It’s no secret we live in a rapidly evolving digital world. As technology advances, so does the way we work and how we communicate at work.
The shift to digital communication has significantly changed workplaces. Platforms like Microsoft Teams, Google Chat, and WhatsApp have blurred the line between “informal chat” and formal workplace communication. Many employees assume these platforms are casual or private, but legally and professionally, that’s often not the case.
A recent employment tribunal decision involving two BT employees acts as an example of this. The workers were dismissed after participating in a Microsoft Teams conversation that included crude, inappropriate remarks about a colleague. As a result, the employees were dismissed as the employer believed these comments incited violence. Both employees stated such comments were ‘only banter’ and never intended to offend anyone.
Whilst the judge ruled these dismissals as unfair (as the judge said no reasonable employer could conclude the messages genuinely incited violence) there are key learnings and takeaways here. Messages were key evidence to this case and were harmful (though not enough for gross misconduct) – they were not private and can have serious consequences.
Work chats are still work, even when they’re framed as “just banter” (a word we’d happily retire from the workplace).
Many use internal chat tools to vent about frustrating calls or poke fun at stressful situations. But if that channel is provided by your employer or used in a work context, what you write there is taken seriously.
In BT’s case, even though they were ruled ‘unfairly dismissed’ it doesn’t mean the messages didn’t count; it means the employer’s approach to handling them was flawed.
The impact and risk is clear and serious for both the employee and employer:
- For employees: a thoughtless message can lead to disciplinary action, reputational damage, or dismissal if your employer believes it violates policies.
- For employers: mishandling investigations can lead to costly legal claims (as BT discovered) and damage to morale and trust.
Bottom line: In a world where Teams, Google, WhatsApp, and other platforms are often the default places for workplace communication, the boundary between casual conversations and professional conduct has essentially disappeared. These tools count as work communication, and what you say there can have real professional and legal consequences.
A key note for employers: set clear expectations, have clear policies and procedures, when necessary investigate matters accordingly, be clear on workplace interaction and consequences of ill-behaviour.
If you’re unsure how to handle sensitive workplace issues, need support conducting investigations, or want to strengthen your policies before problems occur, we can help.
Contact us at lucy@mcmillanandassociateshr.com
Because it’s far easier to manage issues early than repair the damage once they escalate.