Should my colleague help or am I being racist?

[madamreign]

We have a new hire. She is very experienced and qualified, but she is from overseas and is struggling. English is not her first language and I'm in awe of anybody who can do a professional job in a second language. If we can get her over her problems (confidence, communication, ways of working etc) she'll be a really asset to the business.

I'm trying my best to listen, understand and help her settle in. Taking cues from her on how to deal with this- I want to her to succeed!

I have a colleague who was born in the UK but who's parents came from the same country that our new hire did. I know they speak the language.

Would it be wrong to request that my colleague to help the new hire?

you just embarrassed yourself.

Why are people of colour who explain racism automatically seen as “aggressive”

This is an anonymous internet forum. Nobody knew your colour until you pointed it out to them.
impressions of your words/ tone etc. have had nothing to do with judgements based on your colour / race, they have entirely been based on your written posts which are full of wild accusations/ judgements / assumptions, punctuated by excessive use of !!!! And ???? And assertions like OP should undergo disciplinary action, which most people think is absurd.

when all i am doing is just replying normally

you really aren’t.

there are massive amounts of projection going on here.

Oh and capitalisation of words and personal attacks like calling people “stupid”:

I honestly can’t believe you reported someone for using the term ‘white fragility’. The absolute irony - which you, of course, won’t get.

I’m white and I do not support your stance in the slightest.

@madamreign You don't say what you do, but you suggest it's a professional role, so likely one with highly specialised jargon.

If someone speaks a certain language, it is a huge leap to assume they speak the right set of business language. I speak multiple foreign languages, but I couldn't do my day job in them, because I've never had the need to learn those words. I learnt them for the first time when I was being trained as an adult... in English.

At best, you run the risk of embarrassing someone by having to explain that no, they don't speak the language well enough to help (particularly embarrassing if it's their mother tongue) and at worst, you run the risk of offending them.

Is training someone within their usual responsibilities? Do they have enough time to train someone? Would you have to take work off them to free up their time? How does that fit with their development plan? Would you be sacrificing their own career goals to make life easier for you?

If someone was capable of helping and wanted to help, they'd be helping already.

It feels like you're demanding free labour from someone else because of their linguistic background, and with that so frequently tied up with culture... yeah, depending on the people involved, it could feel like racism.

You need to stop looking at this just from your intent and from the perspective of the person you would be asking. How would they see it? How would they feel?

Absolutely ask the other person if they are willing to help if you need it. In our lab we often have people who are not 100% in English or the local language and use other lab members as ad hoc translators. The person being helped really really appreciates it as they have gone from not quite understanding to being felt like they are being included. We also found it tends to really improve their confidence to ask questions and also speeds up their learning/training.

Asking someone to translate is absolutely not racist, its inclusive.

OP it seems some people want to find racism in absolutely anything.

Language/translation is definitely not racism, particularly as it’s clear from your posts that you are not asking about cultural/racial or buddy/mentoring support.

Also, why are posters assuming that translating is more highly paid or skilled than the jobs the workers are already doing?

Yes, I'm confused why this is some sort of slave labour. It's a delicate issue in terms of offending the colleague but I don't know many jobs where you don't ever move out of your 'day-job' for the wider team/organisation/business. On those grounds I've a case to sue my employers for millions 😂

As for all the race-baiting, it's boring. No need to report someone talking about 'white fragility' and the behaviour of the resident "you're all racist" is probably the reason for the silly reaction. You're dealing with human beings, not robots. Grow up.

I keep thinking what sort of help you have in mind? And whether it actually has the potential to help the new person, whether it is a matter of cultural settling in /which should happen in the window of about 3 months/ or whether it is a more of a personal issue without the cultural aspect. could be a mix of both as well.

Of course it isn’t racist. My Dad is French so if a French person started working with him, it wouldn’t be xenophobic of someone to ask him to help that person out.

They speak the same language, it just makes sense.

At best, you run the risk of embarrassing someone by having to explain that no, they don't speak the language well enough to help (particularly embarrassing if it's their mother tongue) and at worst, you run the risk of offending them.

But why would it be embarrassing, unless the colleague was specifically hired because of those particular language skills?
They could just say ‚Sorry, but my knowledge of language X is pretty limited/ rusty/ not on a professional level’, why would that be an issue? I‘ve been in similar situations myself (been an immigrant most of my life), and that‘s exactly how I would respond.

Is training someone within their usual responsibilities? Do they have enough time to train someone? Would you have to take work off them to free up their time? How does that fit with their development plan? Would you be sacrificing their own career goals to make life easier for you?

