Travers Smith has given its staff a phrase to use if they encounter inappropriate language at work: "That's not cool".
The firm said the safe word strategy was intended to give staff a "non-confrontational" way to flag offensive chat. By replying "that's not cool", an employee could alert their colleague to offensive language and indicate that they "may wish to consider using an alternative word, phrase or approach". Dreamed up in a partners' meeting, a spokesman said it was "not about blame or ridicule", but creating a workplace "where if someone says something inappropriate it allows us to work together to correct them and move on".
The commendable initiative is being promoted as #ThatsNotCool. However, a spokesman confirmed to RollOnFriday that the firm absolutely does not want staff to share their creepy encounters on social media. They just thought the hashtag looked neat. Travers' laudable attempt to tackle workplace harassment comes after RollOnFriday revealed deficiencies in how Maclay Murray & Spens and Baker McKenzie had dealt with complaints about misbehaving partners.
#ThatsNotCool is doomed to be parodied into extinction by Travers lawyers five minutes ago. But in the meantime, see if you can deploy it correctly by taking the #IsThatCool Quiz:
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How did you do?
1. A - Cool
2. B - #That'sNotCool
3. A - Cool
4. B - #That'sNotCool
5. A - Cool
6. B - #That'sNotCool
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Not cool, not cool!!!!!
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#FunSponges
#LightenUpSnowFlakes
#HurtyWords
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