I think I've just been accused of racism at work

[Imlookingatapicture]

Panicking somewhat..

For context I'm the only Welsh person in our London office. Lots of banter around the football World Cup.

Chat started on teams (chat not video) re the 6 nations game tomorrow. Collegue (huge football fan, most vocal in the world cup) said 'I don't care about rugby. I'm half Welsh anyway'

I replied

'Oh I'm half English too. We all have our crosses to bear ;)'

Manager has just emailed me to say collegue above has complained, and it's not acceptable, especially given recent discussions around inclusion and diversity.

It was honestly just a joke, in the same vein as the world cup 'banter'

I know I shouldn't have put it on teams. Maybe context didn't come across.

How much shit am I in?

There was no discrimination here
It was a joke 🤦‍♀️ What is wrong with people, quoting actual discrimination cases (in Scotland !) like this was anything of the sort?

Absolutely spot on! 👏👏

As above, under UK law nationality comes under the protected characteristic of race. So under our law an anti-English comment is racist in the eyes of the law. This makes perfect sense to me. I think most of us would agree that someone abusing someone for being Polish is a racist.

So if I made a sizeist comment at work it would be ok if I did a tinkly laugh?

@Imlookingatapicture

In case you missed it, this suggestion is perfect.

Workingwithchildcare · Today 18:10
I’m half English and Welsh. I would have taken that comment to mean that you are both doing badly in this years six nations. They are. Ireland and Scotland are on fire this year.

If you were talking about yourself, absolutely fine.

I don't think you're in sh1t given you're the only Welsh person and have clearly taken some banter on the chin yourself because of this. Just explain you called it wrong with this colleague thinking your relationship was perhaps on better terms to joke and have fun with than it perhaps is. I would also reach out to this colleague and explain it was a playful jibe as the only welshman in the office! If you had said that to me, I'd have taken it in the good humour intended. I hope this does not add to your life worries too much xx

That was my point!!

If it was about yourself, like the joke the OP made, then yes.

I’m half English and half welsh. Def go with the rugby comment- you meant as a wales supporter you had your cross to bear as we aren’t doing well.

and to people saying the anti English comments are tedious- the OP has said she regularly gets comments about being welsh which she obviously takes on the chin as apparently colleague is fine to class it as banter when it’s about the welsh, but not ok when it’s about the English. It wasn’t like OP was randomly anti English out of the blue.

Really? What if there was someone else in the room who was the same size as me?

Too right. Being half English half Welsh is a cross to bear this tournament and no doubt will be in the World Cup as well.

Christ so we can’t even joke about ourselves now incase it triggers other people? I can’t joke about my frizzy hair in case it offends a fellow frizz sufferer?

So what if there was? You were talking about yourself.

@JohnnyYenSetHimselfOnFireAgain sorry caught up and realised you’d made another post directing it at the poster I was quoting

@Dubbydoodoubter "So under our law an anti-English comment is racist in the eyes of the law"
Can you be racist against yourself?

Well it would be a bit insensitive if they had frizzier hair than you yes.

I'm really surprised people are ok with this. Just because you're insulting yourself doesn't mean other people won't be offended by it too.

So what if you’re talking about yourself? I joke about my body falling apart now I’m in my fifties, other people I work with are in their fifties as well. The horror! I must apologise for my ageism

No worries, I caused the confusion! 😁

The world's gone mad

So if I said "hahaha I'm so silly and dumb it must be my hair colour" and there are other people in the room with the same hair colour that wouldn't be at all offensive to them?

Not everything is about you 😂
Jesus. Can you really only see the world through the lens of how it affects you?

"I know you're talking about you, but what about meeee?" Bloody hell.

I’ve often said my hair looks like how Monica from friends does in the heat. I shall stop from now on incase there is some poor soul nearby with even more frizz who might be upset by my own opinion on my own hair…

I think the colleague is overreacting massively, but the thing about offence is how its taken, not how its given, people can be offended by literally anything.

I guess the litmus test on these is what happens if you change the subject for another protected characteristic.

If you substituted the nationality for a skin colour for example, it suddenly sounds a lot closer to the wire.....

You're definitely on a wind-up. 😂😂😂