The way I understood the OP it’s not about training/ full time mentoring as such, more about sitting down with the new recruit on one or two occasions to help her settle.

Of course they should have work taken off them to free up their time to do this. And if for whatever reason they don’t want to do it, they shouldn’t have to. I just don’t understand why even considering asking them is such a huge issue to some.

Regarding development plan and career goals - as PP said, do people never step out of their day-job to attend (endless boring) meetings, team announcements and so forth? I used to work in a pretty fast-paced environment with lots if deadlines and even there taking a bit of time out to talk to a colleague wouldn’t have affected a wider ‚career plan‘. People aren’t robots.

So if you think there's nothing racist in that term, you'd better get onto admin, who certainly did see somethjng wrong with it. Just because you don't take offence to it, doesn't mean it's not an offensive label.

Care to define the legal definition of racism?

Racism is about discrimination NOT, in the OP's case. Where she is looking to help somebody. Get a grip @whyisitallsohard 🙄

thank you for sharing this. absolutely ironic and proves me point!

mumsnet deleted my one comment mentioning white fragility, and i've written a formal complaint to them for their support of this blatant racism and their rejecting an academic and scientifically backed term "WHITE FRAGILITY". the fact that it is denied is racist in itself.

mumsnet refuses to delete this person's comment where they say "saying white fragility is racist", when i have sent them evidence it is a real societal issue that also effects workplaces. white fragility is a huge problem especially in the workplace that works to silence people of colour and put the feelings of white people first so that no change in racism can ever occur. it is blatant in this thread. I am astounded that there are people who deny it, even when presented with the author (who is white) and came up with the term.

also, funny how OP hasn't returned to clarify anything! this is such a disgusting thread inc OP's original thought of action themselves, and reflects the vile nature of the workplace and challenges for many people of colour or anyone different from the majority, and how people like OP think it's okay to add (unpaid) labour onto others while they can pretend to be do gooders, a lot like these anonymous commenters refuting the racism in OP's proposed actions and my explanations as to why it is racist in the first place . not to mention, OP ASKED themselves "am i being racist?". the acceptable answer to fragile white commenters on here is only "no". if you say "Yes", you are attacked. the gaslighting by many of them is real and also reflects people really think and say when the boss and HR aren't listening.

the fact that they also want me to be polite and sweet and manage their fragility is so ironic lol.

again, thanks for your supportive comment.

What exactly would you be reporting them to the HR for? For wanting to help a new colleague?

It's easy to dismiss lived experience and knowledge as projection to shut down opposing opinions on why this isn't a good management, good for either party and a poor work decision.

"Im the only one who has saved their ass st work"

"Thank god for us"

You think very highly of yourself. I suppose confidence is a good thing but the way you attack people... believe me if that's how you behave at work you'll be the one hauled over the coals by HR.

@inamarina it would have to be included in the helpers performance review. They would be taken off their job to do one they aren't contracted to do. That could mean less progression or training etc for them. Can you go to work, decide to ignore your work duties and do something else? Can a employer decide to change the job you are paid for? That's a HR matter. Do you know how much interiors earn? Would there be a pay rise, who sets out what's needed etc etc. Or do you think language teaching is a simple job?

White fragility is not racist.

When people of colour raise something they’re uncomfortable with, and white people go on the defensive and rush to get offended - instead of simply taking what they say on board, considering it and potentially changing their mind, or even just just disagreeing politely having genuinely considered it - THAT’S ‘white fragility’

This thread is littered with it. It’s embarrassing.

And yes, @madamreign - are you coming back to your thread….?

It's not racist to ask someone wo speaks French to help someone else out whose first language is French.
It doesn't make it any different if the language is not French and/or the people involved are a different race to you.

I mean, it could be a bad idea for many reasons, it could be inappropriate, it could be unhelpful. But it's not racist.

@RamsesTheChub, ooh threaten the minority if they dare to quote employment law, yeah that doesn't work anymore. Isn't she being compliant enough?

I'm really glad you've decided to stay well out of it OP.

I'm a native English-speaker emigrant to the Netherlands and it is a little tiresome to hear "oh perhaps you can help Jane, she's English too!"

1. I'm not English, or even from the UK. I just speak the language so my shared connection to Jane is tenuous at best, just like your two colleagues.

1. I already chatted with Jane (because I'm not an idiot that needs guidance to do the bleeding obvious things) and discovered I have no desire to spend time with her in any capacity.

Edit: I can't speak to racism but I can speak to this kind of well-meant but deeply tone-deaf approach that will never end well. It feels like "oh the kids are the same age, they're bound to get on!"