Casual racism in your place of work

cryptocurrency · 03-02-2015 11:48pm #1

How do you handle listening to casual racism in the work place? I am having to listen to some fairly shocking and distasteful personal views on migrants which i find quite ignorant and a little offensive. Normally i just laugh at the stupidity of such views as you hear stupid views all the time and most of the time it is just some dumb passing statement but when certain work mates express fairly detailed hatred how would or do you react to it without making a fuss?
It is a situation that any falling out could make things a little awkward but it is frightening that people with such dumb views are working as "professional"
Note...i ask here as I am hardly stuck up and don't mind banter but this stuff i've had to listen to is totally moronic.

RecordStraight · 03-02-2015 11:50pm

Ask them whether any of their family ever emigrated.

Mr. Incognito · 03-02-2015 11:50pm

Tell them about your black gay lover

cryptocurrency · 03-02-2015 11:51pm

Tried that one...got the old UK, USA story and it was to a place where they are "one of us"...you know the standard ape response.

harney · 03-02-2015 11:51pm

I'm not a stuck up person, but......

keith16 · 03-02-2015 11:51pm

I just filter out most casual conversations in work. Most of them are pretty dull. I've turned it into something of an art form where I appear to be fully engaged in the conversation but my mind is entirely elsewhere.

cryptocurrency · 03-02-2015 11:51pm

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Tell them about your black gay lover

Did not try this angle...

cryptocurrency · 03-02-2015 11:52pm

harney wrote: »

I'm not a stuck up person, but......

Ah continue...so seem to have some sort of opinion. Care to share it?

Cookie_Monster · 03-02-2015 11:53pm

Lots of casual racism here, of course being Irish means I love the drink...
I generally get over it though cos I get free beer from the company

cryptocurrency · 03-02-2015 11:57pm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Lots of casual racism here, of course being Irish means I love the drink...
I generally get over it though cos I get free beer from the company

That is a very mild stereotype..I do not take offence at it.

The_Valeyard · 04-02-2015 12:02am

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Tell them about your black gay lover

Black gay Jewish Lover from China.

cryptocurrency · 04-02-2015 12:04am

The_Valeyard wrote: »

Black gay Jewish Lover from China.

need to throw polish in the mix too...really gets the venom going it seems, to Hitler levels it seems.

The Peanut · 04-02-2015 12:05am

I'm a Tipp man working in Cork; I'm on the receiving end of it for 20 years.

thelad95 · 04-02-2015 12:07am

'Sure the Polish are awful hard-working'

I work part time in a cafe and one day 3 women with full burkas on came in. Not exactly a common sight in Ireland but I served them anyway. When they were out of ear-shot my boss whispered in my ear 'thought we were going to be bombed for a second'.

Dr. Kenneth Noisewater · 04-02-2015 12:08am

Both of the other 2 people in my office are equally as racist and bigoted as myself so it's grand. We've a great time.

Sheep Lover · 04-02-2015 12:08am

Tell them you dress up as a black lesbian from Asia at the weekends, should cover all bases.

cryptocurrency · 04-02-2015 12:09am

thelad95 wrote: »

'Sure the Polish are awful hard-working'

I work part time in a cafe and one day 3 women with full burkaso came in. Not exactly a common sight in Ireland but I served them anyway. When they were out of ear-shot my boss whispered in my ear 'thought we were going to be bombed for a second'.

Thats pretty mild in comparison to "nuke the whole place" "You need to take them all out so there is no more" "he had the right idea..gas them all" "they are infesting the place"

mikemac1 · 04-02-2015 12:10am

The boss has us working like blacks

johnohanlon · 04-02-2015 12:11am

I have not heard racist comments and my last work place was about 70% foreign, just jokes about a Polish person being called Patrick, "Polish Paddy" and if the scones were "true Irish" or "true Polish", it was a bread factory you see

AnonoBoy · 04-02-2015 12:17am

My workplace is very ordered.

We're only allowed show our bigotry on casual racist Friday.

Perhaps suggest that and then you'd have cut the casual racism by 80%

Unless you work six days a week.

