Inappropriate joke at work

[Anonymous]

I work as an in-house commercial attorney and I support our sales team. A sales person reached out to me on Friday about a deal I will be working on with him, and he said that he told the counterparty that he is 6’6” and he will “beat up any lawyers as needed in order for this deal to go through.”

Clearly it was a joke but I feel like it was extremely inappropriate and I’m considering raising it with my boss. While it was a joke it was still a threat to not get in the way of his deal. I don’t want to make a formal complaint against him but I want it noted that he said this in case there are other issues going forward. Thoughts on how to best do this?

[Anonymous]

🙄 Get a grip.

[Anonymous]

I am a lawyer.

You were there - was a joke? Or a threat? If you can honestly say he made you feel unsafe, then raise it. But if it was a joke, then you’re going to look so stupid raising this. Lawyer isn’t a protected class, and we do get in the way of making money. It’s right that we should, of course, but frustration with us is commonplace and you need to be able to handle it.

[Anonymous]

So much fun having 20 somethings around the office.

[Anonymous]

C’mon op. You can’t be serious?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a lawyer.

You were there - was a joke? Or a threat? If you can honestly say he made you feel unsafe, then raise it. But if it was a joke, then you’re going to look so stupid raising this. Lawyer isn’t a protected class, and we do get in the way of making money. It’s right that we should, of course, but frustration with us is commonplace and you need to be able to handle it.

In house lawyer here, and this. There do exist insane people in business who might have been literally threatening someone when they made a comment like this, but the OP makes it clear that this was a dumb joke. If someone is making threats at work, report them. If someone says something dumb at work, move on with your life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work as an in-house commercial attorney and I support our sales team. A sales person reached out to me on Friday about a deal I will be working on with him, and he said that he told the counterparty that he is 6’6” and he will “beat up any lawyers as needed in order for this deal to go through.”

Clearly it was a joke but I feel like it was extremely inappropriate and I’m considering raising it with my boss. While it was a joke it was still a threat to not get in the way of his deal. I don’t want to make a formal complaint against him but I want it noted that he said this in case there are other issues going forward. Thoughts on how to best do this?

It was a harmless joke. Let it go.

[Anonymous]

OP how old are you?

[Anonymous]

The sales person should lodge a complaint against the op.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The sales person should lodge a complaint against the op.

This.

[Anonymous]

If he actually said it to the counterparty that is concerning. If that person did not perceive it as a joke, there could be accusations of coercion. And in any event it’s really unprofessional. I’d want to know about something like this.

If I were reporting I’d be really precise with my words - like saying he reported to you that he said this but you weren’t there so you don’t know if he actually did.

[Anonymous]

It was a lawyer joke OP. Do you have something against this guy? Do you think the counterparties are angry? Do you actually think he is violent?

[Anonymous]

CHILL

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So much fun having 20 somethings around the office.

I think OP is an older millennial/borderline Gen-X.

Gen Z doesn't waiver. They will straight up tell someone to their face "what you said was inappropriate because..." and they would never seek guidance on reporting the comment. Gen Z is the 'see something, say something' and 'receipts' generation. They've had both drilled into them since birth.

[Anonymous]

In the words of the late, great, Pee Wee Herman, “Lighten up, Francis”