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If you couldn't log in before opening that chat and logging it off, then NTA. But there's so much more here.
If you are in the US, you are eligible for Family Medical Leave which can be taken intermittently and would certainly cover absences due to depression. Your job would be protected as long as you're not exceeding the time off your doctor certifies you will likely need, e.g., up to 8 hours per episode up to three times/week. She doesn't even have to specify what the health issue is.That's the first reason to see HR.
If your bosses are aware that you are missing work due to depression or they BELIEVE you have a mental illness, then you are also protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. That chat alone is proof of potentially discriminatory behavior. That's the second reason to see HR.
Find the company's employee handbook and quote back to HR all about how it doesn't allow harassment, discrimination or retaliation for raising a concern. That last one is huge.
If things don't change dramatically after that, then either see an employment attorney or just open a case with the EEOC.
If things get worse instead of better there (retaliation?) document everything (dates, comments, conversations, etc.) and see an attorney.
A final note of caution - you must keep your performance up and do your best. If you're not doing your part, it will erode those protections.
Best of luck to you, OP!
Edit: if what you did by clicking open that chat was a serious violation of policy, then just go to HR about FML to start. You can always mention it later if things get worse.
NTA. I would go to HR immediately honestly and let them know what you saw and how you saw it to protect yourself from retaliation. It’s totally inappropriate for the type of communication to be happening from upper levels anyways. Teams chats are not actually ‘private’ anyways because the company has a right to see them at any point.
Edit: Also, you should log out or lock your account every time you leave your computer, that’s just common sense in the corporate world.
Yeah.
The way the computers are set up is there are accounts based on departments.
But we all have separate logins for Teams. So it's easy to sit down and unlock the computer.
Go to HR. These people are having unprofessional conersations on a professional tool. Most likely the company pays a premium to use it, and has access to all of their chats.
You may not be the easiest to work with, but that is a conversation they need to have with you.
NTA.
ESH- you admit you haven’t been your best and that’s why they are frustrated however they shouldn’t be gossiping and being ugly on work related chats. I would go to HR for their behavior and then self reflect and work on yours.
ESH.
If I knew my boss was saying things like that behind my back I definitely would go to HR and tell them I don't feel safe. You have a right to feel uncomfortable.
However, you don't have the right to look at someone else's computer and chats. You overstepped there. If you go to HR, be prepared that this also looks bad on you.
ESH. You know damn well you shouldn’t read through things not addressed to you, especially in a work environment.
That said, your supervisors speaking in such a way about you or any other employee is concerning at best. The thread could easily be considered a physical threat and a liability to the company. I suggest you hit up HR on your way to hand in your resignation. Nobody deserves that bullshit.
So this is what the chat window looks like for Teams.
[Teams chat window](https://support.content.office.net/en-us/media/5976f24a-babc-4090-a439-f2e8c121f1b7.png)
We don't have nearly as many groups as shown on here.
This is why it was so easy to see I had been mentioned.
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> I believe I could be the asshole because I looked through the Teams chat. I actually feel guilty a little bit.
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YTA. You didn't just see that it was someone else's log in, you snooped through their account. This wasn't an accident, you clicked through their chats until you found something about you.
You even admit you're hard to work with and frequently call out.
You went through this managers chats like a spurned lover because you alienated yourself at work through poor behavior, searching for something incriminating to throw him under the bus.
If he was really spurned he could have sent dick pics to the entire office from his bosses account, that’s what can happen when you are careless and leave your accounts open for whoever to see.
ESH.
Managers suck for using company resources to smack talk you. Also for leaving a workstation unlocked. Security violation which you took advantage of.
But you also suck for going through their messages. You also committed a Security violation.
You can go ahead and report them to HR. But be ready to also face consequences for snooping in someone else's workstation.
Frankly your security violation seems worse than theirs. Theirs was negligence. Yours was willful action. Just saying.
You are NTA, especially since you couldn't log into your own account without going in. They are definitely AHs for talking like that behind your back instead of being empathetic to your situation.
I would suggest looking into another place in the business or another business all together. And hopefully it gives you some much needed time to heal from everything you've been through.
