?? It's nothing to do with the employer.....A simple response that it's a personal issue and nothing to do with the employer would be the response from most HR departments.....

If that is what actually happened - what a total and utter waste of time and money by the employers.

tom_e · 4 Jun 2019 at 13:17

pepp77 said:
3 steps required as they were already in Whatsapp looking at this persons messages. one click the camera button which it looks like she did, two press the take picture button and then 3 click the send button. Probably could be quite easy to do step 3 after the first person had done step one and then accidentally done step 2 in a panic.

I stand corrected you're right, for some reason I thought they were reading a group chat and then managed to message the person directly.

Kenai · 4 Jun 2019 at 13:19

tom_e said:
I still don't see how you could randomly send that image to this person while drunkenly handing off a phone, it takes multiple steps to do so .

It takes three button presses, all at the bottom of the screen. Not exactly completely unbelievable that 2 people between them fumbling to grab the phone pressed the screen three times imo

Edit - nvm, beaten to it

Freddie1980 · 4 Jun 2019 at 13:20

Transform_IT said:
Guys,

Advice needed, please. Went on a retirement doo for my old boss, we were talking about an ex employee that was fired 3 years ago for gross misconduct. At that time and after copious amounts of alcohol, we began to read through the barrage of abusive texts he had sent us through WhatsApp. One of my colleagues drunkenly grabbed the phone to read and accidentally knocked the camera button to take a selfie. When handing it back, rather than discarding the taken selfie, it was accidentally sent. It happened so quickly and was like something out of an American Pie film, it sounds and felt so far fetched. We never thought much about it as WhatsApp popped up with an encryption message and we assumed the individual was blocked, meaning the photo couldn't be sent. The following day, I received a barrage of abusive texts and missed calls from the individual. I immediately checked if they were blocked, which they weren't and I made sure they were.

I spoke with the union who said to leave it as the photo wasn't abusive and they are no longer employed by the company. 3 weeks later, HR are now investigating the matter due to the individual complaining to the company. The investigation is tomorrow, but I am wondering where I stand with this?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated

Thanks,

T_IT

If your asked what happened just explain to them what you said here. You've done nothing wrong IMO and have nothing to hide, honesty is the best approach.