Employees often overuse their freedom of speech while on social media.
Discovery Group has launched disciplinary action against one of its employees after a WhatsApp group chat between him and his friends was leaked on social media platform X.
In the group chat, three men are talking about having sexual intercourse with women without having the desire to have a romantic relationship with them. A fourth member of the group does not actively participate but shares reaction emojis.
The leaked WhatsApp chats further reveal how these men were making arrangements to fly women out to have sexual intercourse. They went so far as to take out loans and withdraw from their two-pot system to fund the lifestyle.
One of the men specifically stated that he wants girls born in 2000 and not before. “All we need are four UJ students,” he said.
In one of their conversations, a friend asked the Discovery employee if he could get them girls for a particular outing.
The Discovery employee replied: “The best I can do for you guys is my colleagues.” Then he shared pictures, which are assumed to be of the colleagues in question.
“Your colleagues are actually incredible,” said the one friend. “I think we gotta gamble with your colleagues, but let’s divide and conquer.”
The Citizen could not reach the four men included in the group chat as they have deactivated their social media accounts and Linkedin profiles. It is also unclear where the other men work.
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Discovery takes action
Discovery was made aware of the lead group chat, which led the company to launch disciplinary action against the employee.
“The disciplinary process is already underway and we will take definitive action in line with our policies,” Discovery Bank told The Citizen.
“Discovery is a business built on integrity and we take behaviour that violates our values extremely seriously. These values are deeply embedded in our culture and guide how we operate every day.”
Discovery said it has a commitment to safety.
“Our commitment to a safe and respectful workplace, especially for our female colleagues, is absolute.”
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Social media in a workplace
Employees tend to forget they are bound by the policies they have signed with their employers. Most companies have a social media policy that outlines what can get you in trouble.
Employees often overuse their freedom of speech on social media because they believe they are engaging in a virtual reality, not a real place. The consequences are real.
Many companies have a clause stating that an employee may face disciplinary action if they do anything, even after working hours, that puts the company in a bad light.
Experts at Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr (CDH), not commenting on this particular case, said some people use social media platforms to offend others.
They highlighted the need for employers to implement social media policies and train employees on the use of social media.
“As we move further into the digital age, employers and employees alike need to be conscious of the material they share online, as this may have legal and reputational ramifications.”
For employees in particular, the cardinal rule is to take care before you share, as you might see your social media posts again at a disciplinary hearing.
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