How to prevent internet trolls from accessing remote workplaces

Gustavo Razzetti, who is being hired by companies to improve their work culture, has noticed a change since the start of the pandemic last year: more political fights, more managers losing control over their employees, a curious mixture hyper-engagement and lack of empathy.

“Employees turn off their cameras, hide behind avatars, become disrespectful,” said Mr. Razzetti, whose council is called Fearless Culture. “They are aggressive towards each other.”

Office conversations in some businesses are starting to seem as unruly as conversations on the Internet. This is because the office conversation is now an Internet conversation. Many companies have been working online for almost a year and plan to continue until 2021. And just as people are more daring behind keyboards on Twitter, they are more daring behind keyboards on messaging platforms in workplace like Microsoft Teams and Slack – with all the good and all the bad, but with a lot more legal responsibility.

Work culture experts say companies can take action before lawyers get involved. These are among them: closely monitoring large discussion groups, listening to complaints, reminding employees that they are at work and not joking with friends, and being aware that the move to a virtual work force can be revealing. new issues such as age discrimination.

In many American companies, this is the first time that colleagues have to agree to work and socialize almost entirely online. There’s probably no turning back: nearly half of America’s workforce works full-time from home, according to Stanford economist Nicholas Bloom. And 67% of businesses expect working from home to be permanent or sustainable, according to research from S&P Global, which provides financial analysis.

“When the pandemic started, everyone patted their backs, like, ‘Oh look, productivity hasn’t gone down. We have gone digital. We did the things we wanted to do: streamline processes, bring things online, decentralize decision making. But they forgot about culture, ”said Jennifer Howard-Grenville, professor of organizational studies at the University of Cambridge. “Now the reality of this has struck.”

When bulletin boards, discussion forums, and Facebook become work tools, offbeat humor is more common. Aggressive political talks that wouldn’t fit among the booths now look okay. The hierarchy of physical space disappears when everyone is a username: confronting senior management doesn’t require a walk and a knock on the door, and confronting coworkers doesn’t require sitting next to you. them the rest of the day.

“I have seen texting bullying on the different types of internal instant messaging platforms, and we have seen an increase in these types of complaints coming our way,” said John Marshall, a lawyer specializing in legal matters. labor and civil rights in Columbus, Ohio. Harassment from colleagues on internal messaging platforms is nothing new, he added, but now there is more.

These new work tools were designed to look and feel like message boards and social media. Workers notice this and adopt similar behaviors, according to the researchers. The performative nature of Slack, where coworkers fuel discussions in large chat rooms by adding emojis, for example, means frenzies grow and are hard to contain once they start.

“Employees are asking, ‘Well, what do I know that is similar to Slack? Said Mark D. Agars, a professor at California State University who studies organizational psychology. “It’s a Reddit table. We are therefore inspired by these standards. And these standards are very different from professional standards. “

Some employers have had a strict response to online political gossip. The CEO of cryptocurrency firm Coinbase – whose workers have complained about disparate pay for women and minorities – recently told employees to stick to work issues in online chats or find another job. Some of them accepted it.

But work culture experts say there is common ground. The money saved in offices is therefore spent on hiring company therapists like Mr. Razzetti.

It has a protocol for work-cat emergencies. First, it closes the problematic Slack channel. Then he breaks up the team for an intervention. Colleagues are invited to reflect on their own. Then they can meet with another colleague one-on-one to share their feelings, then in groups of four. Finally, these small groups can begin to re-integrate into a new Slack channel.

Some professors and consultants recommend simple solutions: take turns talking or posting in meetings, demand quiet time to read something together in a video meeting before chatting, and give workers 90 seconds to speak up politics before starting a working day without politics.

“We have people fighting like teens online at work,” Mr. Razzetti said. “It can be a very serious thing.” So, the recommendation of the professionals is, basically, to treat us all like we are teenagers fighting online.

As with anything that involves communication in the workplace – especially a workplace conversation in text form – there are legal responsibilities. There is a big legal difference between a troll with an opinion who is an Internet stranger and a troll with an opinion that can contribute to your performance review. People can sue if they think they are being harassed.

Anyone who seeks to prevent legal liability knows that the text is dangerous. The fact that the workplace discussion now takes place in online chats is a nightmare for legal teams.

“You have to be sure you don’t write – document – anything that will offend people,” said Leslie Caputo, whose title is People Scientist at Humu, which makes corporate culture software. “For millennials, the first ages to grow up with instant messaging, we’re so used to having our predominant interactions this way, it can be hard to remember that this is a workplace with different rules. “

Lawyers are starting to receive more and more complaints. Part of the risk relates to how people casually interact on platforms, which are designed to encourage casual interaction.

“We see more absurd conduct in general and treat coworkers like they’re your friends online,” said Danielle E. Sweets, an injury lawyer in Los Angeles.

But friendly jokes towards some can be evidence of litigation towards others.

“Now if someone lives in a hostile work environment, it will be written down,” said Christina Cheung, partner of Allred, Maroko & Goldberg who focuses on harassment cases.

A law firm specializing in employment discrimination recently published this blog post offering its expertise: “If you have been discriminated against or harassed in a virtual meeting, don’t wait… contact a lawyer specializing in workplace discrimination in New Jersey today to discuss your legal options, ”wrote Phillips & Associates.

Much has been written about the gender divide in home work, how mothers have a disproportionate amount of home schooling work on their knees. But working from home makes another divide more pronounced: the generational divide. Older employees often feel less comfortable with the kind of constant digital chatter that is normal for younger workers.

“For them, it’s so hard not to be in a room with people. They might not be so quick to get started on Slack, ”said Ms. Caputo de Humu. “What impact will this have on performance reviews? There could be a serious age that stems from all of this.

An example: a worker struggles to navigate new software or accidentally remains silent, and the boss makes a boomer joke.

There are, of course, benefits to these changes. Ms. Caputo connected with her colleagues in new ways. Her daughter has severe food allergies, and there is now a Humu chat room for people with the same issues. A member of senior management has joined us. They are all related.

The standards of internet conversation are based on a unique blend of anonymity, lack of self-awareness, sense of protection, and humor. Behind an avatar and a username, one can be more brutal or cruel, reckless and brave and charming. Online communication gives a sense of distance and security and – easily overlooked in the virtual workplace culture – fun. It also empowers employees who may not be as willing to express themselves in physical environments.

Sammy Courtright, co-founder and brand director of Ten Spot, a company that builds tools for healthy engagement in the workplace, now compares workplace behavior to online dating. Meeting someone in a bar and starting a conversation requires a level of empathy and nuance that isn’t always necessary when meeting someone on Tinder.

“It’s empowering in some ways – people can say whatever they want to say,” Ms. Courtright said. “Maybe their personality is more direct online. They can be who they want to be.