derogatory coworkers

[aubz88]

If you read my previous thread I'm looking for a new job.

There's one common situation in almost every job that I've had and that's coworkers saying derogatory comments.

For example, in my last a job a Jewish man and an atheist would sit there having extremely disparaging and prejudiced comments about Catholics. He would say that Catholics 'all drink out of the same cup' during mass and that was gross. If you're going to insult people, at least get your facts right.

In my current role, a French man sat down beside me and started saying how crazy Christians are because they pray. He said that he thought that people who pray to a higher power were possibly mentally ill. Funny, he didn't mention Islam at all or Judaism.

Also, my coworkers talk about politics in the office. I find myself to be orange in a field of purple and it's uncomfortable.

While the comments are not directed at me, I find this horrifying. How do they know that I'm not part of XYZ group that they hate? If you don't know someone well enough to know what religion or lack-of they are, then you should not just bring it up in such a nasty way.

I guess it's kind of nasty to go around insulting people unprovoked and it changes your opinion of the coworker knowing that they are prejudiced against XYZ group. They lose a lot of credibility in my eyes as a professional.

This has been an issue in all 3 if the jobs that I've worked in. As I am looking for a new job, [B][B]how can I avoid this in the future?[/B][/B] I work in IT.

[B]Look, everyone is entitled to their opinions but work isn't the place to air them.[/B] I have some unpalatable opinions myself. Coworkers are not friends.

PS: I think that a lot of people assume that I'm not a religious person because I have a degree in science. As a scientist, I have no idea why someone would think that way. It's highly presuming and presumptuous and, ironically, 'unscientific'. I know a good number of scientists that believe in a higher power. (But we won't derail this thread.)

Do you actually say anything when they come out with these comments?

I would make absolutely clear I was offended or pissed off by them.

I would report them to your manager, including the exact words you've put in your OP.

These attitudes have no place in today's working environment, not when there is legislation in place to prevent discrimination. If people in your workplace hold these bigoted attitudes, left unchecked it can spill into things like recruitment if one of those people has to interview for a vacant post. They sound ignorant and poorly educated about different religions and cultures.

What type of companies are you working at for this to happen so often?

You can't prevent the way others feel, but you can raise it to decision -makers in authority to deal with, especially if it's a habitual thing and you have reasonable proof to cite their words.

My husband is Muslim and I was brought up Christian.
I worked in the UK around the time of the second Gulf War and I would say that not a day went by without hearing negatives comments about Muslim people. People felt safe saying it in my earshot as unless they knew my background, they saw me as someone who had no reason to be offended.

I tolerated it and never spoke up as some of them were management and they would have found some way to get rid of me. I've not worked in the UK for 10 years but would have hoped that attitudes and discussion topics in the workplace had moved on since then.

From my own experience, having to listen to this sort of thing made for a very miserable and toxic working environment. I had to stick it out as I had a game plan but if my situation was different I would have taken it to management, regardless of the outcome. To be honest, if it happened now I would pick them up in a heartbeat as and when it happens.

During work time don't engage and say you are busy working.

During breaks spend time with nice colleagues if you have any or go out of the building.

I told them that I don't want to know the political views if my coworkers and they said they didn't understand why it would bother me. It's because I'm blue in a field of yellow and I don't agree with their views. They don't understand.

This particular company doesn't have an HR department and the CEO felt the need to broadcast his views during a business meeting as well. I guess maybe it's a red flag.

I was working in a school as a teacher during the election where the Conservative won but only by a slither and there was a coelition with lib Dems. At my workplace every other people was furious and all complained Labour should have won and how bad the next few years would be for education. Comments I heard were only old fogies vote Tory. Only wealthy and selfish vote Tory etc etc. When pupil premium was increased a lot I mentioned how good that was and colleagues yelled at me if JC was leader all children would have got more money. JC had a huge fan club in that staff room. I just ignored and got on with my job. Just do that OP ignore and crack on.

I don't think you can complain about people discussing politics, that would detract from your (far more reasonable) issue regarding people being disparaging towards your religion.

Which industry do you work for OP? I'm surprised this has happened in almost every job you've had.

When pupil premium was increased a lot I mentioned how good that was and colleagues yelled at me if JC was leader all children would have got more money.

The Pupil Premium did not increase between 2015 and 2020, so the whole time JC was Labour leader. You've made that up, haven't you?

