Woman says two men were badmouthing their female manager. So she finds their senior HR’s LinkedIn instead: ‘It’s a small world’
Be careful of what you say in public.
You should always be mindful of what you say in public, because you never know who could be in hearing range. That was the case for Kayla Jean (@kaylajeantravels), who said she overheard a couple of men allegedly making unkind remarks about a coworker a tad too loudly during lunch. And as a lesson? She looked up their company’s senior HR on LinkedIn and drafted a message.
“Just a public service announcement,” Kayla said in a video that amassed over 115,100 views on TikTok. “Be a little more cognizant of what you’re talking about in public. Who you’re talking about. How you’re talking about them.”
According to Kayla, she was out at lunch for work when she overheard two men, wearing their company’s shirts with a visible logo, supposedly badmouthing their female manager for being a woman. “They’re talking about a manager of theirs who’s a woman,” Kayla said. “Who’s a lot more emotional and problematic than any of her male peers because she’s a woman.”
The HR report is only one click away
This kind of scenario isn’t unprecedented, as another woman also heard a couple of men insulting a woman who rejected a job offer in a separate instance. Kayla noted that the men were using their real names during the conversation, and because she’s “well-connected” on LinkedIn, she was easily able to find all of their profiles using their names and the company’s name.
Kayla claimed she was also able to find the senior HR business partner at their company as well. “[I] have a message drafted […]; it could really do something negative or positive to your career,” Kayla said. In her caption, she added, “It’s a small world and we’re more connected than you think,” before reminding the public to be more aware of how they speak about people and those that they represent.
Viewers were divided in the comments section. Some suggested that Kayla contact the woman she believes they were speaking of to let her know about the situation. Others told Kayla to report the incident. “If possible, find their ethics hotline and send it that way. That’s a lot harder for HR to sweep under the rug,” a commenter wrote.
While a viewer who claimed to be an HR manager shared their two cents on the issue, saying, “As an HR manager, no way on hell would I let this slide. If you’re wearing company-branded items, you’re representing the company, whether on or off the clock. I wouldn’t accept this any more than I’d accept racism, homophobia, etc.”
Employees represent the company
Many felt like Kayla was getting involved where she shouldn’t. “Or maybe just eat lunch and mind your business. Some people are always looking to make trouble,” a comment read. Another added, “Ironically… that’s a pretty emotional and problematic response.”
Kayla’s actions also seemingly left people feeling like they couldn’t discuss anything in public anymore, lest they be overheard and reported at their jobs. “So can’t complain at work, at lunch, online, where can people complain where strangers keep their noses in their own business?” a commenter asked.
In a follow-up video, Kayla defended her actions, stating that wearing a company shirt or uniform while talking about a fellow employee in public “makes it the organization’s business.” From an employer’s perspective, wearing anything that indicates a person’s association with a business is usually considered a representation of the company, whether you are on or off the clock.
Anything or anyone that jeopardizes a company’s reputation may face repercussions. So, as much as possible, it’s best not to divulge such matters in public. It remains unknown whether Kayla sent the message to the senior HR.
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