How to handle suggestive/degrading/raunchy emails?

[milimac]

Occasionally I along with several other guys in my company send emails that contain jokes or pictures, etc. Occasionally I’ll receive one with a raunchy joke or with a scantily-clad woman.

We all get along well and I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. What’s the best way to handle it?
– Just delete it unless it happens frequently
– Tell the person to keep me off the list if it contains degrading content
– Respond to the email list and point out why such an email is offensive

Suggestions?

 

[dulcissima]

I think either of the first two options are probably the best. If you do ask to get taken off the list, be sure to be diplomatic.

 

[1ke]

I would suggest that you remove yourself from all of the emails and stop sending them yourself.

As a manager, I can tell you that our company frowns on sending jokes around, regardless of content. When forwarded around the office it eats up email server resources and it encourages more of the same.

So, if/when someone sends one of these to the wrong person, and that person tells a manager or HR, then you will all be in trouble. There have even been instances of people being fired when it was found out they were in a group that was doing these things-- even when they may not have personally send that particular email.

Work email should never be viewed as “your” email. The company owns it and everything in it.

 

[milimac]

I would suggest that you remove yourself from all of the emails and stop sending them yourself.

As a manager, I can tell you that our company frowns on sending jokes around, regardless of content. When forwarded around the office it eats up email server resources and it encourages more of the same.

So, if/when someone sends one of these to the wrong person, and that person tells a manager or HR, then you will all be in trouble. There have even been instances of people being fired when it was found out they were in a group that was doing these things-- even when they may not have personally send that particular email.

Work email should never be viewed as “your” email. The company owns it and everything in it.

I can appreciate that, which is why I don’t send anything that would contain a large amount of information – such as games, etc, which could also contain viruses. However, I think sending some things among the team keeps things light and can help bring the team closer together – and in that case, it can be a good use of company resources.

When I’ve been on the phone and sent business emails to the person I’m talking to, they are received almost immediately, and these usually contain attachments which make the email larger than the jocular emails that get sent around. It’s hard to see them as taxing the email server resources.

 

[vern_humphrey]

I can appreciate that, which is why I don’t send anything that would contain a large amount of information – such as games, etc, which could also contain viruses. However, I think sending some things among the team keeps things light and can help bring the team closer together – and in that case, it can be a good use of company resources.

When I’ve been on the phone and sent business emails to the person I’m talking to, they are received almost immediately, and these usually contain attachments which make the email larger than the jocular emails that get sent around. It’s hard to see them as taxing the email server resources.

Email should be treated like verbal communications. We don’t discipline workers for exchanging pleasantries or jokes, do we? In fact, if we are wise, we encourage friendly relations between workers – and that includes conversation not strictly on business.

Of course, offensive or obscene remarks – whether verbal or electronic cannot be tolerated.

 

[TimOliv]

I would suggest that you remove yourself from all of the emails and stop sending them yourself.

As a manager, I can tell you that our company frowns on sending jokes around, regardless of content. When forwarded around the office it eats up email server resources and it encourages more of the same.

So, if/when someone sends one of these to the wrong person, and that person tells a manager or HR, then you will all be in trouble. There have even been instances of people being fired when it was found out they were in a group that was doing these things-- even when they may not have personally send that particular email.

Work email should never be viewed as “your” email. The company owns it and everything in it.

This depends largely on the company. My company promoted the occasional joke in the email and you could always send a funny forward to your co-workers (Even HR managed to crack a smile every so often)

However I do agree with you that the company email is not your own. Were it ever to be anything but harmless fun (we never forwarded anything even remotely racist, sexist or suggestive) then I’d be sure that we would be in a world of poo.

 

[estesbob]

Occasionally I along with several other guys in my company send emails that contain jokes or pictures, etc. Occasionally I’ll receive one with a raunchy joke or with a scantily-clad woman.

We all get along well and I don’t want to get anyone in trouble. What’s the best way to handle it?
– Just delete it unless it happens frequently
– Tell the person to keep me off the list if it contains degrading content
– Respond to the email list and point out why such an email is offensive

Suggestions?

What is the policy of your company? You could be putting your job at risk even if you inadvertently forward one of these emails on. My employees know that their emails are monitored and that sending or even forwarding pornographic or other wise inappropriate materials is grounds for immediate termination. IMO you should tell your “Friends” that under no circumstances are they to send you such emails.

