Why would co-workers be in a WhatsApp group together and exclude others from it and at work?

[Anonymous]

A bunch of co workers are in a group they made on WhatsApp. This includes our Supervisor. They exclude me and some other staff from the group and in person as well at work. Me and the other staff don’t get as many hours and get the crappy jobs. Where as before, the hours and jobs were evenly distributed amongst us all.

Why would a work place do this and what would you do if you were part of the excluded staff members?

[Flatmanlewis]

There could be a lot of reasons. Some personal and some not. My entire team at work has a group chat going on in WhatsApp. I’m their direct supervisor and I have a lower level supervisor between my team and I. I am left out of several of their threads and take nothing personal about it. Some teams are very well connected and they socialize outside work and use that thread. Others have issues they resolve at their level that you simply don’t want the boss to know about. Others (and this is really common) around a common interest. The golfers, motorcyclists, or drinking crowd. Some connect over their sports teams or love of something else. Others share off-color jokes or pics of girls, cars, guns, dirt bikes, or whatever they say dream about. It just happens.


There of course is the possibility they are kind of put off by some quality of yours but most likely that’s not it at all. It’s just a group of people who have connected on some level. At least that’s how it is in my experience. I don’t have the FOMO so I just let it happen and don’t give it much thought.

[Asker]

Well it’s outcasting me in my work hours and socially in the work environment. I’ve never done anything to them

[Flatmanlewis]

Well, I’m not much for legal recourse in life but maybe - if you’re losing out on hours, pay, and opportunities - those of you who have been excluded should get together and talk. There may be a legal issue here.

[Asker]

The folks involved in the WhatsApp group have kept us separated.
However I’m going to HR this week to ask their opinion on the matter.

[Anemone978]

They like each other and like working with each other but not with you or excluded people.. My husband has a whatsapp group but everyone one is in the group so for them to exclude you seems pretty harsh..

[Asker]

Thank you 🙏 I’ve always been polite and amicable and a team player with everyone, never talk back, always share the work load, never late and always do what is required of me as far as work.

[Anemone978]

I don't know why they would do that it seems pretty mean.. If they bring it up you might want to ask if you could join..

[Asker]

It’s an invite only group called “family”.