I can't do the maths on that one but you should get a new job - six days a week is too much racism or no racism.

berger89 · 04-02-2015 12:20am

I once had a dream that I was deducted 37euro from my pay check..and to quote my pay check: "because of racism".

pillphil · 04-02-2015 12:22am

johnohanlon wrote: »

I have not heard racist comments and my last work place was about 70% foreign, just jokes about a Polish person being called Patrick, "Polish Paddy" and if the scones were "true Irish" or "true Polish", it was a bread factory you see

You probably heard them, you just didn't understand them. :P

cryptocurrency · 04-02-2015 12:23am

do you think such opinion should be sackable offences ?

Riesen_Meal · 04-02-2015 12:25am

berger89 wrote: »

I once had a dream that I was deducted 37euro from my pay check..and to quote my pay check: "because of racism".

Racist work kitty fund " for the foredinners" maybe?

Wang King · 04-02-2015 12:26am

Will Casual Racism Fridays catch on?

suicide_circus · 04-02-2015 12:27am

Mr. Incognito wrote: »

Tell them about your black gay lover

shouldn't that be gay black lover?

johnohanlon · 04-02-2015 12:29am

pillphil wrote: »

You probably heard them, you just didn't understand them. :P

yes i wouldn't be surprised, foreigners can be quite arrogant and rude but if you said anything to them you'd be called a racist and it would be around the parish like wildfire like the father ted episode

hfallada · 04-02-2015 12:29am

I think Irish people say stupid stuff without realising it. Like my friends friend was going on about the "puffs" and how someone was so fruity. You would think he is homophobic, but his brother is actually gay and he has zero issues with it

Irish people need to learn to get a filter. Americans are racists in private. Irish people arent

cryptocurrency · 04-02-2015 12:29am

Wang King wrote: »

Will Casual Racism Fridays catch on?

I will in low brow companies ...depends on your ambition

Wang King · 04-02-2015 12:31am

hfallada wrote: »

I think Irish people say stupid stuff without realising it. Like my friends friend was going on about the "puffs" and how someone was so fruity. You would think he is homophobic, but his brother is actually gay and he has zero issues with it

Irish people need to learn to get a filter. Americans are racists in private. Irish people arent

Fruity sugar puffs?.... The black gay honey monster strikes again!

efb · 04-02-2015 12:31am

None, luckily

RainyDay · 04-02-2015 12:36am

The Peanut wrote: »

I'm a Tipp man working in Cork; I'm on the receiving end of it for 20 years.

Feckin Cork men coming up here, taking our jobs and our sheep.

bb1234567 · 04-02-2015 12:39am

Heard some lads in front of me in a lecture talking about how evil ISIS were for killing the pilot and the only solution to these war crimes was for the USa to step up and 'nuke the middle the east'

cassid · 04-02-2015 12:50am

I try to go for a swim at lunch, better than listening to people bitching and moaning

cryptocurrency · 04-02-2015 1:03am

bb1234567 wrote: »

Heard some lads in front of me in a lecture talking about how evil ISIS were for killing the pilot and the only solution to these war crimes was for the USa to step up and 'nuke the middle the east'

I'd say they are just young and stupid...should well grow up in time.

Stheno · 04-02-2015 1:04am

As a woman in IT I face casual sexism every day from racial minorites OP how do you fancy that?

cruais · 04-02-2015 1:07am

Just ignore the empty vessels

cryptocurrency · 04-02-2015 1:08am

Stheno wrote: »

As a woman in IT I face casual sexism every day from racial minorites OP how do you fancy that?

whatcha gonna do?
Do you have a plan?

jimgoose · 04-02-2015 1:11am

Stheno wrote: »

As a woman in IT I face casual sexism every day from racial minorites OP how do you fancy that?

Tell them to fcuk off.

Cookie_Monster · 04-02-2015 1:15am

cryptocurrency wrote: »

That is a very mild stereotype..I do not take offence at it.

I don't, at all.

Also a big one here is that all Asians are cheap, run really low brow establishments and are extremely difficult to get money out of on time, never mind the language barrier. Most staff here really don't like dealing with their Asian accounts.

cryptocurrency · 04-02-2015 1:29am

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I don't, at all.

Also a big one here is that all Asians are cheap, run really low brow establishments and are extremely difficult to get money out of on time, never mind the language barrier. Most staff here really don't like dealing with their Asian accounts.

