What should I do about the racist idiot at work?

[PrioryRoad]

Report him to my boss?

Report him anonymously (via letter)?

Confront him personally?

Do nothing?

PS - he is a supervisor.

DRY BUM HIS MUM.

 

[HampshireSeagulls]

Just tell him. Wait until he makes a particularly bone comment, and then destroy it, loudly and publically. Shoot his argument full of holes, and then see what happens. It's not hard to do.

Or get the company policy, leave it open on his desk with a post it note saying "read this, dickwad, and adjust your attitude".

 

[steward 433]

He constantly uses racist language, and has some fairly vile views. He isn't racially abusing anyone, although there are no black or asian people in my office.

Report him straight away and make sure you keep a note of what he says and when

 

[Gully]

Tell him your wife's black. That usually brings them out in a lovely shade of crimson and it'll put him in his place.

Not necessarily the right approach but it would let him know that he is causing you offence.

I did something similar at the Goldstone, there was a bloke running the lines in front of the East Terrace who had very short arms and may or may not have been a thalidomide victim...for those of you too young to remember what that was, it was a drug given to pregnant women that sometimes damaged the unborn foetus and resulted in a child being born with either very short arms/legs or both. Anyway, there were three people (two men and a woman) stood in front of me who were making endless abusive comments about the linesman, it was really starting to hack me off. All I did was tap the woman on the shoulder and tell her that said linesman was my uncle, haven't a clue why I did it as it was an outrageous lie, but she shut up immediately and I didn't hear a peep out of any of them for the rest of the match.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

He constantly uses racist language, and has some fairly vile views. He isn't racially abusing anyone, although there are no black or asian people in my office.

Hmmmmm, now there's a suprise. NOT.

 

[Chesney Christ]

Why not just tell him to stop making those bone-headed comments because it's really starting to piss you off?

ps Did you see what I did there?

I would do that if I felt it would make a difference. I think he would just laugh it off.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

He constantly uses racist language, and has some fairly vile views. He isn't racially abusing anyone, although there are no black or asian people in my office.

The official action would be to speak to the line manager or whichever person is relevant and ask him/her to have a word. If that does not work, then take it to the top of the company.

Having read the post below your reply, I guess the only real solution, if you do not want to get him into trouble, is to have a word with him directly. However, I would personally tread carefully as you do not want to make a huge issue out of it and end up being ostracised. It might be better to attack it incognito if there is a risk that you might end up being seen as 'the office grass'.

Having said all of that, maybe the best course of action would be a spur of the moment rebuttal of his language as opposed to making a huge issue out of it by having a quiet word on the sly.

I have got a relative who has a degree in employment law if it all goes tits up for you.

 

[Chesney Christ]

It might be better to attack it incognito if there is a risk that you might end up being seen as 'the office grass'.

Thats part of the problem. I f***ing hate corporate back-stabbing and "grassing" at work. I despise that kind of one-upmanship in the work place. However, I don't think I can listen to someone going on about "wogs" and "nips" much longer...

 

[1066familyman]

He constantly uses racist language, and has some fairly vile views. He isn't racially abusing anyone, although there are no black or asian people in my office.

Usual story. Thinks he's got permission by assuming that everyone around him is in his 'club' because of shared skin colour. They usually go all meek and mild if a different colour face appears on the scene though ( I've witnessed this on building sites before )

I'd let him know you don't share his views, but be careful he don't see you as bait and get drawn into constant fruitless argument and baiting ( and it is usually argument with racists as they don't have the intelligence to engage in reasoned debate )

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Thats part of the problem. I f***ing hate corporate back-stabbing and "grassing" at work. I despise that kind of one-upmanship in the work place. However, I don't think I can listen to someone going on about "wogs" and "nips" much longer...

You shoudn't have to. Having thought about it further, I personally would confront him when he next does it. "Do you have to be so derogative...." etc. etc. You would hope that he may have more respect for you (possibly not if he uses the words wogs and nips) than taking it up with a higher rank.

God bless office politics. Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Usual story. Thinks he's got permission by assuming that everyone around him is in his 'club' because of shared skin colour. They usually go all meek and mild if a different colour face appears on the scene though ( I've witnessed this on building sites before )

God, I get that at work all the time. People will quite cheerfully assume you share their views on "pakis", "darkies" or (God forbid, I did hear this once) "spear chuckers", and reel off the old anecdotes on the basis that you too are white, therefore will automatically share their views.

