# Discrimation in the workplace...HELP! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 26, 2021, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783 "2021-02-26T08:37:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cerridwyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Cerridwyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerridwyn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 8:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/1 "2021-02-26T08:37:43Z")
A neighbor was fired over an race issue at the work place. She is asking advice on what she could do. Can you all take a look & see what would be best to do? > **[Log into Facebook](https://m.facebook.com/1334080040/posts/113748823983817/)** > > Log into Facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/2 "2021-02-26T13:17:23Z")
Your Facebook link doesn’t show anything. I suspect it’s a link to a page that only friends can see. If you want to ask for advice you should give a summary of the situation here, probably without too many identifying details, since your neighbor does not intend to share with the world. So no names, companies, cities… If the industry isn’t relevant I’d exclude that, too. Also, i will remove the broken Facebook link with your permission. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/3 "2021-02-26T14:49:06Z")
And even without knowing what the neighbor wrote about the incident on Facebook, keep in mind that you were hearing only the neighbor’s side of the story. The actual facts may be quite different. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/4 "2021-02-26T14:54:26Z")
It might also depend on the legal jurisdiction involved ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/5 "2021-02-26T16:23:20Z")
> [@Cerridwyn](#): > > A neighbor was fired over an race issue at the work place. She is asking advice on what she could do. Without seeing the link, I can confidently advise she consult an employment lawyer. They will advise her for a small consultation fee or for free. Also, she can make a complain to the EEOC. > **[Filing A Charge of Discrimination](https://www.eeoc.gov/filing-charge-discrimination)** > > Filing a Charge (NOTE: federal and state civil rights laws usually only apply to employers with a certain number of employees.) ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/6 "2021-02-26T16:50:22Z")
I can see the post and will summarize: Friend works at a place that sells gas. Black customer enters without a mask, co-worker refuses to serve customer and yells at friend that the policy is no mask no service. Friend believes the communicated policy is different than that and takes the customer’s money, and enables the pump. Co-worker continues to yell at friend who has a nervous episode and leaves the store in frustration, yelling back. When re-entering to retrieve her coat, friend observes co-worker serving a white woman with no mask. Friend calls co-worker a racist SOB and is fired. Co-worker kept his job. Scene. ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/7 "2021-02-26T17:00:26Z")
Is this person willing to spend thousands over a $10 an hour job? Would this person want to work in what will now be a hostile work environment? And probably most important, what were the races of the two individuals involved? Which state did this happen, laws vary from state to state. ---
**Author:** ![Cheesesteak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cheesesteak/32/3694_2.png) [@Cheesesteak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheesesteak)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/8 "2021-02-26T17:17:43Z")
Per the FP post, the location was Vancouver, WA ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/9 "2021-02-26T17:17:44Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Is this person willing to spend thousands over a $10 an hour job? Would this person want to work in what will now be a hostile work environment? So your advice is that they should just walk away from the situation without protest or action of any kind? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/10 "2021-02-26T17:19:53Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > Is this person willing to spend thousands over a $10 an hour job? If there is a case here (and I’m not offering an opinion on that one way or the other) than she doesn’t have to spend thousands of dollars. The EEOC or a private attorney will bring the case and can get an award of attorney fees if they prevail. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/11 "2021-02-26T17:46:47Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > I can see the post and will summarize: > Friend works at a place that sells gas. Black customer enters without a mask, co-worker refuses to serve customer and yells at friend that the policy is no mask no service. > > Friend believes the communicated policy is different than that and takes the customer’s money, and enables the pump. Co-worker continues to yell at friend who has a nervous episode and leaves the store in frustration, yelling back. > > When re-entering to retrieve her coat, friend observes co-worker serving a white woman with no mask. Friend calls co-worker a racist SOB and is fired. Co-worker kept his job. > > Scene. Perhaps “friend” could have handled it differently, like by questioning co-worker about the differing treatment without calling co-worker a “racist SOB”? Perhaps needlessly provocative? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [February 26, 2021, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/12 "2021-02-26T18:28:45Z")
> [@Cheesesteak](#): > > When re-entering to retrieve her coat, friend observes co-worker serving a white woman with no mask. Friend calls co-worker a racist SOB and is fired. Co-worker kept his job. Calling a coworker a racist SOB is pretty solid grounds for termination. I’m not seeing any evidence of discrimination against your friend here based on the events as you relate them to us. I have no doubt that you don’t have the whole of the situation and none of us does either. The EEOC does not typically have any authority over businesses with 15 or fewer employees so they might not be able to help your friend. He or she may want to seek relief from a state agency. ---
**Author:** ![elizabethjohanson92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@elizabethjohanson92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elizabethjohanson92)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 6:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/13 "2021-03-04T06:35:17Z")
Discrimination is never accepted anywhere, whether it is a workplace or any other place. No one should be judged over their race, color or belief. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2021, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discrimation-in-the-workplace-help/933783/14 "2021-03-04T06:51:20Z")
> [@Odesio](#): > > Calling a coworker a racist SOB is pretty solid grounds for termination. Yep. Also walking off the job. Nothing to see here.