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Original poster

How would you discipline this racist joke from someone you manage

286 replies

davidbrent · 29/01/2017 16:14

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.

OP posts:
Changednamesorry · 29/01/2017 17:04

Please don't be lenient on him. His being young is no excuse. My sons will be young male employees one day but they are POC so they will be on the receiving end of this sort of shit as opposed to doling it out. This kid obviously didn't get the "being a racist twat isn't acceptable" memo yet....please hand it to him via a short sharp shock.

Dontjudgeme1 · 29/01/2017 17:06

I think this is disgraceful and the person who made the joke is racist and the people who laughed at the joke are racist. He definately should be disciplined for that comment and your Manager needs a talking too, about that situation

Changednamesorry · 29/01/2017 17:10

Ah ok Slimmingsnake.
Well it is to do with racism being any kind of stereotyping even the supposedly positive comments.
My son is half black. He is 5. People say he looks like a rapper, ask if he is planning a career in basketball....
Etc (yes really)
People don't say "perhaps you will be a doctor when you grow up like your grandma? Or a teacher like your mum? Or a lawyer like your grandad?". None of our family are sports stars or musicians.....yet his skin colour means that people make crap assumptions that these are the sort of avenues it would be appropriate for him to take. This harks back to 2 old stereotypes of black people....1. Black people as si gers and dancers whose role is to entertain white people and 2. In the times of slavery....the slave owners tried to get the strongest and fastest people. This resulted in a stereotype that black people are strong and athletic, muscular etc.
So seemingly "positive" stereotyping g
actually comes from a really ugly place. Hope that makes sense....explaining a complex set of stuff on my phone whilst hearing a lot of Pokemon related information from said son!

80sMum · 29/01/2017 17:11

Surely, OP, it would be the white people in the office who would be offended by that remark, not the (absent) Nigerian employee? The slur was towards white people, implying that they are all slow, wasn't it? Or am I reading it wrong?

Trollspoopglitter · 29/01/2017 17:12

Givemestrength12, you think I'm being sarcastic because I said I never worked anywhere that would tolerate racist "jokes"? No I'm not being sarcastic - this wouldn't ever be a management and disciplinary issue because management wouldn't need to be involved - the person's coworkers would have shown the idiot what an innapropriate comment that was by their response. Thank fuck, I've never worked with anyone who would ever laugh at something like that at work.

myfavouritecolourispurple · 29/01/2017 17:12

I also agree that the joke was racist - but I don't think the perpetrator should be formally disciplined if everyone else laughed - clearly, the whole team need to understand why it was unacceptable and therefore I'd go down the retraining route.

I wonder why you didn't say anything at the time? Just because your "locality manager" was there doesn't mean you can't speak out if you think something is appropriate.

Changednamesorry · 29/01/2017 17:13

See above 80sMum.
This remark was racist towards black people.

Changednamesorry · 29/01/2017 17:14

Trollspoopglitter don't worry. My workplace would respond exactly as you described. No one would laugh along with such a comment under any circumstances.

Slimmingsnake · 29/01/2017 17:14

Name change,thankyou,I was worried I was going to sound racist for not understanding why it was racist....thankyou for taking the time to explain..

DotForShort · 29/01/2017 17:14

By the way....the Nigerian employee being away was not lucky. Do you think they feel better about racist jokes made behind their backs? FFS.

I agree completely. In fact, if the guy had made the comment in front of his black colleague, there would be a tiny chance that he is genuinely ignorant. He would be no less racist, of course, but he might be capable of learning why his remark was so wrong. OTOH, if he would not actually make this "joke" in the presence of a black colleague, that means he knows it was offensive and was counting on the solidarity of fellow racists.

It's unlikely he was truly ignorant of the racism of his remark. Unless he is 150 years old and has spent most of that time living in a cave, he has no excuse for ignorance.

Changednamesorry · 29/01/2017 17:15

No problem Slimmingsnake ☺

burblish · 29/01/2017 17:20

"Today 16:25 Dawndonnaagain

Promulgating stereotypes is racist."

Exactly this

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 29/01/2017 17:26

They all need reminding of what's appropriate at work. If someone said an equivalent joke referring to my race I'd be upset and humiliated.

Lorelei76 · 29/01/2017 17:28

What Changed said
People paying "compliments" on account of my skin colour are just being really fucking racist and perpetuating a stereotype.

user1471596238 · 29/01/2017 17:30

Stereotyping is never a good idea whether meant positively or not. Trouble is that all they do is perpetuate myths about a whole group of people. One cannot say that all black people are athletes. The comment referred to by the OP was that the person had referred to a colour, not an individual so essentially it's a generalisation.

EmeraldIsland · 29/01/2017 17:32

I really can't see it as racist at all tbh.

It's not derogatory, it's a bit of a pants joke but actually based on fact. There are loads of studies into black sprinters and why they're generally faster than those of other races based on their physicality/superiority of muscle structure or some such. Isn't it something ridiculously high like 90% (?) of sprinting medals go to black athletes? Some figure far too high to be a coincidence anyway.

Saying black people run faster than white people is no different to saying tall people jump higher than short people IMO. Anyone with half a brain obviously realises that not every black person is faster than every white person and not every tall person jumps higher than every short person...but as a generalisation, it's pretty true for the masses.

Just because race is a protected characteristic doesn't mean any mention of differences between races is 'racist'.

Just because race is a protected characteristic and height is not

EmeraldIsland · 29/01/2017 17:33

Doh, ignore my last sentence. Meant to delete it.

Katy07 · 29/01/2017 17:37

Why not just have a quiet word with him? Not everyone is being deliberately racist. If you point out to him how it comes across as racist he'll be more careful with what he says in future, job done. Making a big deal out of it when everyone has laughed along and nobody has actually been offended might well backfire. Sometimes a softer approach is more successful at changing attitudes....
(Have to admit I took it initially as being a genuine suggestion that the pc should actually be painted black and I couldn't work out why. The joy of Asperger's literal thinking :))

ageingrunner · 29/01/2017 17:37

You'd be better off deleting the whole post really, Emerald

OlennasWimple · 29/01/2017 17:39

It's racist and the manager who let it slide and the person who made the comment need to be spoken to so that they understand it isn't acceptable and any repeat performance will trigger formal disciplinary action

Slimmingsnake · 29/01/2017 17:39

Emerald island...the man made a comment ..presumed to be a joke...about black people...people laughed...at the expense of black people...that's racist...I'm not explaining it very well....but further up this thread namechangedsorry,explained it really well....and it definitely is racist

Changednamesorry · 29/01/2017 17:40

Well....EmeraldIsland....you are completely and utterly misinformed sorry.
Read around the subject a bit and educate yourself a little and you will see why this absolutely is racist. I have explained a little here but....

m.huffpost.com/us/entry/187386

sites.utexas.edu/shelflife/2010/08/25/blacks-sports-and-lingering-racial-stereotypes-a-qa-with-sports-sociologist-ben-carrington/

There's much more info about should you care to have a look around.

Changednamesorry · 29/01/2017 17:42

Please don't "just have a quiet word with him"
Please take it seriously. Please.

If he made a comment like "give it a pair of tits and a fanny so it cleans better" we would not be asking for " a quiet word" we would all be (rightly) hitting the roof.

Please don't minimise this.

DJBaggySmalls · 29/01/2017 17:44

OP, contact ASAC. Ask them if its racist and how to react.
Because you all need pulling up on your attitudes.

DJBaggySmalls · 29/01/2017 17:44

ACAS;
www.acas.org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1339