Racism at work towards towards clients

[Flatspat]

My college is racist and I'm getting very bored of her. My other team mates just ignore it and managment saying she isn't causing a problem! Some e.g's of what she has come out with this week -

She had been working with a french client and came back saying ' Ugh that french guy wad a nightmare he was arrogant and up himself like all French people are I'm sick of this I'm not working with any more French a**holes'

Travelers - none of them can read its because they are thick and what's the point they will just end up in prison again because they have crime in their blood.

Romanians and Albanians - they are vile and can't be bothered to learn the language they are all in violent gangs can't we just send them all home.

AIBU to demand that managment put a stop to this? They say she is white and she is talking about white people so it's not racist! She is in her early 20s so not one of those older generation who were brought up in a different time things that people say which is still not acceptable to me. She was too young to vote for brexit but keeps saying things about how it's the best thing the country could do we jusy need to get strict with it!

So is this racist? Am I being overly sensitive or is thus vile and unprofessional and I should take it further?

Xenophobic?

Tell her shut the fuck up as she sounds like a uneducated, stupid racist is probably the way I'd deal with it.

Completely unacceptable - of course you should say something! Can you keep a log of all the times she does it? Go to someone higher up if needs be - just because they are also "white" doesn't mean it's not discrimination. Anti-East European racism is 100% a thing, btw.

This is absolutely racism

If management are that stupid I would use different language and say “her biased and hostile language makes for an unfair situation for our clients and customers. She seems unaware that the people we work with have a right to be treated respectfully.”

I’d refuse to put up with this. As a PP mentioned it is xenophobia rather than racism however both have their roots in discrimination. I would be looking ip the companies policies and acting accordingly to address it.

Sounds like they are being Xenophobic rather than racist, but nevertheless not acceptable.

People who tar an entire nation with one brush are usually lacking in brain cells!

Xenophobia except regarding Travelers, as they are recognised as an ethnic/cultural minority.

Her opinions aren’t acceptable either way.

Not to mention racism against Travellers.

One of the things that makes racism against Travellers and Eastern Europeans so pernicious is that people deny that it even exists, and dismiss it "because they are also white" - so it is never faced or tackled properly.

Maybe we need to find a better word for it than "racism" but I believe that's our best option right now - "xenophobia" implies a general fear of outsiders, whereas these are targeted attacks.

We don't need a better word - this is obviously racism. It's not just brown/black people that are targets of racists.

There’s always one twat at work. Suggest say to mgt ‘Don’t say we didn’t warn you when she’s rude to a client’.

Crime in the blood 🤣 made me wail. Can you try good-natured laughing? Can be more effective than huffing.

@sorrynotathome to be clear, I agree with you! Not at all dismissing the severity or disputing whether it’s racism - what I meant was that we, as a society, probably need to find a “better word” if we want to have constructive conversations that don’t devolve into “but TECHNICALLY it’s not racism…” or “TECHNICALLY that’s xenophobia…” essentially I just wish we had more accurate/precise terminology at our disposal! Agree “racism” is the best option as it stands.

Every time she does it, just say, OK Alf Garnet.

And find some guidance online. Do you work for a public sector organisation? If you do, they're failing in their public sector equality duty to foster good relations between protected and unprotected characteristics.

She's an ethnocentric xenophobe displaying cultural discrimination in the workplace. National origin is protected under race in the Equality Act iirc.

It is utterly unprofessional as well as xenophobic /racist.

Definitely seek HR advice on this one. She's out of line and so, it appears, is your management team. The "She's white / talking about white people" nonsense is out of order. Your colleague's perception of the people she is working with is likely to be prejudicing her perception of the issues they require her to deal with and impacting outcomes.

Haha this would be perfect but would go wooooooosh over her little head!

These are the official words I was trying to find. Thank you.

Thank you everyone for your comments. I didn't think I was being unreasonable but just couldn't see why my manager wasn't seeing it. After speaking to a friend who used to work there she commented that our manager doesn't see it as an issue at all and she has seen similar behaviour from her in the past. She is African and has thrown shade on people from other African countries because if where they are from. I think I'll take both points to HR. I have been keeping notes on all the toxic BS she has come out with this week I'll keep at it and see what happens. Xenophobic is absolutely what she is it's not a word that I had considered but is 100%. Thank you.

Bigot?

The Equality Act is quite clear that race includes one’s nationality or ethnic origin:

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2010/15/section/9

So yes, it’s racism.

I’d imagine any manager should be aware of this?

Thanks @stayorgo2 . I agree we should aim to be precise but I also think we should be careful that people don’t think there is a hierarchy - eg xenophobia is not as bad as racism. @Flatspat your management clearly has a problem understanding both terms.

Yes as others have said that is very definitely racism under the equality act.

Not acceptable anywhere but particularly in the workplace.

This is the definition of race that the Equality Act 2010 is founded on:

"Race
A race is a group of people defined by their colour, nationality (including citizenship) ethnicity or national origins. A racial group can be made up of more than one distinct racial group, such as Black British.
See our advice and guidance on race discrimination."

So yes, she is being racist, as the EA definition includes nationality and it's a protected characteristic.

Absolutely racism - report it formally. Don’t get into splitting hairs about racism or xenophobia or who has the right to say what because of their own colour.
As an employee, you are witnessing racism and discrimination in the workplace and are reporting it.
If HR can’t see this as an issue, then the whole organisation urgently needs some equity, diversity and inclusion training before they find themselves in court (or in the media!)
Well done for calling it out so far.