#WorkplaceIssues #HRConcerns #JobEnvironment
Hey everyone, I wanted to share my experience with my supervisor at work and get your thoughts on it. During a training session, he made some really uncomfortable comments about how he “hates working with foreigners” and even admitted that he gives them the worst service. Can you believe that? 😡 He jokes about it in our company chat, which is just unprofessional, especially for a call center.
Things escalated when he swore at me during a call. I wasn’t laughing along with his mean jokes about offshore callers, and he simply retorted, “Sorry, I’m just a sarcastic guy.” I responded with, “I don’t let other people’s attitudes affect my day.” His answer? “I don’t give a shit how your day is going.” Talk about rude! 😤 There were other team members on the call, but my manager hasn’t even asked anyone for their input on this situation. It’s been weeks, and there hasn’t been any investigation or communication. Is “doing nothing” really their solution? 🤷♀️
My co-workers in our group chat are also discussing whether they should report this. It’s frustrating because my trust in this entire environment has completely eroded. I’m actively looking for a new job because I no longer feel safe or valued at work. I did report this to my manager, but she said we’d handle it at the team level and that I should inform her before going to HR. But honestly, should I escalate this to HR now? 😟
Here are some pain points I think might resonate:
- Inadequate Management Response: When issues are dismissed, it makes employees feel undervalued and unheard.
- Hostile Work Environment: Discriminatory comments create a toxic atmosphere that affects morale and productivity.
- Fear of Retaliation: The worry about getting fired for speaking up can silence those who need support the most.
🌟 I believe that taking this issue to HR might be a necessary step. They should be made aware of the situation, especially since it hasn’t been addressed properly at the team level. What do you all think? Should I take the risk and report this to HR? Have any of you had a similar experience? What would you suggest? Let’s discuss! 💬
He’s talking about co-workers, or customers? How many employees at your company?
HR typically doesn’t share details or results of investigations. For all you know, there could have been some followup / wrist slapping. Has your supervisor continued the comments and behavior since you filed your complaint?
If you work at a call center they don’t have to investigate, your calls are recorded, so is your internal chat logs. You don’t know if your manager had a talk with him. If your manager is following up, she probably expected a change. I would let her know it is still bad if not worse.
Write an email to your boss detailing what happened and how it made you feel, if he keeps doing things that make you uncomfortable then write them in the email and send it to your boss asking what can be done. If she doesn’t have a solution then tell her you will schedule an appointment with HR and see if they have a solution instead.
I would personally go to HR. If you want to be a bit sneaky you could ask someone in HR for “advice” and then say you’re just having a hard time with the way supervisor talks, and you’re worried about it affecting customers and team members. You could say “I already told manager, and I know they’re addressing it, but I’m still not sure what to do when supervisor says things like that.”
They’re still going to treat it like a report but you can play dumb to your manager and say you just wanted advice. HR will likely reach out to your manager to see what they’re doing about it so be ready for that. If multiple people report it they’re more likely to take it seriously and it better protects you from retaliation, but there’s always a risk. Keep job searching. Good luck!
I would report both the incident and the manager not reporting it to HR, along with the ongoing work environment issues. The manager had a duty to bring this to HR (at least where I have worked all managers are trained that they are required to report any discrimination complaints to HR).
If you have decided you definitely want to leave the company tell them you are uncomfortable working there and would like a severance package so you can move on. I know people who have done this and gotten 6 months pay. You will have to sign a document that says you won’t sue and probably have a few other clauses like you can’t publicly disparage the company and you aren’t eligible for rehire. They don’t have to do it but often will because they are at risk from a lawsuit.
Report it to HR. Also report your manager to HR. Your manager should NEVER tell you not to bring an issue to HR. Yes, there are some issues HR will not be able to assist in. Some things are department level, but let HR tell you that, not your manager.
Tell HR exactly what happened, have a list of other people who were witnesses to the behavior. Take screenshots of texts or messages, even group chats. Tell HR that you feel you are being harassed and are unsafe due to the supervisors statements regarding people with accents. Tell HR that you fear retaliation.
HR may not tell you what steps they are taking, but they will take it seriously.
Keep records of everything. This guy is a walking, talking lawsuit.
Any time a manager or supervisor tells you to keep something secret from HR, you are in a poisonous work environment.
You won’t retire in your 40s from a call center job, so don’t feel bad about moving on. Maybe your next job will be the one where you meet some really good people!