To have been “racially” profiled by HR

[Donotfitin]

I don’t have a British name (like at all), so HR assumed I needed a right to work code, so asked for one, rather than asking if I was a citizen or not.

As a UK citizen I only need to provide my passport, so the whole thing took me completely by surprise!

Its the first time in my whole life that it was assumed that I wasn’t a citizen. I’ve

Again I only have my UK history… as realistically my previous employment/academic history is pretty pointless.

Nobody expects the Purist British Inquisition either

OP, I think a certain poster wants you to provide your pedigree, your blood type, your primary school swimming certificate, Blue Peter badges, and a full explanation of every word you have ever typed on MN.

But it’s definitely absolutely certainly not xenophobia, oh no

Op can you tell us where you were the day JFK was shot?

LOL … side note my DM still remembers when she heard the news !

Eh OP just get on with your work and stop looking for a problem when there isn’t one. Some other person would no doubt be grateful for the job.

No, that’s absurd - she needs to tell us where she was the day Princess Di died of course .

Well, you've added a rather curious and exotic flavour to the thread today. Let's see what relevant information you extract from the OP, that negates the rather discriminatory question asked by the HR person 🤔.

Another day, another round of foolery...
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Nothing to do with being purist. The op has clearly been evasive in some of her answers and may not be telling the whole truth as to why HR made an incorrect assumption.

so tell me exactly how when all they can see is experience and education in the UK?

The only thing that isn’t British is my name….

😂😂😂😂.

I’ll make a prediction - Despite the prolific, clearly intensely-felt inquisitorial clown dancing this afternoon, the “nothing to see here, cancel the cheque” crowd will magically not see this either

I still think it's a mistake. Surely even if someone had a foreign name, looks, foreign accent and a T-shirt that says "born in Mexico" it still tells you jack shit about their current citizenship and I would expect any HR person to know that.

Omg, just drop it. Seriously. You are making yourself look ridiculous now.

And many people work abroad from time to time. Doesn’t mean you can assume that they’re not British.

Why are you so determined to defend someone who assumed OP doesn’t belong here?

I mean you’d think so but according to another poster on this thread, spending any time working or studying abroad means it is understandable to make such an assumption.

Can they actually stop themselves? That person is intent on reaching the deepest depths of ridiculous 😃.

I would hazard a guess that someone in your new employment knows that you’re Mexican possibly with Mexican parents and also a Mexican accent so assumed you’re not a British Citizen, hence the request for a share code.

my ex colleagues know I’m a British citizen (and I don’t have a Mexican accent FYI)

or they completely forgot my background if I’m 100% honest, it’s not like we were super close

It doesn’t matter whether the OP has 7 flags, 12 degrees all from non UK unis and speaks all the languages of the globe, the correct question is still: please provide your right to work in UK - here’s the list’.

Exactly :)

As you were headhunted it is possible that someone told HR more about you than appears on your cv. I go with the simplest explanation is usually true so would think it likely that they looked at your name and made an assumption. Stupid of them and everyone should be asked if they have the right to work here instead.

Was this a significant error that means you will be treated badly in future - not really. If you want to label any minor error as a "micro aggression" then you are likely to find people avoiding you out of fear. That is a form of bullying that fuels racism.

That is a form of bullying that fuels racism.

What does this even mean?

Op hasnt said she feels this is a micro aggression so stop talking out your farter.

Others have. If people think every mistake is going to be magnified they will not want to be around you - so they will treat you differently. Only simple minds fail to understand that.

We don't know if OP magnifies every 'mistake'. What we do know is that making assumptions about someone's 'Britishness' based off of anything outside of the specific individual's information is more than a mistake.

The correct question to be asked is the question that is applied with equality - please confirm your right to work. Nothing more and nothing less. Asking for the code isn't a mistake, no matter how much you try and contort this, codes are only required for people who need them. And HR wouldn't know who needed a code unless that person was unable to prove their right to work.

I do consider this behaviour as a microagression. It's the different treatment based on perceived difference. The othering. We all have bias. Let's be honest. But it's a problem when you cannot learn from others and check your own bias.

There's another thread running at the moment where a mum is looking for ways to hide her child being Jewish due to the racist bullying their older sibling is experiencing at another school. Whilst most posters are overwhelmingly supportive and speaking out against the racism, nearly all of them state disbelief around the mother's course of action and that "in this day and hide you don't need to hide being Jewish" and "why don't you talk to the school".

If anyone wants to be anti racist rather than paying lip service to not being a racist, listen to the people who are telling you their experiences. Why do you think you know more than them? Would you tell a lesbian that homophobic actions are just a mistake? A domestic abuse victim that their abuser just made a mistake and don't magnify it? Living with racism day in and day out is a trauma too, but one that should be minimised rather than magnified?