 

[Texan_in_DC]

I know a manager that just got fired for doing just what you have been doing. He only had a few years left for full retirement, but because he was let go prior, his retirement pay got cut in half.

He is old enough to retire but will have to get a new job because the bennefits he will recieve now will not pay the bills for his current lifestyle needs and wants.

He claims that he did not forward the emails but just deleted him, because he works in a “right to work” state they 'The “employer” does not need a reason to let him go.

I used to work for a big corporate 500 company actually two and both provided me with laptops and email, both laptops had a monitor on it to let the management know how and how often we were using the tools given to us and the 2nd company actually had a written policy that we could not download a thing to the laptop, all down loads were done via wireless through the main office. Nobody even family knew my work email, because i did not need any junk email going in.

The risk is on you, I would use your spam blocker to block those emails and set up an alternate email, really there is no excuse bc they are free. Your company paid a lot of money for the email server and upkeep, more than your sallary.

 

[TimOliv]

I know a manager that just got fired for doing just what you have been doing. He only had a few years left for full retirement, but because he was let go prior, his retirement pay got cut in half.

He is old enough to retire but will have to get a new job because the bennefits he will recieve now will not pay the bills for his current lifestyle needs and wants.

He claims that he did not forward the emails but just deleted him, because he works in a “right to work” state they 'The “employer” does not need a reason to let him go.

I used to work for a big corporate 500 company actually two and both provided me with laptops and email, both laptops had a monitor on it to let the management know how and how often we were using the tools given to us and the 2nd company actually had a written policy that we could not download a thing to the laptop, all down loads were done via wireless through the main office. Nobody even family knew my work email, because i did not need any junk email going in.

The risk is on you, I would use your spam blocker to block those emails and set up an alternate email, really there is no excuse bc they are free. Your company paid a lot of money for the email server and upkeep, more than your sallary.

I also live in a right to work state. Really puts the pressure on.

 

[vern_humphrey]

I know a manager that just got fired for doing just what you have been doing. He only had a few years left for full retirement, but because he was let go prior, his retirement pay got cut in half.

He is old enough to retire but will have to get a new job because the bennefits he will recieve now will not pay the bills for his current lifestyle needs and wants.

He claims that he did not forward the emails but just deleted him, because he works in a “right to work” state they 'The “employer” does not need a reason to let him go.

If he is a manager, it doesn’t matter what kind of state he worked in. Managers are under different terms than workers.

I suspect there is a lot more to this story that posted here – profitable companies do not capriciously fire good managers.

 

[estesbob]

If he is a manager, it doesn’t matter what kind of state he worked in. Managers are under different terms than workers.

I suspect there is a lot more to this story that posted here – profitable companies do not capriciously fire good managers.

Actually they do. I kn0w of a situation where a fortune 500 company company fired 5 top managers becuase they were exchanging semi-pornographic emails. Companies are scared to death of being sued for creating a hostile work enviroment for women.

In addition as an owner how can I hold the junior bookkeper to higher standards than my “good” manager?

 

[vern_humphrey]

Actually they do. I kn0w of a situation where a fortune 500 company company fired 5 top managers becuase they were exchanging semi-pornographic emails. Companies are scared to death of being sued for creating a hostile work enviroment for women.

I would not call that capricious action – given today’s legal climate, it was necessary to avoid an expensive lawsuit.

I would call it bad management, however – as you tell the story the upper management were unaware of the situation, or if aware did nothing to correct it until it blew up in their faces. With good policies and good supervision, they could have nipped this problem in the bud and avoided having it blow up in their face.

I

n addition as an owner how can I hold the junior bookkeper to higher standards than my “good” manager?

You cannot – in fact, in defiance of the way government, and even the Church sometimes works, I feel people in high places must meet proportionately higher standards.

 

[mystified]

That’s why computers have delete buttons.

 

[puzzleannie]

stop sending them and forwarding them immediately
find out your company’s policy and follow it to the letter or your job could be in jeopardy
assume that every email you send and receive is available to everyone in the company including your boss
report objectionable messages as spam and advise the senders you will be doing this, and if it continues you will repor them to HRD.