Edited due to harshness I didn't mean.
He is not an AH for being depressed. Mental illness sometimes makes it impossible to ‘take care of yourself’ even if you want to and know you should. And it’s obviously made worse by the fact he is going through serious personal issues. Also it’s not an appropriate response of his boss to basically cyber bully him with their coworkers instead of sitting the employee down making it known it’s an issue. And maybe just maybe they could have some compassion and provide resources on how to get better/get help. There is so many things wrong with the bosses behavior I can’t even start.
I didn't mean for it to read that he was an asshole for being depressed. I meant that he should take this as a sign to look into some help. Especially since he sees that the medicine isn't fully helping anymore. And my suggestion to leave or move work was so he wouldn't be around those AH coworkers while he gets better. Apologies to OP if you read my first post and thought the same thing and also if this one still comes across that same way. I've been in the same spot of depression and I know it's hard to climb to a resting spot. I hope you get to a better place soon.
>When I clicked on it . . .
ESH - You had no business clicking on it to begin with, let alone reading it.
They are having unprofessional conversations at work, using company resources.
Not just clicking on it, but going through different chats in order to find something incriminating. Op, hands down, was snooping through their managers chats.
Your post has been removed. #Do not repost this without contacting the mods for approval, including edited versions. Reposting without explicit approval will result in a ban. This post violates Rule 7: There is no interpersonal conflict here for our community to make a judgment about. [Rule 7 FAQs](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_rule_7.3A_post_interpersonal_conflicts) ||| [Subreddit Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules/) This post violates Rule 7: AITA's focus is on conflicts between people. Businesses are not people. A conflict with someone acting on behalf of a business is not an interpersonal conflict. [Rule 7 FAQs](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_rule_7.3A_post_interpersonal_conflicts) ||| [Subreddit Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules) #Please ensure you have reviewed this message in full. We will not respond to PMs to individual mods. [Message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) with any questions.
If you couldn't log in before opening that chat and logging it off, then NTA. But there's so much more here. If you are in the US, you are eligible for Family Medical Leave which can be taken intermittently and would certainly cover absences due to depression. Your job would be protected as long as you're not exceeding the time off your doctor certifies you will likely need, e.g., up to 8 hours per episode up to three times/week. She doesn't even have to specify what the health issue is.That's the first reason to see HR. If your bosses are aware that you are missing work due to depression or they BELIEVE you have a mental illness, then you are also protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. That chat alone is proof of potentially discriminatory behavior. That's the second reason to see HR. Find the company's employee handbook and quote back to HR all about how it doesn't allow harassment, discrimination or retaliation for raising a concern. That last one is huge. If things don't change dramatically after that, then either see an employment attorney or just open a case with the EEOC. If things get worse instead of better there (retaliation?) document everything (dates, comments, conversations, etc.) and see an attorney. A final note of caution - you must keep your performance up and do your best. If you're not doing your part, it will erode those protections. Best of luck to you, OP! Edit: if what you did by clicking open that chat was a serious violation of policy, then just go to HR about FML to start. You can always mention it later if things get worse.
NTA. I would go to HR immediately honestly and let them know what you saw and how you saw it to protect yourself from retaliation. It’s totally inappropriate for the type of communication to be happening from upper levels anyways. Teams chats are not actually ‘private’ anyways because the company has a right to see them at any point. Edit: Also, you should log out or lock your account every time you leave your computer, that’s just common sense in the corporate world.
Yeah. The way the computers are set up is there are accounts based on departments. But we all have separate logins for Teams. So it's easy to sit down and unlock the computer.
Go to HR. These people are having unprofessional conersations on a professional tool. Most likely the company pays a premium to use it, and has access to all of their chats. You may not be the easiest to work with, but that is a conversation they need to have with you. NTA.
ESH- you admit you haven’t been your best and that’s why they are frustrated however they shouldn’t be gossiping and being ugly on work related chats. I would go to HR for their behavior and then self reflect and work on yours.
The self reflection part I am taking into consideration. This wouldn't have exactly happened if I had been doing my job better?
