[Kimia]

I moved in the last year to a different country (Canada) and for the most part my experience has been good. I have started in a company a few months back which isn't without its challenges. I am finding it a real struggle to deal with this snobbery that pervades the work environment.

For example, i was at a work event a few weeks ago and one of the very senior executives (c-level) and I were talking. We were talking about where I live which is a large area and he made some extremely disparaging remarks about a certain area within this larger area which is less than desirable. I live there. I was mortified and didn't say anything, just laughed weakly. I feel ashamed that I didn't just say I lived there. And it's not like it's the ghetto, it's just the poorer (for want of a better word) part of an area which is generally known as nice.

Another example is another senior manager has made comments to my boss about my work clothes - apparently I had a crease in one of my work shirts and she was very displeased. I was again mortified. We found it a real struggle to manage money here and I don't have the most expensive wardrobe - I try to make do with cheaper suits but apparently that's not acceptable and has been noticed. How embarrassing.

Another work colleague has made comments about how she wouldn't spend under 1000 dollars on a suit (mine cost about 100 barely) and I am just feeling very down about appearing like a poor mouse.

Is there any way to handle this? At this stage I'm thinking seriously about just putting 1000 dollars on the credit card to get a proper work wardrobe and to hell with it.

Oh and the reason I don't have formal work attire is because all my last places were casual and I spent all my money moving to this dam country!

[edellc]

You've two options

1. spend money you don't have on an overpriced wardrobe

or

2. Ignore them, if your good at your job and look presentable then it really shouldnt matter how much your outfit cost. You also have to remember that the working environment in Canada is a lot different than in Ireland what is acceptable here is not acceptable there but regardless the cost of your work attire should not be an issue

As for mocking where you live regardless of if they know you live there or not is just them being dicks, ignore it and I think you where right in saying nothing I no your not bothered that you live there but do you really need to start defending it and drawing attention onto yourself that you dont need to

Remember your in work your not there to make friends just to earn money its a game ultimately and its about who plays it best, keep your head down get on with your job and who gives a f*ck what some stuck up feckers think of you, how do you think we got into such a ****ed up financial situation in this county.....by people trying to keep up with the Jones, live within your means

And if you feel like you really need to do something jazz up an outfit with a good set of fake pearls if your female or a good smart tie if your male but seriously dont go spending money you dont have

[tenchi-fan]

Oh god, welcome to Canada. This actually goes on. Are you in Toronto? People there thing they have class, sophistication, they think they're good at their jobs, they think they're better than Americans... They're sad and deluded. They really are messed up.

What the hell is a C-grade manager? You have CEO, Presidents and VPs, then you have Directors (lowest managers) and anything below that might as well be at the same level... TL's, supervisors, seniors and juniors. It doesn't make any difference.

It seems you're up against a sub-culture of an organisation, which in Toronto is pretty vile in my experience.

[Kimia]

Thanks so much for the responses so far. Edell - excellent advice there. I think I will do a combination of both - buy maybe 500 dollars worth of good quality pieces and also try and keep the head down.

Tenchi - c-level means anything with a C at the beginning - so CEO, COO, CFO etc. Yes I am in Toronto and I am pretty shocked with the way they carry on. It's like Dublin 5-6 years ago, I remember it well - which is why I think i'm so shocked by the vulgarity and showmanship.

What do you mean by sub-culture of an organisation?

[Mrs OBumble]

OP, you may have just struck a particularly snobby company - in which case, stick it out for a while and then change jobs, doing more research about the tone of the prospective employer while job hunting.

Or it may be the culture over there - in which case, you're an immigrant worker so your options are basically to fit in or <<self-censored comment, involving sex and travel>>.

You managed to be well-enough dressed for them to hire you, so just aim for slightly less than that. It may not be achievable straight off, just work towards it. I DON'T recommend putting more than you can afford on the credit card.

[Moonbaby]

Originally Posted by Kimia

buy maybe 500 dollars worth of good quality pieces and also try and keep the head down.

If you think a better wardrobe is worthwhile for yourself, great.
But don,t expect it to make a blind bit of difference to these peoples opinions/behavior.
The problem is with their egos, you can never hope to change that.

[fat__tony]

OP this is the unfortunate side of Toronto, the people you describe are most likely Torontonian born and bred and hence they think they are superior than everyone else.

They're clueless, vain, egotistical twats in my experience. Im glad I work with a bunch of ex-pats.

[Frank Black]

Originally Posted by edellc

You've two options


Remember your in work your not there to make friends just to earn money its a game ultimately and its about who plays it best, keep your head down get on with your job and who gives a f*ck what some stuck up feckers think of you,

I'd agree with most of the sentiments of your post, but I'd find it difficult to work in a place where you don't get on with your co-workers.

You're going to be spending the best hours of your day, and the best days of your life in work, so it's more than just a game or a way of making money - it's far more important than that.

I wouldn't go spendng money you don't have trying to fit in with a bunch of snobs - they'll still be unlikeable snobs at the end of the day. But I would look at trying to change employers if you can.

[psinno]

Originally Posted by Kimia

Is there any way to handle this? At this stage I'm thinking seriously about just putting 1000 dollars on the credit card to get a proper work wardrobe and to hell with it.

I don't know the proper solution but spending $1000 dollars isn't going to change the kind of people you are working with. If senior management spend their time worrying about creases in your shirt I wouldn't have much faith in them doing their job very well.

[Kimia]

Thanks everyone for your advice. It's the same, very frustrating. Yesterday a co-worker (who had previously dropped me home) suggested that I move in with friends closer to the city centre as my area is 'scary' apparently. I am really insulted and only copped it after she had said it. We were in a group setting so I didn't really know what to say either.

I am still shaking my head saying wtf at it though - what do you say to people like that? True we are not living in the fanciest area but it's grand for our needs.

[CatFromHue]

As a new person to the country and company your colleagues may just want to point out certain areas that could be a bit rough to you. This mighten be to put you down as they may see it as being a good person by looking out for your safety. I've experienced it myself in Limerick where I lived in what was seen as a bit of a dodgy area. The guys I worked with explained why they thought it was dodgy (there had been a few gangland shootings there) but I never saw any problem.

Appearances can be important in some work places that's maybe why your creased shirt was pointed out. I don't see the link between a "cheap" suit and creases though. Maybe the manager thought you weren't putting in the effort by ironing your shirt properly.

It's tricky when you move to a new country and don't know the lie of the land or what certain slang terms actually mean ( I spent a year in New Zealand and it took a while to figure out some sayings and what people actually meant). Your colleague calling the place you live in scary and recommending you to move in with friends I wouldn't take as an insult myself.

[Mrs OBumble]

Different people have different perceptions of scary too: I live in Galway city centre, and some folks here have, in all sincerity, said that I must be petrified each time I step out the front door. Yeah, right ... NOT.

Back home, I lived in a now-gentrified suburb that had gang shootings in the 1960s - some of my parents friends still thought it was that rough.

Maybe don't take comments quite so seriously ...