I have recently been subject to a suspension over allegations of 'racial conduct'
I worked with the woman for a month and a half after the alleged incident, no problems between us, nothing mentioned, then for another month after the allegation was made, frosty attitude but still no mention of a problem from her (and I decided it was best not to bring it up at work and muddy the investigation with more accusations against me).
Then out of the blue I was yanked into the office at 7am rather than going for my shift and told that the incident was now 'officially' being investigated and because racist conduct is gross misconduct I was automatically suspended until it was resolved.
I was out of the workplace officially to protect me, but in reality it's basically keeping me away from the other person so they don't have to deal with any grief from me and so I can't gossip (I was also banned from talking to any of my colleagues whilst suspended, a fair few of which are friends!)...which is a little odd given the two and a half months I've already worked with her since the incident, and the fact that I've never uttered a peep about the goings on because I was trying to be fair, yet all the gossip I was hearing filtering back from her. Still, rules are rules and that's how it was done.

In the end I was off for over 7 weeks whilst people were interviewed, I was grilled, more people were interviewed, I was all but called a liar because I'd said that I got on with the woman fine as far as I knew and she obviously had disagreed, reports were sent off, reports were sent back and I was asked to 'clarify' stuff I'd already answered twice...and all about events that were about 3 months in the past and hadn't struck me as particularly memorable even at the time!

Eventually I was cleared and told I could return to work because they had found absolutely no evidence that I had acted in a racist manner, but it was still presented to me as if it was all a learning curve so I could learn from my mistakes.

What did I do? I didn't buy her a drink at a party. When she had purposefully sat herself away from the group and out of line of sight. Oh, and she's African.
No. Seriously. I realise you're going to be assuming there must be more to it than that, but there wasn't, she said that the only person who didn't get a drink was African.

It's now been about two and a half months since I've been back at work and she's still never mentioned it to me. I was promised a meeting with her to sort it out, and in the mean time I decided to just be professional and be polite when I had to be around her, but I recently found out that the company now sees the issue as resolved, and my manager has no intention of getting us to meet in the forseeable future as 'it would be too emotive'. He knows that she gets defensive and shouts lots, and it's a fair point because that's not very productive...but where are the warning signs there?
I got suspended for 7 weeks, suffered with uncertainty emotionally and for my career, was cleared but recieved no(and apparently aren't entitled to an)apology, all because this woman never communicates her problems until it's at bursting stage at which point she over reacts and no-one can deal with her...yet she's never been asked to deal with that or the fact that everytime she's angry at someone outside her clique the racism card gets thrown (this is just the first time it's been taken to disciplinary).

Racism is a fucking sick thing, and I'd be (and often are) the first to point it out as unacceptable, but it's also a political buzzword at the minute.
I suffer racism every day at work but because I'm white it's acceptable. I do my job and refuse to treat anyone differently, I think positive discrimination can be just as harmful, and for my troubles I now face the daily fear that it's only a matter of time before that kind of wild accusation gets held up and I can never work in the care industry again.

It's madness, and I'm not going to be there much longer :)

/take it all
( Jessie © needs pirate name suggestions, Thu 22 Nov 2007, 13:46, 10 replies)

You're not alone..
Several people I work with (and know very well) were accused of being racist toward a Polish co-worker when they asked him to repeat things they hadn't understood. Madness!
(TheWeeWitch hasn't been here much recently .., Thu 22 Nov 2007, 13:56, closed)

I know you 'fairly' well.
and you're pretty near the least racist person I know. It is a joke to play the 'racist' card, and it gets even more ridiculous on the follow-up.

I do hope it works out for you. Racism isn't a trump card to throw down. It's a damned serious accusation, and one you don't deserve.

I can appreciate your frustration.
( Syncubus Yarr! Ye'll be walking Planck's Constant! [GMT-5], Thu 22 Nov 2007, 14:00, closed)

shame
hope it all works out for you. Sounds like you've been done over and your company is misbehaving. I wonder if they'd have this followup meeting if she asked for it? probably, as saying no would be "racist". similiar to the whole Channel 4 "nigger" fiasco...
( zulu eh?, Thu 22 Nov 2007, 14:03, closed)

If it's provable that she had no grounds to make the accusation
or that she was racially motivated you could make a counter claim. Similar things have happened to friends who I know for a fact are not racist.

Hope the new job works out ok
( Big Ian has stopped changing his sig, Thu 22 Nov 2007, 14:13, closed)

Are you working in the Nash?
If so, this depressing tale doesn't surprise me. The NHS is so PC and full of positive discrimination these days.

Good luck in wherever you are moving to. :-)
( sm.pl.crt.rs I don't fucking know, do I?, Thu 22 Nov 2007, 14:37, closed)

Sad to say...
This is fairly standard wherever you end up.
(Potty Jag har smör i min rumpspringa, Thu 22 Nov 2007, 19:29, closed)

Sadly
"Racist" is the trendy slur of the moment, it's easy to play and the mud sticks. People who play the race card maliciously deserve to be disciplined in the same way as those who are racist.
(Jamie and his magic bat You can bump n' grind, it is good for your mind, Thu 22 Nov 2007, 19:45, closed)

grrr
that makes me so angry. I don't know how you kept your cool, I can imagine myself being in that position and just losing it and hurting someone.
(Rickaaay Call me Ricky, for that is my name., Fri 23 Nov 2007, 2:55, closed)

Bloody hell!

( drunkenoaf, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 11:42, closed)

WHAT ???
Jessie, this story beggars belief ! My jaw got slacker and slacker the further I read down. How did this accusation EVER get taken seriously by your managers ? I'm glad to hear your'e moving on hon, good luck :)
( rabbitz, Fri 23 Nov 2007, 16:03, closed)