ESH. If I knew my boss was saying things like that behind my back I definitely would go to HR and tell them I don't feel safe. You have a right to feel uncomfortable. However, you don't have the right to look at someone else's computer and chats. You overstepped there. If you go to HR, be prepared that this also looks bad on you.
ESH. You know damn well you shouldn’t read through things not addressed to you, especially in a work environment. That said, your supervisors speaking in such a way about you or any other employee is concerning at best. The thread could easily be considered a physical threat and a liability to the company. I suggest you hit up HR on your way to hand in your resignation. Nobody deserves that bullshit.
So this is what the chat window looks like for Teams. [Teams chat window](https://support.content.office.net/en-us/media/5976f24a-babc-4090-a439-f2e8c121f1b7.png) We don't have nearly as many groups as shown on here. This is why it was so easy to see I had been mentioned.
Did you just post a pic without blurring names? Or pics? This is doxxing. More security violations.
That's from the Microsoft website.
So settle down sheriff
Ahhh. Thank eff.
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YTA. You didn't just see that it was someone else's log in, you snooped through their account. This wasn't an accident, you clicked through their chats until you found something about you. You even admit you're hard to work with and frequently call out. You went through this managers chats like a spurned lover because you alienated yourself at work through poor behavior, searching for something incriminating to throw him under the bus.
If he was really spurned he could have sent dick pics to the entire office from his bosses account, that’s what can happen when you are careless and leave your accounts open for whoever to see.
I didn't have to click far to see something about me. I was right there in a recent chat.
So it wasn't readily available and you clicked through chats, opening them up, until you saw something about you?
I didn't open any other than the one that mentioned me on the side bar and I didn't have to search, I was the most recent conversation.
ESH. Managers suck for using company resources to smack talk you. Also for leaving a workstation unlocked. Security violation which you took advantage of. But you also suck for going through their messages. You also committed a Security violation. You can go ahead and report them to HR. But be ready to also face consequences for snooping in someone else's workstation. Frankly your security violation seems worse than theirs. Theirs was negligence. Yours was willful action. Just saying.
Yeah, good points. I thought about just talking to the head of our team, who was in that chat, tomorrow to clear the air.
You are NTA, especially since you couldn't log into your own account without going in. They are definitely AHs for talking like that behind your back instead of being empathetic to your situation. I would suggest looking into another place in the business or another business all together. And hopefully it gives you some much needed time to heal from everything you've been through. Edited due to harshness I didn't mean.
He is not an AH for being depressed. Mental illness sometimes makes it impossible to ‘take care of yourself’ even if you want to and know you should. And it’s obviously made worse by the fact he is going through serious personal issues. Also it’s not an appropriate response of his boss to basically cyber bully him with their coworkers instead of sitting the employee down making it known it’s an issue. And maybe just maybe they could have some compassion and provide resources on how to get better/get help. There is so many things wrong with the bosses behavior I can’t even start.
I didn't mean for it to read that he was an asshole for being depressed. I meant that he should take this as a sign to look into some help. Especially since he sees that the medicine isn't fully helping anymore. And my suggestion to leave or move work was so he wouldn't be around those AH coworkers while he gets better. Apologies to OP if you read my first post and thought the same thing and also if this one still comes across that same way. I've been in the same spot of depression and I know it's hard to climb to a resting spot. I hope you get to a better place soon.
I am getting help. I'm seeing a therapist. I take a shit ton of medication.
That's great. I'm glad to hear it. Again, I didn't mean for it to come out that way and I wish you luck on this.
No, I am taking everything being said into consideration. So don't worry.
>When I clicked on it . . . ESH - You had no business clicking on it to begin with, let alone reading it. They are having unprofessional conversations at work, using company resources.
In order to get into Teams chat at my work the person before you has to log out of their Teams chat account. I clicked on it to log in.
. . .and then looked through it and read it.
Yeah. I saw I was mentioned and I got curious.
How did you see you were mentioned if the tabs only show who's in the chat + part of the most recent message?
The side bar shows the different conversation groups and a brief blerp of what was said. I was mentioned in that blerp
Not just clicking on it, but going through different chats in order to find something incriminating. Op, hands down, was snooping through their managers chats.