Manager makes derogatory comments based on location of origin (employment, unemployed, job)

[bobsaysgo321]

Bob moved from Louisiana to New Jersey to take a job in a technology company, Otronical. (The name of the company and the names of the states have been changed to protect the identities involved.)

The workplace is organized into levels of positions like Level 1, Level 2, supervisor and beyond.

The Level 1 worker, Bob, who is the most qualified and capable of being a Level 2 employee, and very polite and respectful to a fault is finally interested in joining the group of Level 2s as a Level 2 position after two years, although he has not informed anyone of this yet. He did ask to train with a Level 2 employee, and was given that opportunity, although he did not ask why. The Level 1 worker, Bob, overhears a Level 2 employee, Jack, saying to the Supervisor, "Bob's from Louisiana" in a derogatory tone. And when in front of Bob with the Supervisor, "Do you know what you do with ants? You squash 'em." Bob is distressed and dismays, leaves the company, feeling there is no way to get ahead in such a hostile working environment. Jack is promoted to Supervisor and then to Manager and now has purchased a nice new home. Bob has suffered in employment since leaving Otranical and is now very under-unemployed.



Was this grounds for a harassment or discrimination claim?

[oregonwoodsmoke]

Oh for cris sakes. Way too sensitive.

[Suburban_Guy]

Lol, whut.

Seriously?

Even if this is a true story, what exactly is the 'harrasment' here?

[deposite]

... I smell a troll.

[Rowan123]

If this actually happened, the answer is no.

[joe from dayton]

It sounds like Bob deserves to be unemployed.

[bobsaysgo321]

Now I can assume through all of this that you still might say that Bob was too sensitive. That is fine. I mean, maybe Bob is too sensitive. That's why I posted this on behalf of my friend Bob, to gauge your opinion. But please read on...



I would like to follow this up and say that around the time the Level 2 person, Jack, made the aforementioned comments that Bob overheard and in front of Bob, someone (they never found out who) took Bob's USB thumb drive apart and jammed it in backwards into his computer, and stole his USB mouse. So it was not just a sticks and stones thing. Property was damaged.


The USB drive was usable again, after the electronic part was turned around and put back into the plastic covering in the proper way. Bob would've shared everything on the drive if anyone had asked. The USB drive contained basically a huge store of knowledge that Bob used to streamline and organize his workflow.


The mouse was worth about $40.00 and was completely gone, so that was, however, a loss. It wasn't as bad as a coworker of Bob's had a 300.00 iPhone stolen the prior year at the same job. Also they never found out who took it.

Now I can assume that ever after sharing these details you still might say that Bob was too sensitive. That is fine. I mean, maybe Bob is too sensitive and just needs to toughen up and be a more resilient employee. Whatever the case. That's why I posted this. To ask the question and get a response.

[Nov3]

Cultural diversity training is overdue in that company.

I work for a world wide company. It's a write up for any of us if we speak in such a manner ..dealing with a sect,culture or gender bias.


BOB is not sensitive. He is attune to the work environment bias.

It's a mad mad world we live in today. Truly it is. So I find that if I remain even neutral ...someone will flip it and say I am insensitive or too sensitive.

[emm74]

Did Bob report the damage and theft to his supervisor? If yes, what did they do about it? I am still not seeing grounds for harassment or discrimination here, but that would be a foundational first step.

[Rowan123]

Cool story but the additional "facts" don't change my response, it's still no.