so upsetting -- nasty co worker

[jennyanydots]

Originally posted by Beauty
My son and I speak gibberish at Disney World....LOL! We have a blast!! But there are soooooooo many different languages going on there no one would know any better!!!!!

 

[Robinrs]

He sounds very immature to me.

 

[aprilgail2]

Originally posted by Arabella Figg 2003
I

we've got a guy here who makes fun of those accents. he'll parody our colleagues behind their backs. worse yet, he overheard tow of our co workers speaking together at lunch time in their native language, so now he's added to the parody -- he speaks gibberish and pretends he's speaking a foreign language.

I

Wow at my job they do this right to their faces, not behind their backs! I can not believe some of the things they say to each other but no one goes and rats on anyone else...

 

[Nancy]

We have terminated people for things like that. One worker was in the back stock room and dropped somethingon the floor..another worker bent down to pick it up (this man wa Black, man that dropped the object was Hispanic) "yeah, you can pick it up, you must be used to doing that stuff." It was overheard my a manager and he was fired fired for it.


Making fun of someones accent would not be tolerated at all.

 

[ScarlettO]

Originally posted by Deb in IA
Sorry if you were insulted. It was not directed at anyone who has replied here. A bit of a private joke between myself and Arabella -- and judging from her response, I think she knows who I am talking about.

And so does Scarlett.

Hmmm......I wonder if TVT's ears are burning?

 

[CEDmom]

I've always thought of myself as being tolerate of others who are different. However, it wasn't until we adopted DD that I found myself being sensitive to those who are different. Maybe it's my need to protect my child I don't know. What I do know is that I wouldn't tolerate this. I'd turn the person in and wouldn't even care if he found out it was me. Actually, I'd kind of like it if he did.

IMHO, not turning someone in for doing something so offensive is by default condoning his actions.

I can't imagine working in a place where people do this. My company would be showing him the door.

 

[Blueberry]

We have a zero tolerance for that kinda thing at work...A lady I know got very frustrated a few years ago when a large group of our Hispanics were speaking spanish in the breakroom, she could not understand them and in frustration told them they need to speak ENGLISH if people are present who do not speak Spanish....

Well, she is 73 years old and still working and almost got fired that day, got a final warning on racial comments and warned if she ever said another word along those lines she was fired!!!

She was wrong to say that...They were not at her table or speaking to her, and they can speak any language they want among themselves as long as they are not hurting anyone else...v

 

[Vivianne]

I speak Spanish but primarily English. I have noted that a there are co-workers, who will mock and make fun of someone who is different. Whether it be language, race, etc. It doesn't really bother me because I view these individuals as petty and extremely small minded.

Although, I agree that all Hispanics who live in the U.S. should learn English to the best of their ability. Of course, it will help them better their lives in this country.

At my place of employment, there's a varied group of Italians, Polish, Hispanics and Jamaicans. It's a natural tendency for them to speak their language amongst themselves. I believe they are mostly just speaking to each other about general matters and not necessarily trying to offend those around them. In the worst case, if they are, I really can't be bothered being concerned about it. People can speak behind your back in English when you're not around them.

 

[Disney Doll]

This is a multi-faceted situation.

First of all, your co-worker is an idiot for mocking anyone.

If someone knows how to speak a foreign language, and there is a group of people seated together who all know the same language(as on a coffee or lunch break), and there is no one present who does not know their native languauge, then they should feel free to speak it amongst themselves.

During work hours, people should speak the language that is predominant in the workplace. For the most part, in the USA that would be English.

I do have a problem with folks who know English plus another language choosing to speak the foreign language in front of those of us who may not know it. That's rude too. As a kid, I had a neighbor who did this. When the mother wanted to say something to her daughter in front of me that she didn't want me to know, she spoke to her in Ukranian. I would just get up and leave the house, and not play with her daughter anymore that day. Today, if people do that in frot of me, I keep interrupting them and asking "what did you say?" or "what does that eman?" so much that they get aggravated and just stop talking.

I also have a problem with someone who has lived and worked in a country for more than 5 years, and still doesn't know the language. IMHO, if oyu are going to live and work in a country for an extended period of time, it's up to you to learn the language of that country. There should not need to be bilingual signs, directions etc.