How would you discipline this racist joke from someone you manage

[davidbrent]

This is identifying but I don't care.

So a work colleague was complaining that her computer was running really slow to which another colleague piped up:

'paint it black it will run faster'. Then everyone burst into fits of laughter and it was forgotten. This colleague does like to have a joke at work but it good at the job.

Locality manager didn't seem to have any issues and didn't mention anything. I'm sure it's forgotten within the office. Everyone working here is White British. Luckily a Nigerian colleague was on a visit at the time.

Would you be concerned by this joke. Would you discipline the employee? I would certainly have at least called him into the office but let locality manager take the lead as he was in the room too.

I have a work colleague who makes monkey noises whenever she sees a black or asian person. She has also told our boss, in conversation, that "she does not want to work next to anyone with dark skin" whenever a vacancy is advertised, and her pet cat is called "Darkie".

I am the only person who has ever pulled her up on any of this.
It has had no effect whatsoever.

Fux Oh my, I would be looking for a new job. What a terrible person to have spend all day with and awful management for allowing it.

In the 70's black people used to make self deprecating jokes to try to fit in

Its not ok.

identifying himself as black

What does that mean?

This really is horrendous and I am saddened to hear the experiences of some of you. When I think of all the challenges I have faced and where I am today - at the peak of my career with a happy marriage and two children - I might be forgiven for wondering how I did it in the face of such attitudes.

There are other colours than black Katy.
Yes, well done for spotting that. But the colleague making the joke about black people identifies as black / has a black mother. So I'm not sure why other colours are remotely relevant here

People standing up against racism are tight to do so. The fact that the man is half black is not a reason to excuse his comment.

As previously mentioned before...People making racist jokes about their own race isn't a new thing or necessarily a positive one

It is worth considering that as a very light skinned mixed race person his experiences of race and racism may well not be the same as his Nigerian colleague's, for example.

I am not surprised by comments from people who tall about racism experienced at work....I have seen this already with my son and it is upsetting. Those of you who are so desperate to excuse racism at its subtler or lower levels might so well to understand that that is often the tip of the iceberg. If it isn't stamps out it grows. Today a snide comment. Tomorrow shouting at a 5 year old to "go back where he came from" or threatening the mother of a 2 year old mixed race boy on a bus or pointing and laughing at a 3 year old'son afro and saying he has hair "like Ra-ra the lion" and encouraging your 5 year old daughter to do the same OR OR OR ......
These things are all things that myself and my son have experienced.
It needs stamping out early ...with the stupid joke. Otherwise it grows. But.....I see there are, as always, plenty of you who dot give a fuck and are still intent on bleating about "you can't say anything these days" or desperately trying to make any far fetched excuse to try and make what he said not racist.

*right to do so not tight!

The sooner the human race realises we are all just people and deserve to be treated the same regardless of skin colour, sexual preference, social background or anything else, the better.
We are all of the same species and kindness costs nothing.

I love everything you've said on this thread changename.