99% sure I'm going to resign tomorrow - would you?

[acnebride]

Plenty of frustrating things about my workplace, the pay for a start, but the job is flexible, quite fun and within walking distance of home.

Today the big boss (there's only 12 of us) used the 'n' word in a meeting (as part of a phrase, not a direct insult). I have experienced a lot of racism here (see posts passim) but this coming from the boss has put the lid on for me. I'm off.

I guess if I were in a different state of mind I might stay and make a complaint, but I'm too scared to do so. Would you stay and fight, resign, stay, or resign and fight? It's going to take all my pitifully few guts to even say why I'm resigning, although I'm determined to do that.

but isn't it worse to say nothing?

If anyone made comments like that in front of me I would stand up and tell them EXACTLY what I thought

Now I admit, I DO have a reputation as a trouble-maker but what does that MEAN? Sometimes surely you have to do the right thing? People know that I am always fair and people will come to me if they've got a problem and they know I will do the right thing and stand up for them. Managers/bosses have always respected me, even if they hate me because they think I am a pc-gone-made-lesbian-socialist-feminist-sandal-wearer.

Are the good relationships that you would lose worth it, if they wouldn't speak to you for speaking up for something wrong?

I have taken many people to task about sexist, racist and offensive comments, regardless of their rank. I have never lost friends over it. I have never ever regretted it. I have only ever regretted the times when I HAVEN'T stood up and said the right thing.

I don't know what YOU should do, but your original question was what would WE do, and I would not be able to put up with that. This is just my opinon.

acnebride....I work at a senior level in the nhs.Have the courage to report that comment to your bosses' line manager...it is indefensible.if you are feeling upto it then tell him that is what you are going to do.

is there a whistleblowing policy?

another department you can write to - a higher or different office with equiv roles - say in another town?

i always say something when stuff is out of line.

nope i am never going to get promotion ever - but they can't sack me either

the difference is my HR and line manager both work in diff office and i work in a diff dept.

o seriously hope you can report to someone higher within the organisation.

do you have an exit interview? - can you ask to have with area manager?

can you phone area manager and ask for confidential meeting?

Acnebride - I do think you are in a very difficult position, especially given the hr manager relationship!!

But I don't see why you should have to lose your job / make yourself unemployed...it could look fishy to future employers anyway to leave without another job to go to. Is there anyone else at all in the organisation who would be in sympathy with your views on this?

There's a way out tbh as we have just employed a p/t manager (she started at the same meeting) who has heard of employment law and does know what she is doing. I'm going to resign to her today.

But hey, in case I sound principled or anything, I'm going to stick around until I've got another job and settled some poor new sap into the post. I rang everyone I know last night on the gissajob rounds.

Anyone want my job? It's actually a great post for a working parent, if you can keep your hands over your ears. £8.50 an hour.

my letter reads:

I am very sorry to do this, but I have decided to resign.

Yesterday a senior member of staff used a phrase I find offensive. I accept that this was done totally without offensive intent, just as a casual remark.

During my time here I have been told directly that I shouldn?t shortlist black candidates for jobs; that parents of young children are a pain to employ due to the amount of time off they require; and that I should decide which candidates for jobs will ?fit in? by having a quick chat on the phone with them. All these remarks have been made to me by different members of staff.

I therefore feel unable any more to represent this practice, to patients and to potential employees, as a place where I am sure they will get a fair hearing from all staff members.

I have absolutely no wish to damage the practice or the good work that is done here, and I would be very happy to carry on working until a new secretary has been recruited, and ideally until I have found another job myself. I hope this is acceptable.

um

has anyone mentioned constructive dismissal?

if not, consider constructive dismissal

oh and I don't think it matters if he was just "negligently" racist. In the 21st centuary, 40 years after the race relations act, I don't think anyone can seriously argue that they don't realise that such expressions are offensive.

I would also find the fact that he went unchallenged quite unsettling.

acnebride - sounds good to me

(your letter I mean)

I would quote the phrase he used, and also give dates for the 'don't shortlist black candidates' thing - you have the date as you posted here about it. I think that would make it sound a bit more 'official' and less 'I can't stand these horrible people' iyswim.

It is outrageous that people like that are responsible for delivering important services to the community as a whole...yes, racism and other discriminations are alive and well, and lurking in a public service near you .

