What would you do if you heard your boss make racist remarks? Perhaps the players for the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers didn’t have too many options because of their contracts, plus the fact that the story broke during their playoff run for the NBA championship… but I have to wonder whether any of team owner Donald Sterling’s administrative staff quit their jobs after hearing his racist comments in the leaked audio recordings or after he sparked further outrage during his interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
MADE A RACIST REMARK?
We recently asked 1,500 Americans what they would do if they were employed at a company and heard their boss make racist remarks. Although the top anticipated action among all three of the major U.S. ethnic groups is to report this type of situation to HR or a higher-level manager (46%-51%), we see that Hispanic (24%) and Black/African-American (28%) employees are much more likely than Caucasian (15%) employees to quit their jobs after overhearing a racist remark from their boss. Conversely, Caucasian (21%) employees are more likely than Hispanics (10%) and Black/African-Americans (7%) to say they would “do nothing”.
Another interesting finding is that younger employees are far more likely than older employees to quit after overhearing their boss’s racist remarks (31% of 18-29 year olds and 28% of 30-39 year olds say they would quit, compared to only 13% of 40-49, 10% of 50-64, and 13% of 65+ year olds). One has to wonder, though, whether the younger generations truly have stronger morals and/or a stronger impetus to “take a stand”, or whether older employees simply have more to worry about with families, job security, pensions, etc., which makes quitting their job a larger risk for them.
Regardless, I was glad to see that the vast majority of Americans (83%) would do something if they overheard their boss make racist remarks, instead of ignoring it, which makes it seem like it’s ok. And we’ll see what happens within the NBA. Last I saw, there will be a vote among NBA owners in early June that will determine whether the league will force Sterling to sell the team. As added pressure on the owners, LeBron James of the NBA’s Miami Heat and other NBA players have already spoken out through the NBA Players Association to say that if Donald Sterling is still the owner of the L.A. Clippers next season, they will not play. Wow. A player boycott is certainly taking a stand.
If you had a boss who made racist comments, at what point might you consider quitting your job? Would you consider working at a company for a lot more money, if it meant working directly for someone you know to be racist?
james says
June 1, 2014 at 4:03 pmracist remarks like depression has many faces. is it racist to tell male employees ear rings are not allowed at work. but o.k. for women to wear.. cover tatoos with log sleeve shirts, those without tatoos short sleeves, shorts vs. slacks for leg tatoos. are you black or african-american, mexican, or hispanic. white or caucasian. high level management are hand picked by higher-ups. they are a mirror image of his or her predecessor. so, rasism can be promoted with the individual. think most are above that which smacks at loop club. it’s there, wisely denying it, but alive and well, at the golf couse, racket club, private after office clubs.
Peter says
June 2, 2014 at 10:39 amI agree with your basic premise that racism is a relatively common-place phenomenon and in many cases way too tolerated in our society. The challenge, however, is deciding what’s on the right and wrong side of the line…what’s acceptable and what’s not. I am from the northeast, but went to college in the south and overheard a good friend use the phrase “that was very white of him” I was taken aback and he assured me that it was by no means a racist comment. I couldn’t understand how it wasn’t. I also had a Black friend was offended by the expression “Black as the Ace of Spades”. I had used that phrase many times and certainly with no ill-intent, so what’s racist and what’s not, while usually pretty clear in my mind, is not always obvious to everyone and often depends upon our own frames of reference. I honestly believe the guy who used the “white of him” comment had no idea he was being racist. An interesting question is being raised, however: is saying something that might be perceived as racism, without racist intent, still considered racism? Who decides?
JC WILLIAMS says
June 1, 2014 at 7:52 pmMy manager said to me “he is black, make sure you tell him the price” When I ask Why, I was instructed to eliminate the use of the word why when communicating with other associates. She is still on the job, I an not.
Peter says
June 2, 2014 at 10:53 amSo JC, you’re suggesting that you’re part of the 18% who actually said something directly to your boss and now you’re out of a job. I suppose one has to be mindful of their boss, their work culture and the potential ramifications of saying something. It sounds ridiculous though. That said, I was confused by your manager’s comment “he is black, make sure you tell him the price”. What was the context? What was she insinuating exactly?