Am I right in thinking that if you are in the staff room, normal work rules still apply

[chickensaladagain]

This week following the events in Woolwich -one of my colleagues was in the staff room during his lunch and was spouting off a load of very obviously racist arguments

I asked him to stop, he didn't so I may have made a complaint.....

Anyway, I've now been told that the company won't pursue it because he was on an unpaid meal break -so he was in the staff room again today spouting the same nonsense

This can't be right can it?

No, I wouldn't have thought it was. He was on company premises, and still representing the company even if during an unpaid break. The company is free to make whatever rules it wishes about behaviour in the workplace, including staffrooms, and I would imagine most companies would frown on racism.

No,it's not right. He was at work, regardless of being on an unpaid break. Persist.

No, he's on work premises.

No it's not right, he was at work, on work premises and subjecting other employees to racist language, all of which are reasons why it should be properly dealt with.

In the handbook racism is gross misconduct so not accepted

I'll speak to hr on Tuesday I think

Even if it was at a work related event or on social media we would persue this unacceptable behaviour in our org. def needs to be dealt with. all this has done is give message that it is ok to do this.. Def talk to HR or alternatively to the more senior manager.

He's at work with work colleagues. His comments are causing you offence and HR need to take this seriously.

"I've now been told that the company won't pursue it because he was on an unpaid meal break "

so are they saying that if someone was in your staffroom who wasn't employed there (say a delivery man or a visitor to the school) was spouting racist stuff to staff members that would be prefectly acceptable? i dont think so somehow. employers have a duty to their employees to make sure they aren't subjected to racist language.