More Drama at Work...

[TravelingGal]

Yes there are laws against hostile work environment and racial slurs, which fall under harassment. They are very specific though, as to what constitutes a "hostile work envionment". I work for a big company and had to take the class, as well as the management''s class and I was surprised at what was an offense and what wasn''t.

Still, it''s good to document in case this becomes pervasive.

 

[risingsun]

Date: 9/25/2008 11:02:39 AM
Author: elle_chris
I've read all the responses in this thread and tried to stay out.. but-
I don't believe having a conversation about how someone can be rude, and having racial comments thrown at you are anywhere near the same thing.

Saying someone is rude is a far cry from making comments about
a persons race/religion or ethnicity.

Water cooler convos happen. Of course it's obvious that we should stay out of them. But honestly, most of us have succumbed to insulting a coworker. What most of us DON'T do is mix that in with nasty racial comments.

I agree with Po10472- document and include everything. I would aslo go straight to HR about it. Let them deal with her.

Honestly, I don't consider a random insult about a persons personality, the same thing as random insult about a persons race, religion or ethnicity.
While both are wrong, we have laws against racial slurs in the workplace. We don't have laws against calling someone rude.

I absolutelly agree! Years ago a Jewish colleague and I [also Jewish] were in a casual conversation with our employer. Out of nowhere, she used a vile, ant-semetic remark in front of us. She was aware that we were Jewish. We were too stunned to say anything. We were a small practice and had no HR department to access. We would have had to report it to the board. We agreed to do nothing, except we never trusted or respected her from that point on. My colleague and I have left that practice and moved on, but I will never forget this incident. She said it as if it were everyday conversation. Maybe it was, to her

 

[Rhea]

Date: 9/25/2008 3:56:42 PM
Author: risingsun

Date: 9/25/2008 11:02:39 AM

Author: elle_chris

I've read all the responses in this thread and tried to stay out.. but-

I don't believe having a conversation about how someone can be rude, and having racial comments thrown at you are anywhere near the same thing.


Saying someone is rude is a far cry from making comments about

a persons race/religion or ethnicity.


Water cooler convos happen. Of course it's obvious that we should stay out of them. But honestly, most of us have succumbed to insulting a coworker. What most of us DON'T do is mix that in with nasty racial comments.


I agree with Po10472- document and include everything. I would aslo go straight to HR about it. Let them deal with her.


Honestly, I don't consider a random insult about a persons personality, the same thing as random insult about a persons race, religion or ethnicity.

While both are wrong, we have laws against racial slurs in the workplace. We don't have laws against calling someone rude.

I absolutelly agree! Years ago a Jewish colleague and I [also Jewish] were in a casual conversation with our employer. Out of nowhere, she used a vile, ant-semetic remark in front of us. She was aware that we were Jewish. We were too stunned to say anything. We were a small practice and had no HR department to access. We would have had to report it to the board. We agreed to do nothing, except we never trusted or respected her from that point on. My colleague and I have left that practice and moved on, but I will never forget this incident. She said it as if it were everyday conversation. Maybe it was, to her

Do you that maybe it was language she wasn't aware she shouldn't have been using? I said something about 2 years ago at work, nothing like what happened to Elle, that I shouldn't have said. I didn't realise that I shouldn't have said it until a co-worker took me aside and let me know what it meant to her and to others. Sometimes people need to be called on something to truly understand what they are saying.

 

[Rhea]

Elle, that sounds horrible. I think I would have been too shocked to do anything other than stand there. I get racism sometimes from my clients that I have to nicely redirect, but nothing that blatant. I''m so shocked right now, that''s just horrible.

 

[Lauren8211]

I''m actually pretty tolerant of that sort of thing. Like if someone says something without thinking, or was not intentionally being rude. I''ve heard lots of anti-semitic things before, and most times, I will just say "Hey, my family is Jewish, I was raised Jewish, please don''t say things like that," and people will apologize profusely. I know 9 times out of 10, people don''t mean to be offensive.

In my particular situation, she was just plain rude. Even when I got defensive, she still insisted on arguing with me about why she was right, and how people of my religion were often "pushy" and "rude". She insisted on it! She was citing instances that she felt supported this opinion! At that point, you''re not being careless, you''re being a bigot.

 

[Rhea]

Date: 9/26/2008 4:29:38 PM
Author: elledizzy5
I''m actually pretty tolerant of that sort of thing. Like if someone says something without thinking, or was not intentionally being rude. I''ve heard lots of anti-semitic things before, and most times, I will just say ''Hey, my family is Jewish, I was raised Jewish, please don''t say things like that,'' and people will apologize profusely. I know 9 times out of 10, people don''t mean to be offensive.


In my particular situation, she was just plain rude. Even when I got defensive, she still insisted on arguing with me about why she was right, and how people of my religion were often ''pushy'' and ''rude''. She insisted on it! She was citing instances that she felt supported this opinion! At that point, you''re not being careless, you''re being a bigot.

I don''t know if this reply was to my comment or not. I believe you that your co-worker was just being a bigot. I quoted rising sun when I replied to her about perhaps accidently saying something and then used your name to make a general comment about your particular situation. I hope you didn''t think that when I quoted and replied to rising sun that was aimmed at you.

How has work been since this situation?

 

[carabella]

Horrible comment. The workplace is not a place to discuss religion, politics, money, etc. You should contact your HR department. She is totally out of line.