WhatsApp is probably the most common and effective way to communicate these days. But sometimes, having too many conversations or WhatsApp groups can affect your quality of life as well.
It’s a common trend now, for companies to create WhatsApp groups among employers and employees.
However, one can’t deny that this can sometimes get pretty overwhelming, especially when work messages come in after working hours, or when you’re on a holiday.
Can you Leave your Company WhatsApp Group?
The question above is best answered with a recent Industrial Court case, Thilagavathy A/P Arunasalam v Maxis Mobile Sdn Bhd.
In Thila’s case, Maxis made two allegations that had contributed to the termination of her employment:
- It was her failure to inform the Branch Manager before exiting the WhatsApp groups (twice)
- She failed to send the Daily Sales and Service Reports for at least 7 days.
The Court now has to identify if the allegations made by Maxis is true and whether there is proof.
Also, if she is indeed at fault, the court will have to consider if the punishment for her (ie; the dismissal) is too harsh or not.
So, in the judgement of the award, the court found that Maxis’ allegations were true based on the evidences given.
What Does this Mean to Us?
Exiting a company WhatsApp group is similar to breaking company policy now. Basically, it is a breach of the company policy when an employee exits a WhatsApp chat group or any kind of chat space for that matter when it has been expressly mentioned that they shouldn’t do so.
Therefore, if you want to avoid going to court with your Company, maybe it’s best to check with your boss before leaving the company WhatsApp group.
Quitting a WhatsApp group may not seem like a very serious offence, especially if it’s in a commercial context. However, there are some companies that use social media or chat groups to discuss important, company related matters among employers/employees.
If your company has clearly stated that the WhatsApp group is the official form of communication in your company, it’s best not to leave the group chat without giving a valid reason for doing so. If your reason for leaving is considered unreasonable by the Company, it can amount to a serious misconduct and you can be fired for it.
So, if you really want to avoid being bugged after working hours or when you’re on a holiday, perhaps you can try and just mute your company chat group instead.