I work in IT as a software developer. In my previous job there were atheists and a Jewish man who had something against Christians(esp Catholics) and in my current role there is prejudice against more conservative-leaning people and Christians. It usually was due to newspaper articles.

Do you bring religion and politics up with these people or are you just sitting minding your own business?

I have never come across such discussions in my line of work.

They shouldn't be making insulting comments about Catholics and you should probably bring it up with your manager, but why can't they discuss politics just because you disagree with them?

Well, you are not being reasonable about politics, at all, or any other similar matter. Freedom of speach and a right to express themselves? You can be blue in a field of yellow or whatever. That is quite a silly reason to be honest.
Regarding being derogatory about ethnic or religious groups, then yes, they are wrong, very wrong.
So as you had it in all your workplaces, maybe time to think that it could be you?

On all occasions whether it was religion or politics, I was minding my own business.

Politics is a topic that makes a lot of people angry. It's a source of division and conflict. It's not necessary to discuss at work and causes distraction and tension.

For me, it distracts me and stresses me out. Unless there is a policy effecting our work, why bring it up?

I guess aside from disagreeing with their perspective, maybe I just don't click with the person in general?

How is that silly? If they are insulting people due to their political beliefs and you belong to the group they are insulting?

I'm afraid I'm taking the OP with a pinch of salt. 'Orange in a field of purple'? 'Blue in a field of yellow'? How is it germane that the anti-praying bloke was French? Three jobs in which people have unaccountably come and sat next to the most diffident and unassuming colleague and immediately started to hold forth on a variety of religious and political topics? Yeah. Sure.

Also - Catholics do tend to drink from the same Communion Cup. It's been written about quite often as one of the overlooked reasons for viruses spreading so rapidly.

You people are starting to piss me off.

It was ONE job with the French man, its the same job with the politics.

The previous job was the Jewish man. He didn't walk up to me, he was talking within earshot.

My god, why do I need to go into every last little detail? It's infuriating.

There are other issues with my job if you haven't been so lazy as to read my previous thread about it.

I don't want to work with people who discuss contentious issues at work. I don't view work as a social event so why do they bring their views into work.

I'm just not that into them. It's just a job.

Oh and by the way before I finished uni, I had many jobs in retail and no one ever talked like that. It's just these programmers who think they know it all.

I'm done with this thread. You've turned into bitches.

Not very Christian.

And I still think you're full of shit.

Okaaaay then..... that’s the weirdest thread I have ever answered and got an answer!!

If people are talking about politics and you don't want to, you can just not join in the conversation.

If the people talking about it has the same views as you (so if you were green in a field of green or whatever), would that be okay?

The religion comments I agree with you.

But for the other comment about work not being a social event so they shouldn't talk about anything, you're just miserable.
Every office/shop floor I've worked in theres been a variety of topics covered, politics, bake off, love island, relationships, and so forth. If I'm not interested in the topic I just don't engage.

Anyway you've flounced off so you probably won't read this anyway. But if you have the same attitude at work as you do on here when people try and answer then I shouldn't worry. People will actively avoid talking to you about anything.

i'm not sure if this is a genuine enquiry or not. it does sound odd.
assuming that is genuine, since you work in IT, could you apply to work from home, then you would avoid extraneous chatter.
also if you apply to work in public service, this sort of thing one hopes, is less likely to be tolerated.
however the pay may be more modest.
that is re the religions comments.
as to politics, i think that is more tricky.
open plan working can be distracting. i often found it so. but fortunately my job also involved field work. so i could get out.
the downside was irregular hours, having to think on feet, alone sometimes with difficult people. but it suited me.
so, you have to try to find a setting that suits you.
what about agency work, as a freelancer. that way you could try various short-term contracts and if one happened to suit you, and you made a good impression, there might be opening for permanent staffer work.
could you wear noise-cancelling earphones while working.
try to get a corner/ remote desk away from chatterers.
also if having staff meetings, mention your concerns, or to line-manager. but this is risky, as they may just think you are fussy and edge you out. redundancies everywhere at mo.

OP, you don't sound too well although to be honest I'm really not sure if any of this is genuine. Anyway...I've worked it IT/Tech for years and haven't come across this kind of behaviour before so the fact that this has allegedly happened to you is so many jobs is bizarre.