Dealing with racist co-workers!

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I am an RN that works in the Behavioral Health field. I am Italian and my hubby is AA. We have 4 beautiful children and are very happy together. My problem is the staff I work with keep making derogatory racial statements/slurs in my presence. They all know that I have a racially mixed family yet this still continues!:eek: I have told them on numerous occasions that I am extremely offended by their comments, yet the behavior continues. Last night one of my co-workers was talking about Obama, and he said "I wouldn't care if we had a mixed race president, I just wish he wasn't half ******!" I was infuriated and I told him so!!!!!!! :argue::argue: The jerk then tried to apologize to me for making that comment. I told him I didn't accept his apology, because he continues to make these same statements over and over! Unfortunately, he is not the only one that does this, there are several others guilty of doing the same thing! I have told my supervisor on numerous occasions, and she has talked to the staff several times yet it continues on an almost nightly basis! The supervisor brought in administration and they supposedly "counseled" them, yet this still continues!:banghead: Please tell me how to handle this! I am almost ready to quit my job, because I think one night I am really just gonna lose it and end up getting fired for killing one of them!!!!!!!!!:devil:

It is very sad to me that racism is still so prevalent in our society. It is even sadder that it exists in health care professionals! How can a health care worker give quality care to every pt. if they are so racist??? This not only infuriates me, but it also makes me extremely sad!!:crying: Please give me some advice!

Thanks!

Specializes in PICU/NICU.

I just cannot believe in this year of 2008 that there are still people like this! But apparently they are everywhere. I am so sorry that you have to deal with this ignorance!!

I totally agree with the above posts. Go straight to the top! Start with HR if you have already go to your supervisor and keep going up. You have already told them to stop and they have not...... this is called a "hostile work enviornment"!! Your employer should fix this quickly if they know what is at risk for them!

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

I have to agree. I can't believe this type of ignorance is spread still.

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Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.

This also drives me crazy! I cannot believe the uneducated comments that come out of my "professional" coworkers mouths. Racism crosses all ethnic boundaries. Just because a person is a member of one minority doesn't mean he or she doesn't have prejudice towards another minority.

I used to work with a Caucasian nurse who was married to a Latino. She frequently would make racist comments about Hispanics and whenever I would call her on it she would excuse herself by saying, "I married one." As if that makes it right.

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Specializes in Geriatrics.

I saw a show the other day on the Discovery Channel. They were looking for the Father of All Mankind. You'd never guess where they found Him?! Seems Africa was the place to be if you were a creature that wanted to evolve. So I guess if he was the Daddy of us all, doesn't that make us all cousins??? Remember, we can't pick who our relatives are, (if we could, I'd choose my pets, they are easier to get along with and listen when I speak, a pocket full of cookies aides in that endevor).

All companies have Harrassment policies, Report to HR, if they don't want to enforce thier own rules, talk to a good lawyer. If ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the law, it shouldn't be for harrassment!

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.

One of my acquaintances, who is AA, is currently experiencing something similar at the workplace. A Caucasian male coworker referred to her nine-month-old infant son as a "black thug." She reported the comment to management, and they merely swept the issue under the carpet by transferring him to a different jobsite. No disciplinary action was taken. No apology was offered.

Ever since she reported the comment, she is now receiving lateral harassment from other employees in the organization who are angered she "snitched" on this man.

To the OP (original poster): If management is ineffectual at handling this situation, I would go over their heads to various entities. Human Resources, administration, JCAHO, the Labor Board...keep climbing the chain of command until you achieve results.

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I saw a show the other day on the Discovery Channel. They were looking for the Father of All Mankind. You'd never guess where they found Him?! Seems Africa was the place to be if you were a creature that wanted to evolve. So I guess if he was the Daddy of us all, doesn't that make us all cousins??? Remember, we can't pick who our relatives are, (if we could, I'd choose my pets, they are easier to get along with and listen when I speak, a pocket full of cookies aides in that endevor).

All companies have Harrassment policies, Report to HR, if they don't want to enforce thier own rules, talk to a good lawyer. If ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the law, it shouldn't be for harrassment!

