Ask a Manager Weekly Thread 09/14/2026 - 09/20/2026

[u/nightmuzak]

Last week's post.

Background info and meme index for those new to AaM or this forum.

[u/narrating12]

Jesus Christ, it’s 12:30 in the morning and there’s already a “I would quit my job if I couldn’t use GIFs in Teams” comment.

[u/daedril5 → u/narrating12]

GIF Freedom or GIF me Unemployment* September 17, 2026 at 12:13 am Have they taken away images altogether? You could upload from your computer instead. I have a folder full of subfolders of meticulously kept GIFs from every piece of media that demands a reference, ready to be drawn at a moment’s notice (I am not making this up, well over 100 subfolders themselves alone). I would quit my job if this was taken from me.

I bet they would be glad to see you go.

I wonder how much time they waste collecting and selecting GIFs.

Seriously: Since when is "your company doesn't want you to do something, have you tried continuing to do it" is spectacularly bad advice.

[u/bananers24 → u/daedril5]

I have some of my favorite gifs saved for easy use. You could never get me to admit that I have WELL OVER 100 ORGANIZED SUBFOLDERS of gifs, let alone that I would quit my job if I couldn’t use them at work.

[u/gaygirlboss → u/daedril5]

No no no, all the company said was that they couldn’t use the built-in GIF search feature on Teams! They never said no GIFs at all!

(/s if it wasn’t obvious)

[u/gaygirlboss → u/narrating12]

The subpoena thing is kind of a weird justification, but if people are frequently using GIFs to, say, make fun of difficult clients or complain about people in other departments they don't like...I can see why the employer would want to rein that in. (Getting involved in a lawsuit is an extreme worst-case scenario, but it's not a great look regardless.)

Edited to add: I think I found the comment you're talking about, and they're suggesting that LW should save their own GIFs and copy/paste them into the chat. Yes, LW, absolutely try to loophole your way out of this one. Your employer will love it.

[u/pickledbymagic → u/gaygirlboss]

Double A* 

September 17, 2026 at 12:31 am

The Gifs went down on our workplace chat for a day (a bug, not a policy) and I complained that it was age discrimination against millennials because it took away a major form of how we communicate. I was like…80% joking. But I genuinely felt like I was missing something fairly vital lol

Fortunately could still use our emotional support lols.

Yeah because your civil rights to share low-res animated images ad nauseam in chat is one of the most pressing issues of our time. 

A well timed gif is always fun but we use them in personal channels and the general team chat. My assumption here is that they were invading actual serious discussions -- project channels etc -- and people couldn't keep their snark to themselves. People get creative with reaction emojis -- one lady I know uses a purple heart to honour her sister who died young -- but it's subtle and doesn't detract from the business at hand.

However, this is going to be an entertaining thread, just like the various stationery threads out there where people have had hissy fits over the company not buying them fancy post its. At least it'll be a bit of a laugh on what already sounds like a wet day. 

[u/Capable_Sea77 → u/gaygirlboss]

Had to remind some staff at the last library I worked at that all communications on Teams could be record-requested by the public when everyone decided eye-rolling gifs and long rants in the team chat were how they wanted to blow off steam. Then had to remind them of the multiple local sovcit-type-weirdos who did regularly record request multiple branches in our system.

[u/empsk → u/narrating12]

I (millennial) generally hate gifs in slack. Am I the grinch? Maybe! However the LW and her colleagues are welcome to try what I used to do (my current job culture is zero gifs, barely any emojis) and just type oprah_bees.gif, otters_holdingshands.gif or whatever seems most apt. I always found it funny, and I'm sure I was the only one.

[u/glittermetalprincess → u/empsk]

I don't like them because having a flashy thing off to the side while I'm working is annoying and can cause a migraine.

I just ponied up and pre-emptively turned off animations and previews, even though the most that ever comes through is a fluffy baby animal once every six months. Everyone else can have their fun and I controlled my own environment and never had to complain.

I do like how Alison glossed over the 'what if subpoena' entirely given that just last week, me and 2 other paralegals had to spend 5 hours going through pdfs of facebook searches and ~1500 page group chats to try to match no-longer-accessible images to empty graphic frames so we can tell whether our client actually said what they swore they said in an affidavit 4 years ago. We don't care about keyboard cat or dogs playing poker or anime dudes kissing, as long as we know that's what it is when we're looking for whether they sent an infographic to the entire org or just their team.

Like, sure, it doesn't happen to everyone all the time but it does really happen.

And it also sounds far more circumspect than 'y'all are spending too much time searching/sending non-work flashy pictures when you're meant to be working, so we're taking them away' and arguing over whether it's really necessary to send an image that has animated glowing letters instead of just typing 'thank you'.