That is just plain stupid

Minjor · 04-02-2015 1:58am

cryptocurrency wrote: »

I'd say they are just young and stupid...should well grow up in time.

You'd be surprised, they're not the only ones. I've seen several users on boards today who think nukes are actually a credible solution to getting rid of ISIS.

Cookie_Monster · 04-02-2015 2:04am

Minjor wrote: »

You'd be surprised, they're not the only ones. I've seen several users on boards today who think nukes are actually a credible solution to getting rid of ISIS.

have to use them somewhere and it's looking increasingly unlikely they're gonna nuke the whales.

The other fella · 04-02-2015 2:06am

Always worked on building sites in construction and it was always just plain racism rather than "casual" racism.There was a contractor from the bogs of nowhere who had a Nigerian working for him on our site once and the racial abuse he gave him right to his face was unbelievable.

cryptocurrency · 04-02-2015 2:41am

The other fella wrote: »

Always worked on building sites in construction and it was always just plain racism rather than "casual" racism.There was a contractor from the bogs of nowhere who had a Nigerian working for him on our site once and the racial abuse he gave him right to his face was unbelievable.

If he was a subbie on a larger site he should have been send of site and made to jump through hoops to get what he had done up to that point signed off to be paid. He would think twice about his racism then. In fact any credible major contractor would have taken some sort of action.

The other fella · 04-02-2015 2:45am

cryptocurrency wrote: »

If he was a subbie on a larger site he should have been send of site and made to jump through hoops to get what he had done up to that point signed off to be paid. He would think twice about his racism then. In fact any credible major contractor would have taken some sort of action.

It was only a small site we were working on at the time, private job.The black man taking the abuse didnt seem too fussed but i think he just put on a brave face and stayed quiet so as not to risk his job, the recession was just coming into full swing at this stage.

cryptocurrency · 04-02-2015 2:49am

The other fella wrote: »

It was only a small site we were working on at the time, private job.The black man taking the abuse didnt seem too fussed but i think he just put on a brave face and stayed quiet so as not to risk his job, the recession was just coming into full swing at this stage.

I take it the client did not witness it or the main builder. Either that or they are just as bad as him.

anncoates · 04-02-2015 8:35am

thelad95 wrote: »

'Sure the Polish are awful hard-working'

Shocking racism, that.

The Peanut · 04-02-2015 11:17am

My uncle has a warehouse and he has some men from the Ivory Coast working for him. When they started, they mainly spoke French and a little broken English. As they were being trained, they addressed my uncle as "Yes Boss"; it started out as a respectful reply but they are still saying it now, as it annoys the uncle.

My uncle has told me that on a few occasions during audits or visits, that he has been advised by visitors - mainly females - that he really shouldn't be making them say "Yes Boss" in this day and age. They are right of course; I think it's admirable that they have the strength of their conviction to point it out.

dub_skav · 04-02-2015 11:26am

hfallada wrote: »

I think Irish people say stupid stuff without realising it. Like my friends friend was going on about the "puffs" and how someone was so fruity. You would think he is homophobic, but his brother is actually gay and he has zero issues with it

Irish people need to learn to get a filter. Americans are racists in private. Irish people arent

That is an odd opinion to hold

I'd rather hear what the Irish misguidedly consider "playful banter" in public than have people be privately racist.
At least everything is out in the open.

Irish Halo · 04-02-2015 11:39am

If you have emigrated when you return to Ireland you'll get used to hearing "... but that's different" i.e. Irish emigrating = OK, people emigrating to Ireland = Bad.

I know a few people who are not originally from the UK married to UK people who's in-laws vote UKIP and think all emigrants should go home. They will say this openly but don't seem to understand that this means they want their child's husband/wife to piss off (and potentially take their grandchildren with them). I guess this happens in Ireland but have not experienced it.

I think Michael Rosen put it well "I sometimes fear that people think that fascism arrives in fancy dress ... Fascism arrives as your friend ...
[It will] make you feel proud ... give you a job ... It doesn't walk in saying, Our programme means militias, mass imprisonments, transportations, war and persecution."

Casual racism in your place of work

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