Have You experienced racism at work?

[WhenWhatWhere]

Just wondering how bad this issue of racism in the workplace is.

We all know that there are not enough black, asian and minority ethnic people in board level positions in the work place.

However, I am wondering what sort of racism, be it visible or invisible have you faced at work.

I know this is AIBU, so myAIBU is that there Is more racism in the workplace than we think there is.

Scottish in Australia and regularly have people take the piss out of my accent, and told to fuck off on the next boat back to Ireland (they can't tell the difference between the two accents) various comments about buggering sheep even though I don't actually have a willy. Have people ask to speak to someone who can actually talk English often also.

Not personally but I’ve witnessed some not very professional managers say some very racist things about other employees when they’re not around.

I worked in a big chain restaurant when I was 18, ( now in my 30s) and the manager said Oi Darky at an Indian co worker I told the manager this wasn’t acceptable, he carried on, I resigned and got a different job.
In hindsight I wish I had made a bigger deal out of it, but I was quite shy at 18

Went for an interview as a 19 year old for a food chain and the manager openly said 'I don't know, we've never hired one of your kind before'. He then followed it up by saying 'you do present well, though' as though it was some kind of compliment that I could dress in a professional manner despite being of 'my kind'. I wish I'd reported it but at 19 I was too naive and scared. A boss two years later told me not to wear a black hijab because it made me look like a terrorist. Wish I'd reported him too, but sadly, there's an element of normalisation that can occur when you're visibly different - it's easy to just accept it because you don't want to be seen to be making a fuss.

Then there's all the unconscious stuff e.g. the way you're overlooked for promotions, the way people make assumptions about your life (one colleague asked when my DH and I had been 'paired', because of course we must have had an arranged marriage even though we're of completely different backgrounds!), the way your behaviour is seen to reflect upon your entire ethnicity etc etc.

Never personally witnessed it, though know of three people who have been sacked or demoted because of allegations made against them found to be true after investigation.

Yes, once, when I was 18 and working with an Arabic man. He openly sneered at me and another girl who worked closely with him, and would say things like "white girls are lazy."

I really wish I'd reported him for his behaviour and racism.
He was sacked eventually (don't know the reason.)

I certainly witnessed it countless times and not just at work.

I can't compare my experiences to those of BAME people and I feel sad at reading your stories. Too many idiots.

I have encountered nastiness from a few people when they discovered I was from NI. That I must be related to terrorists, what side am I on, (answer - the side of peace), why are we full of hate (answer - I'm not, can't speak for others).

I've also had people use phrases like "throwing a Paddy" and "Irish twins" in front of me, and when casually discussing family trees with someone I thought was OK had my ancestors described as "bog trotters". This was in Leeds a few years ago in a workplace setting. I was so shocked I said nothing. Felt like I'd gone back in time to the 70s.

Depressing.

Yes I have. Went out with a Hindu bloke when I was about 30. He said we would never get married as his mum didn’t think white girls were good enough for her son. Also I worked with a BAME lady who wanted promotion. She was in a highly professional role and I was just admin but knew her very well. She slept with a manager obviously to help her get the position, she didn’t get it so was shouting that it was because of racism, she never mentioned what had happened between her and the manager. Funny that!

Work in the NHS - very multicultural city and i do not know any BAME senior managers or directors

I once had a colleague who told me that she had a new job, something healthcare wise with home visits. She was really happy with her job, the only downside was that she couldn't choose her clients so would also have to "visit those filthy black people". I was absolutely stunned... knew her for 3 years, never thought she was so racist.

I was too stunned to say anything. That happens to me too often. My MIL said something racist last month, not realising that half of my family abroad, that I fondly talk of often, are that particular race. Luckily DH was quick thinking and told her angrily to never say something like that ever again. I was still staring at her in disbelief. Apparantly I just don't know people as well as I think.

Adventure I'd only read halfway down when I knew "You were aggressive" would come into play. They're not even original about their racism. I hope youre in a much better place now

Our hand wave toilet flushes doesn't work for black skin. Crazy.

I have observed a black woman having to explain to colleagues why the golliwog was removed from the jam labels. She was very patient but they kept coming back with "But it's just..."

She once thanked me for being the only person to pronounce her name correctly. Such small things, but they add up.

Yes, however I am white, person was black.

Called me white whore, white trash, slut etc, told me to go back up north, sometimes in Urdu to people on the Phone.

Got told not racism because I am white.

I also had a Asian man threatened to rape me when I worked in public health as ‘that’s all white girls are good for’ apparently

Adventure.

Words fail me. I did however know that ‘aggressive’ would come into it. All your contributions, performance, outcomes all get cast aside and what they picked out was that in a role play, you were ‘aggressive’.

There were some awful comments made about my colleague, calling her things like Ting Tong and posting cartoons, the manager found it hilarious😥 this is in healthcare. They thought she didnt know but she did and left to go onto much better things and a few of us also left as it was such a toxic and unprofessional environment.

So one of the posters is fed up of working with ‘old, white men’, surely that’s racist, ageist and sexist?

I heard a patient once complaining about her nurse, accusing them of theft, when investigators came she couldn't name the nurse or even describe them, saying they all looked the same. The only nurses on duty that shift were one female and one Male..needless to say she swiftly self discharged.

Never..

Not sure I'd call it racism, and it isn't the people I work with but the clients.
I've been frequently asked where I'm from, and they dont mean my home town but where I'm 'originally from'.
I few months ago I was congratulated on how well I spoke English.
I wasn't very sure on how to respond to that. I was born and bred here.

Oh wait.
Just remembered something else.
Last Christmas I got a Tangle Teezer for my Secret Santa. Again, not sure if I should be offended or not

Yes, the postman at work shoved a parcel at me and told me that the parcel must be mine or someone I know in the office "because you are all related and come from the same place". I was surrounded by 6 colleagues on my desk who heard and saw the shock on my face. I didnt know what to say. My colleague (who I am thankful for to this day) told the postman that no the parcel wasn't mine..and he left. She then got the manager...as I was sat there in shock. A incident was reported to HR, but after a short diversity awareness course..the postman returned to work as if nothing happened. I have dealt with microaggressions from a young age to my current day work life But I have never ever been spoken to like that before. I was young and didnt have a direct response to the postman, but looking back now I think I would be the first one now to stand up for anyone who is racially abused as I just cant imagine what someone on the receiving end is going through day after day.

@FrankieDoyle

Yes, once, when I was 18 and working with an Arabic man. He openly sneered at me and another girl who worked closely with him, and would say things like "white girls are lazy."

I really wish I'd reported him for his behaviour and racism.
He was sacked eventually (don't know the reason.)

For context, I have an Arab parent and a huge extended family in the Middle East. Sadly the comment above doesn't surprise me at all - I'm white and so regularly received leering from Arabic men from an early age when I lived in the Gulf. It's an unpleasant aspect of Arabic culture (moreso in some regions than others), but thankfully not universal even then.

I have been very lucky in that I've only ever worked in places where all of the examples on this thread would be viewed with horror! It's unutterably shit that this keeps happening - surely people can't blame a lack of awareness anymore.

I've just remembered that a Muslim colleague told hardly anyone about her husband because people assumed he'd been 'chosen' for her. And a female colleague told me that the reason women wore hijab was because they'd shaved all their hair off.