Racism at work

[NCforobviousreasonsok]

I'm interested to know peoples take on this.
A colleague used an offensive word (go it letter beginning with a p) to describe a type of place. They seem somewhat remorseful but it's still wrong.

It's being dealt with formally, but I want to know how you would expect this to be dealt with at your workplace? It's upset a few people and rightly so - I'm just debating if it's a sackable offence or warning and if so, how severe?

I understand the point that you're making. Adults should of course know better.

But I do not agree that it was acceptable anywhere in the 80s or 90s. It was considered deeply offensive even back then. If your parents used the term regularly, then I'm afraid it is because they were being racist. It's good that your teacher intervened and corrected you.

started to be used in a racist way", yes, people made it a bad word. Like the n-word. Words are used in the wrong way and their meanings change as a result of ill-meaning people who want to sow division. That doesn't mean it is a bad word or should be a bad word. It's just a word.

Both words have always been used in a racist, derogatory way, they didn’t suddenly become offensive.

I'm a half a "p" and I would expect a warning if someone called me it, maybe not sacking. I'm very non judgemental or people don't tend to rattle me though

Because you're a fascist dunce. Get a life commie.

“Fascist commie” - why does it not surprise me that your general insults are also very dated.

We’re not living in the Cold War era. Please, do everyone a favour and educate yourself. It’s embarrassing to see someone have such confidence to be so stupid, publicly.

It’s racist and I hope you “they” get sacked for it as there are NO excuses for it in 2024

You’re the insulting one. What an awful leftie, woke liberal.

Seems a bit overly dramatic.

Same thing as describing a place that is like a war zone as 'the gaza strip'. Might be tactless but its not racist.

Unless there is hate involved I don't think people should be losing jobs over it.

I somehow think I’ll survive the likes of you thinking I’m awful.

There wasn't an excuse. The senior manager was given a crash course in racist language so that racism could be addressed. I don't know the outcome of the HR investigations into the people making racist comments.

I agree that "I didn't know it was offensive" is normally fake, but there are occasions where someone genuinely doesn't know a word is offensive (normally if they've grown up outside of the UK). You can tell who these people are as they apologise and manage not to use offensive language again.

That is an excuse though. He was a grown up who could educate himself. Nobody is that oblivious in 2024. Google is a thing. Use it before working abroad.

Well, probably because one is used by skinheads whilst they kick that group in the head on the floor, and the other isn’t.

It’s a racial slur that happens to be a contraction of the full word. Not all contractions are racial slurs, but this one is.

🙄

It was certainly the norm and acceptable where I was brought up as well.

You were brought up by racists in a racist area then. HTH.

A written warning is action being taken. Could also be taken off the bonus scheme for that year.

I think that many people genuinely don't know that is offensive. For example, my parents always used a term to describe East Asian people that I genuinely didn't know was offensive until I said it as an 18 year old to my friends in passing & they were horrified.

I looked it up & was mortified! My parents didn't think it was wrong at all. And, of course, diversity training doesn't list all the words you shouldn't use!! I thought I was being polite & perfectly politically correct...

100% not shirting my responsibility on this, but explaining that an apology to everyone involved & a warning might be more appropriate depending on the situation

But they were told it was offensive and repeated it.

So that’s not the same as 18 year old you being mortified, is it?

Final written warning and public apology or dismissal. Anything else is sending the message that racism isn’t taken seriously.

I'm sorry to hear that you were surrounded by racists when you were a child. How dreadful.

Why the need for the passive aggressive 'HTH'?
You are oversimplifying it and comparing it with the language of today.
My area was extremely diverse and not racist at all.

But you get that you don't represent every single person of your community/demographic - I'm part black and I despise the n word no matter who is saying it.

I think it's probably best to think that certain words cause harm to a lot of people, even if it doesn't effect you personally.

Hilarious that you know that HTH is deemed as passive aggressive, but language that has been unacceptable for decades needs nuance.

Are you of South Asian origin?

Thought not.

It is offensive ( & nonsensical ) . I would find it offensive because it was coined as a derogatory reference to Asians in general .

Why the need for excusing racist language? Do you think the people of South Asian origin who lived in your ‘diverse’ area enjoyed the liberal use of that word? Laughable that you find ‘HTH’ passive aggressive but don’t appreciate the outright aggression of the P-word.

I couldn't care less about the "older generation" and the leniency we are supposedly meant to show them when they've already had years pushing on racist views.

To answer OP, this should be a sackable issue. Zero tolerance means exactly that