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.

Shoesie, I think most people are clued up enough to realise the HR dept exists for the sole purpose of protecting the company against potential lawsuits/tribunals for not following the law (inadvertently still counts). So that's a great example of how the company protected its ass against one of its employees raising a grievance. Not much else

Even if you deal with it informally make sure you document it.

What a shame you have decided to take the "kid gloves" approach to racism in the workplace despite all these responses asking you to take it seriously, OP.

Interesting that you work in a place where everyone laughed at the racist joke as opposed to reacting with shock as would happen where I and others work.

Wonder if the two are connected.

I'm disappointed that you are going in all softly softly with this situation.....but sadly not really surprised.

Yes where I work the person would have been challenged by colleagues. They would have had an investigation sane day and disciplinary would be this week. We don't take racist shit from employees.

I was wondering if it was racist. The implication being black people are fast runners. Which is a compliment and in no derogatory.

I had the same thought. Africans are known to be good runners, and it wasn't a derogatory remark. On the other hand, if you're going to analyse the exact words chosen, it could also be said that it alluded to blacking up, and to something - and, by extension, someone - black working for someone white.

Would it be racist to allude to Dutch or Scandinavian people being tall?

If he's young I'd just point out it may be what he'd share with his friends but it's not appropriate in work as it may be considered racist or inappropriate - if he's a good person and good employee other than that, this would be his one chance but it would be on file in case it, or his behaviour generally exacerbates

So what are you going to do about the people who laughed and the manager who took no action?

changed name sorry. Do you have some hidden issue here you seem very overinvested. Fwiw I think the comment was ill thought out and with racist undertones and if it was a first offence the op is taking the right action. If its a pattern start the works disciolinary wise. Branding the whole workplace as possibly racist is a bit ott.

zwellers to whom is your comment addressed?

It's not positive. It was explained up thread very well:

"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"

It's definitely rascist and I was shocked when I read it - the only reason it's been treated so lightly is because your workplace is prediminatly white.

I think the joke itself was probably in good humour that the genetics and physiology of the muscle fibres of black people mean their abilities in running often ale them far superior to other races - scientific fact. However for one flippant joke that most responded to in humour I think perhaps a word of caution at work is appropriate - sometimes going OTT on an issue exacerbates the bad side to those feelings - live and let live, but caution to those people making jokes at inappropriate situations/ times etc

zwellers my issue isn't hidden. This was a racist incident a day the response of the young man's colleagues indicates a tolerance of such behaviour on this workplace.
Over invested? Nah. I just don't want my kids to have to put up with this sort of shit in 20 years time. Sorry if that's difficult for you to understand or you see it as my personal baggage as opposed to a societal issue...but I refer you to this

"First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.

Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."

"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"

This. All of it.

There's nothing wrong with a softly softly approach OP. Look I don't mean to derail the thread but it reminded me of a comment aimed at me recently. I'm Jewish. Recently at work a few of us chose to attend a conference and paid for it ourselves. A few weeks later we received apologies and told that attendance should have been funded by work and were given instructions of how to claim the money back. The following week it came up in conversation that everyone had claimed except me. I'd been busy with an ill child and hadn't got round to it. And out of the blue, despite having no information about my finances whatsoever, someone quite forcefully said 'that's because your RICH'. And yes everyone laughed. I was uncomfortable but chose not to say anything. Because I truly believe there was no malice intended. Having a quiet word with someone reminding them that racial or cultural stereotyping has no place in the office is important. But seeing true racism where it wasn't intended isn't necessarily constructive.

Oh I misunderstood zwellers

I agree with Changednamesorry. This would be challenged and taken seriously in my company, not swept under the carpet with a quiet word.

ChangednamedSorry. I agree the incident had racist undertones and needs to be dealt with. What I don't agree is that the whole work force must also be racist. I wouldn't tolerate the joke either but in the heat of the moment I also may not react the way I would sitting at home with chance to reflect on it. Sometime people need to think before they speak out to ensure what they say is rational and in line with company disciplinary procedure.

I love sooty. A quiet verbal warning as step one of the disciplinary process not sufficient?

In view of the behaviour of the rest of the people present and a manager's failure to intervene zwellers I think it's more serious than that. It would be where I work anyway as the other people present would be in trouble too.

And that would include the OP if she doesn't escalate the matter now.

It would need to be an OFFOCIAL documented quiet verbal warning in order for it to carry any weight whatsoever. A quiet word off the record is disproportionately lenient.

Questionable if racist per se. Racialist yes, but that's not quite the same as racist.

Query if even legally grounds to discipline. Would bite tongue unless this forms part of a series of events.

Fear a few ppl taking the political correctness a bit seriously here!

Seriously. What would the other people be in trouble for?. Serious question they obvs can't control what stupid guy said.

Somebody complained they found it racist! A visitor to the office! So the elevate about whether it was racist does not apply.

I wondered how long it would take someone to start on about "political correctness"