In my place of work, there would be an expectation that such behaviour would be challenged by others, the implication being that if you don't do so, then you are compliant by association.

Frankly, I don't see the issue with raising it with him. You don't have to be part of an ethnic minority to be offended by that kind of thing- and lets face it, if a black or Asian employee felt victimised by it, they'd have to take it seriously. It shouldn't be any different for you. He's the one living in the 1970s, after all.

 

[chez]

I don't understand. Why would it be my problem that someone else is racist? Please explain yourself.

Just that you hadn't elaborated on why you thought he was racist. I was just wondering if you were seeing something that really wasn't there.

Seems like the guy has his opinions that you don't agree with but he isn't abusing anyone one in the office is he.

 

[Easy 10]

I did something similar at the Goldstone, there was a bloke running the lines in front of the East Terrace who had very short arms and may or may not have been a thalidomide victim...for those of you too young to remember what that was, it was a drug given to pregnant women that sometimes damaged the unborn foetus and resulted in a child being born with either very short arms/legs or both. Anyway, there were three people (two men and a woman) stood in front of me who were making endless abusive comments about the linesman, it was really starting to hack me off. All I did was tap the woman on the shoulder and tell her that said linesman was my uncle, haven't a clue why I did it as it was an outrageous lie, but she shut up immediately and I didn't hear a peep out of any of them for the rest of the match.

But surely if the linesman was shit, he deserved the abuse like any other lino (providing it wasn't directed at his physical disability).

 

[1066familyman]

God, I get that at work all the time. People will quite cheerfully assume you share their views on "pakis", "darkies" or (God forbid, I did hear this once) "spear chuckers", and reel off the old anecdotes on the basis that you too are white, therefore will automatically share their views.

In my place of work, there would be an expectation that such behaviour would be challenged by others, the implication being that if you don't do so, then you are compliant by association.

Frankly, I don't see the issue with raising it with him. You don't have to be part of an ethnic minority to be offended by that kind of thing- and lets face it, if a black or Asian employee felt victimised by it, they'd have to take it seriously. It shouldn't be any different for you. He's the one living in the 1970s, after all.

I've spent so much of my working life in the past trying to reason with wankers at work ( not now thankfully ) that in the end I realised it had indeed become a form of sport for them.

I actually can truthfully cite "my wife is black" nowadays, but now it seems more pertinent that she also happens to be an immigrant.

 

[Barrel of Fun]

Just that you hadn't elaborated on why you thought he was racist. I was just wondering if you were seeing something that really wasn't there.

Seems like the guy has his opinions that you don't agree with but he isn't abusing anyone one in the office is he.

CC would be standing up for his own principles, PLUS whether or not there is a black person or chinese person present, it still does not excuse his behaviour. Wog and Nip are derogatory terms and RACIST. Racism is wrong however you wish to dress it up.

 

[Questions]

I would do that if I felt it would make a difference. I think he would just laugh it off.

Well you are just going to have to put up with it then Chesney............. P.S. sorry I called you a gutless creep.

If only you were as vocivarous in the real world in your fight against racism as you have been on here in the past.

P.S. sorry again about my uncalled for insult.

 

[Questions]

God, I get that at work all the time. People will quite cheerfully assume you share their views on "pakis", "darkies" or (God forbid, I did hear this once) "spear chuckers", and reel off the old anecdotes on the basis that you too are white, therefore will automatically share their views.

In my place of work, there would be an expectation that such behaviour would be challenged by others, the implication being that if you don't do so, then you are compliant by association.

Frankly, I don't see the issue with raising it with him. You don't have to be part of an ethnic minority to be offended by that kind of thing- and lets face it, if a black or Asian employee felt victimised by it, they'd have to take it seriously. It shouldn't be any different for you. He's the one living in the 1970s, after all.

As no-one has spoken out maybe its only Chesney that has the problem with this chap and the rest of the staff know he means no harm.

Nips Short for 'One from Nippon'

 

[Seagull73]

Just that you hadn't elaborated on why you thought he was racist. I was just wondering if you were seeing something that really wasn't there.

Seems like the guy has his opinions that you don't agree with but he isn't abusing anyone one in the office is he.

Isn't racism an unacceptable part of our society? Or are you saying that as long as nobody from an ethnic community is present then it's fine to say what you like?

 

[withdeanwombat]

Blackball him.

 

[Twinkle Toes]

Better still, CHIN 'IM!!