Possible Racial Bias with Redundancy

Mickey666

Bungle5393 said:

Mickey666 said:

Bungle5393 said:

Marcon said:

Bungle5393 said:

I was the only Scottish person in our team of 6. The selection criteria that were used to select which 3 of us were to be made redundant placed me at a disadvantage, and I also don't believe I was scored fairly as part of the process.

Upon receiving this information, it now seems this was potentially racially-motivated. Obviously I can't prove it 100%, but how many organisations would condone 2 x HR people (who should really know better) using a racially-based nickname to refer to one of the senior managers and think that was acceptable?

I'm in the process of lodging an Employment Tribunal (just finished period of early conciliation - they didn't respond), and wondered how people think this term would be viewed by a tribunal.

In such a tiny group, many people will be the only one from a particular ethnic background/sexual orientation/have children/sport red hair...no statistical significance whatsoever.

I can't see the tribunal giving it a second thought.

True that it is a small sample size.

But surely they would have to consider the use of such a derogatory term used by 2 of the people involved in the decision to select me for redundancy? 

What if we had an Asian gentleman on the team who was referred to as "King of Corner Shops"? Surely that would be equally racist?

What if there was only 1 female on our team and she was told that "she was too emotional" and was told this was a factor in why she was selected also? Surely that would be evidence of gender-bias?

Why do you assume that being ‘too emotional’ should be a female trait and therefore evidence of gender-bias?

Because she was the only female on our team and this is what she was told, when none of the other members on the team had this mentioned. Her recent return from mat leave was also brought into it.

But what if she really WAS the only team member who was ‘too emotional’?  Facts are facts, it’s their interpretation that can be biased.

[Deleted User]

 Btw folks a term doesn't have to be derogatory to be racist.  

Comms69

Bungle5393 said:

Mickey666 said:

Bungle5393 said:

Marcon said:

Bungle5393 said:

I was the only Scottish person in our team of 6. The selection criteria that were used to select which 3 of us were to be made redundant placed me at a disadvantage, and I also don't believe I was scored fairly as part of the process.

Upon receiving this information, it now seems this was potentially racially-motivated. Obviously I can't prove it 100%, but how many organisations would condone 2 x HR people (who should really know better) using a racially-based nickname to refer to one of the senior managers and think that was acceptable?

I'm in the process of lodging an Employment Tribunal (just finished period of early conciliation - they didn't respond), and wondered how people think this term would be viewed by a tribunal.

In such a tiny group, many people will be the only one from a particular ethnic background/sexual orientation/have children/sport red hair...no statistical significance whatsoever.

I can't see the tribunal giving it a second thought.

True that it is a small sample size.

But surely they would have to consider the use of such a derogatory term used by 2 of the people involved in the decision to select me for redundancy? 

What if we had an Asian gentleman on the team who was referred to as "King of Corner Shops"? Surely that would be equally racist?

What if there was only 1 female on our team and she was told that "she was too emotional" and was told this was a factor in why she was selected also? Surely that would be evidence of gender-bias?

Why do you assume that being ‘too emotional’ should be a female trait and therefore evidence of gender-bias?

Because she was the only female on our team and this is what she was told, when none of the other members on the team had this mentioned. Her recent return from mat leave was also brought into it.

Maybe she was too emotional...? ...

KatrinaWaves

You are from Scotland. Asian people are not ‘from’ corner shops.

The fact you think the two are comparable in my opinion means you haven’t a clue about racism. 

Marcon

_shel said:

 Btw folks a term doesn't have to be derogatory to be racist.  

But it does tend to influence how it is interpreted - and OP is repeatedly claiming it IS derogatory, which is why the answers here are responding to that.

Bungle5393

KatrinaWaves said:

You are from Scotland. Asian people are not ‘from’ corner shops.

The fact you think the two are comparable in my opinion means you haven’t a clue about racism. 

They are both terms used in a derogatory manner, highlighting attributes that have absolutely no relevance to someone's ability to do a job.
Ok, to make it comparable, what if an Indian worker on our team had the nickname "Ghandi"?
I am not the King of Scotland, not anywhere close to it. Based on the emails I have seen, it is clearly not a term of enderement.

KatrinaWaves

So they clearly don’t like you, and call you King of Scotland (perhaps a nickname due to arrogance or such)

it does not mean they dislike you because you are Scottish. Plus as stated, Scottish is not a race. 

theoretica

Bungle5393 said:

Upon receiving these emails, it was clear that the 2 x HR people used a nickname to refer to me - King of Scotland / DIrector of Training, abbreviated to the first letter of each word. This nickname was never shared with me, it only appears in emails between the 2 x HR people. I have subsequently put in a new subject access request for these terms to see who else it was being used with.

How did you get from KoS to King of Scotland?

Bungle5393

theoretica said:

Bungle5393 said:

Upon receiving these emails, it was clear that the 2 x HR people used a nickname to refer to me - King of Scotland / DIrector of Training, abbreviated to the first letter of each word. This nickname was never shared with me, it only appears in emails between the 2 x HR people. I have subsequently put in a new subject access request for these terms to see who else it was being used with.

How did you get from KoS to King of Scotland?

I asked the data controller who sent me the emails what the acronym stood for, and she told me. Presumably after clarifying with the 2 x HR people concerned.

bradders1983

Hmm. Your surname isnt King, is it? 🤔