I have to agree with you about the pet comment. I love to walk through the door and be greeted by my 5 adorable Chihuahuas!:D They are always happy to see me, never make racist comments, and love me unconditionally! Too bad people can't take some lessons from their pets!

Thanks to all who have answered! I applaud those of you who can just turn the other cheek, but I am just fed up with the comments and totally stressed out! I did get a call from HR and they said they are going to "investigate the complaints". My thoughts are, I work with the same 4-5 people on a regualr basis . These are the people that continually make these comments, so do you think they are going to "rat' on each other, or just say I am lying?? How can HR really "investigate" the complaint? The only witnesses I have are the people making the comments!!! I did report this to the supervisor on numerous ocasions, but I am not sure if she documented my complaints. DO you think I shoud just find another job and save myself a lot of stress?:(

Thanks!

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Specializes in ER.

Make written reports and forward them up the line every time a racial remark passes their lips. I am a white chick, in a lily white hospital, and wouldn't tolerate those comments for a split second. Totally, totally inappropriate.

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One of my acquaintances, who is AA, is currently experiencing something similar at the workplace. A Caucasian male coworker referred to her nine-month-old infant son as a "black thug." She reported the comment to management, and they merely swept the issue under the carpet by transferring him to a different jobsite. No disciplinary action was taken. No apology was offered.

Ever since she reported the comment, she is now receiving lateral harassment from other employees in the organization who are angered she "snitched" on this man.

To the OP (original poster): If management is ineffectual at handling this situation, I would go over their heads to various entities. Human Resources, administration, JCAHO, the Labor Board...keep climbing the chain of command until you achieve results.

Thanks for the answer. I can imagine how upset your friend was after he made the comment about her son! :bluecry1:I commend her for not shooting him, because I am sure she would have liked to! It is so sad that some people are so ignorant and filled with hatred!!!

I work for a small hospital. I am afraid that what happened to your friend will now happen to me since I complained. I have to work with these people on a regular basis. What ended up happening? Did she get any results from upper mgmt?

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Specializes in Case mgmt., rehab, (CRRN), LTC & psych.
What ended up happening? Did she get any results from upper mgmt?
The man who made the snide comment was simply transferred to another jobsite. Coworkers are now laterally harassing her for reporting the comment, and she is actively seeking another job due to management's inaction.
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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

That's terrible that someone has to go through that type of harassment. It would make me want to go out and seek a lawyer.

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Specializes in Day Surgery, Agency, Cath Lab, LTC/Psych.
I saw a show the other day on the Discovery Channel. They were looking for the Father of All Mankind. You'd never guess where they found Him?! Seems Africa was the place to be if you were a creature that wanted to evolve. So I guess if he was the Daddy of us all, doesn't that make us all cousins??? Remember, we can't pick who our relatives are, (if we could, I'd choose my pets, they are easier to get along with and listen when I speak, a pocket full of cookies aides in that endevor).

All companies have Harrassment policies, Report to HR, if they don't want to enforce thier own rules, talk to a good lawyer. If ignorance is not an excuse for breaking the law, it shouldn't be for harrassment!

There was a documentary on BBC2 a while back called, "Are you 100% English?" They interviewed and DNA tested a number of British people who claimed they could trace back their linage for x amount of years in England. The people that they interviewed were almost all very prejudice--especially towards people of Middle Eastern descent. It was very funny when the DNA results came back--some of the most prejudiced people were, in fact, hardly English at all. The researchers traced one woman's roots to China, someone else had African linage. One of the most racist women that they interviewed had about 30-40% of her DNA traced to Roma Gypsy. The look on her face when she found out she wasn't what she thought she was was priceless. :no:

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Specializes in RN, BSN, CHDN.

I find it so hard to believe that in 2008 people are saying such racial slurs and getting away with it, and why are people listening to it and not defending their work collegue.

I find it intollerable and where I work we would not allow our fellow workers to be treated like this and we would close ranks and defend.

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