It looks as if you are working in a small practice...rather than a huge organisation, so difficult to get higher machinery working - but I do think that some power higher than the practice itself should know what goes on.

i have also heard the same couple chortling to each other about the bizarreness of some woman who was still bf her eldest child who was all of 2. Ooh, I could go on. Sorry.

Thanks for all of these. Perhaps I should go in a bit harder. My sister (an employment lawyer - everyone needs one in the family) said I should use the phrase 'the last straw' and 'working under duress'. mmm. The constructive dismissal issue is what she was driving at, filly. And I'd agree with you on the non-challenging thing.

but she was coming from the angle of wanting more money, which i don't at all.

someone linked to the EOC - gonna ring their helpline I think.

Sorry if this sounds muddled, it's really helpful tho.

acnebride [shcked][shocked][shocked] at your workplace. I'm shaking my head in despair. I think they will get the fright of their life when they receive your letter, is it worth receommending in your letter that they receive some Equal Ops training? I suspect your letter wont change any attitudes but may start some sort of realisation that what they are doing is wrong wrong wrong.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

I would not put in the bit about it being done without offensive intent. As someone pointed out, if a person doesn't know that calling someone black that name isn't offensive, they should not be in charge of other people. I bet there were no black people in the room. He is bonkers and should not be in this position.

Sounds good exept that chatting with someone on the phone to see if they would "fit it" is a totally normal part of the recruitment process. Recruitment companies call this checking for "cultural fit". It is very important to make sure that a new employee will not only be able to do the job but also be happy in the office and with the people they work with. Nothing wrong there.

Unless of course the "chat" was designed to find out info that could lead to illegal discrimination (age/race/religion/family situation).

We didn't discuss what it meant. TBH from the context of the discussion I took it to mean something highly discriminatory, but i take the point that this could easily be regarded as quite innocent, without the entire context being gone into. Thanks - will take that one out.

reminds me of when I was temping as a student, I worked for a firm where they liked to tell oh so amusing jokes. I particularly remember a picture up on the wall of "the last thing a n sees before he dies"-3 triangles pointing in a circle, ie Klansmen.

one day they had interviews for the shop floor and came up after to tell us how they had rejected two black candidates because they didn't want it to turn into a jungle.

so well done for having the strength of character to do something. Cos I didn't .

(I mean I challenged them, and I left mainly because it had got so strained...this racism and a bit of sexism was a big part of the office culture...but I didn't officially leave over it. So well done for taking a stand)

Acnebride, i don't know if this has been mentioned already, but I would definitely get in touch with the CRE and get advice, particularly about constructive dismissal before thinking of resigning.

just an update because i'm so grateful so many people responded...

I did resign...

and then i had the inevitable heart to heart with the Alleged Offender, and he asked me to reconsider...

so i thought about it over the weekend, not sleeping much and thinking about all sorts of stuff, and withdrew my resignation.

Made 'em sweat for the weekend, anyway. And it was nice to be asked.

So now I'm fixed for a formal interivew with our new practice manager (thank goodness we finally have one) and she's got some good thoughts, like getting someone in for some diversity training, and I'm going to get braver about challenging things at the time.

well done, you!
They should all be doing diversity training though, all new staff anyway. Still who am I to talk? similar employer and I'm about to resign not for same reasons as you though

Brilliant, well done

great. well done you.

It's appalling. I once worked in a child day care centre as a nursery teacher in the baby unit where a colleague told one of the children who was 18 months old in my room to 'get back to the jungle where you belong'.

Julestoo - age has nothing to do with it. My dad is 74 and would be outraged to hear that word being used.More to do with background and unbringing perhaps ie lack of it.

If the "N" word was used anywhere in our company (ex large) it would mean instant dismissal without fail. In the 7 years that I have worked there I have never heard it and if I did it would be reported straightaway.

As for senior level then forget it. These people are screened for things like this.

Acnebride - As for screening for only non black applicants also not acceptable.

Smittenkitten - "its a surprisingly common phrase - i've heard people use it at work without realising how offensive it is."

My goodness where on earth do you live and what do you do - its outrageous to say this!!!!

I suppose that makes me all the more grateful for working where I do and with policies that I do. I cannot believe this sort of thing still goes on, apart from small shoddy backstreet operations - not saying its right there either of course.

Off to bath my son - I am reeling!!!!!!!!!!!!!