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In this scenario, two co-workers and a manager. In a closed office official meeting? Just shooting the chit?
There are certain situations where comments like that simply cannot be tolerated regardless of intent. Similar to yelling "fire" in a crowded space. I don't see this as one of those situations.
To me, it sounds like someone was frustrated here. Had the comment been made in a department meeting - entirely different story.
I don't care where you work, or whether you work with blue collar or white collar people. This is neither normal nor healthy behavior, and venting doesn't "help" anyone deal with their anger. Venting anger feeds your anger and doing so in a group provides validation for that anger. The obsolete notion of venting and catharsis goes back to Freud -- and you know what? Freud was wrong about a lot of things.
I'm speaking as a counselor who spent six years working with male domestic violence offenders. This included homeless guys and blue collar guys as well as guys making six figures. The more specific a threat, the more likely it is the person will carry it out. If you hear coworkers talking about violence against others, you have a moral responsibility to take action -- whether reporting to HR or a supervisor, or telling the coworkers that the talk is unacceptable. I don't care whether you're blue collar or white collar, wrong is wrong.
I've heard plenty of people at work saying they just wanted to "kill someone" or that they were going to "go postal" or something along those lines. Usually it's just a way to blow off steam and nobody thinks much of it. I think what stands out to me about this incident is the specification of the method. Seems a lot more serious and brutal when you say exactly how you want to carry it out.
Wow. I am kind of amazed at the reactions everyone has, to a bit of irreverent humour.
In the right context, delivered the right way, to the right audience, this comment would have had me on the floor laughing! Of course the more trivial the crime (of the salespeople) the funnier it would be. Didn't anyone see that Monty Python skit where everyone's limbs were being sliced off?
People are way too quick to be offended these days.
Wow. I am kind of amazed at the reactions everyone has, to a bit of irreverent humour.
In the right context, delivered the right way, to the right audience, this comment would have had me on the floor laughing! Of course the more trivial the crime (of the salespeople) the funnier it would be. Didn't anyone see that Monty Python skit where everyone's limbs were being sliced off?
People are way too quick to be offended these days.
Well, it just means that there are some things you don't joke about and it shows that not everyone will understand what your intent is. Best thing is to not make such a joke.
Maybe you could get a job teaching nonviolence in the workplace. You could travel to different venues where they could point you out and say, "See this guy? No matter how angry he gets he never makes a list of people he wants to kill."
I'd never do that, I'd just look for "Targets of Opportunity"
The more specific a threat, the more likely it is the person will carry it out. If you hear coworkers talking about violence against others, you have a moral responsibility to take action -- whether reporting to HR or a supervisor, or telling the coworkers that the talk is unacceptable. I don't care whether you're blue collar or white collar, wrong is wrong.
Huh, I've spent thirty years saying I'm going to break the fingers of co-workers who won't keep their hands off my belongings, I have yet to break any fingers and I rather doubt I will break any fingers in the future. Sometimes ranting is just blowing off steam, not an actual threat or a sign of serious mental disturbance.
No big deal in my eyes, I have said I wanted to murder annoying people at work to friends at work and its taken as a joke as it should be. People are over sensitive these days. Do you want to be first on the list for snitchin if this person was serious, which obviously is not the case since you said it was said in a jokingly manner. People need to really just mind their own business at work and quit reading into something that isn't there.
Did you write the bolded part in error?
So "in your eyes" it's better to have people killed than being a "snitch".
I know this isn't the case here, but if someone prevented a mass shooting by speaking up, you call them a hero not a snitch.
I agree, people are too sensitive these days and easily offended.
But this comment is a bit much in the workplace. If it was said at Thanksgiving to a family member who shows up two hours late and holds up dinner, OK, in a joking manner.
At work? Not too bright to make comments like this.
Huh, I've spent thirty years saying I'm going to break the fingers of co-workers who won't keep their hands off my belongings, I have yet to break any fingers and I rather doubt I will break any fingers in the future. Sometimes ranting is just blowing off steam, not an actual threat or a sign of serious mental disturbance.
Nothing any of us is going to say is going to change your mind, or the minds of those who agree with you that "saying you want [sic] gruesomely murder coworkers" is perfectly acceptable behavior, so there's no point to going any further with this thread. Good luck to you and your "classy" coworkers.
Nothing any of us is going to say is going to change your mind, or the minds of those who agree with you that "saying you want [sic] gruesomely murder coworkers" is perfectly acceptable behavior, so there's no point to going any further with this thread. Good luck to you and your "classy" coworkers.
About as classy as insulting me, lol? I work in a retail establishment so it's a pretty relaxed atmosphere as far as formalities go.
However you seemed to skate right past the point that an offhand comment is not an indication that an individual is actually plotting to commit an act of violence or that they are disturbed in some way. Whether or not it's 'acceptable' to voice such rants is another matter entirely, I simply point out that it doesn't mean someone has gone off the deep end.
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