ChatterBank2 mins ago
racist remark at work
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No best answer has yet been selected by liblob. Once a best answer has been selected, it will be shown here.
For more on marking an answer as the "Best Answer", please visit our FAQ.That word is not considered racist everywhere. When I was in America I heard an American/Pakistani guy using it and I was a bit taken aback. He had no idea that it was considered racist in the UK and he said it was just used to describe someone from Pakistan in the same way we'd use 'Brit'.
My colleague nearly got the sack after making a racist comment about a black member of staff. The fact that the black member of staff (i) objected to the complaint being made and (ii) was best mates with my colleague and often indulged in near-the-knuckle p***-taking with him wasn't taken into account.
I'm sure that if your colleague apologies and explains that she knew it was an inappropriate remark AND explains what prompted her to say it she'll be okay.
I think its a real shame that your colleague is being investigated about this. In my opinion, if it was outside working hours and she wasn't conducting her employer's business when she made the comment, it should be between her and the company she was contacting as to whether the matter was looked into (by the way, how did her employers find out? was it a company car/insurance?). As a white person I find it extremely insulting that we can be called racists for making derogatory comments, but if a person of another race calls us a derogatory name, we have to take it on the chin. PC madness - and this country is getting worse.
We only have ourselves to blame though, the word became offensive during the 1960s when used by British tabloids to reffer to immigrants in a derogotary and racist manner. In recent times there has been a trend by second and third generation British Pakistanis to reclaim the word, eg the clothing comany PAK1.
If you used the term Brit in Northern Ireland it would be seen as derogatory or a racist slur. I believe there are many words that would be seen as derogatory or racist to British people, in recent times the word Chav.
I think your friend having apologised for the one-off(?) occasion will be reprimanded with a warning. Usually where it is consistent and agressive, or directed at individuals or specific groups that further action would be taken. It isn't pc gone mad if people are genuinely offended.
On a further point, from your employers' perspective, your employer is legally liable under the Race Relations Act 1976 (RRC76) and are responsible for ensuring that there is no racism in the workplace.
In legal jargon this is known as �vicarious liability�. The employer can only avoid taking the blame if he or she can show that they have taken reasonable practical steps to prevent discrimination. This should include taking disciplinary action against anyone guilty of racist behaviour.
Basically, according to the law they must act.
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