I’m an African American female. I wear my hair in its natural state. My white co-workers and manager make fun of my hair, saying there’s no more slavery and I should use relaxers in it. This is really bothering me. What should I do?
Posted 08-05-2013
Steve Duggan replies:
I’m sorry to hear, first, that your co-workers are not respectful enough to recognize this is bothering you and, second, that your manager is participating, instead of putting a stop to it. These remarks are clearly based on race and maybe also on gender, and I’m sure prohibited by your employer’s discrimination and harassment policies. I recommend that you first tell your manager that these jokes are bothering you and you’d like them to stop. If that’s too difficult, I suggest you go directly to HR and/or go over your manager’s head to his boss. In almost all cases, some notice of the harassment has to be given to a company before one can go to court. You can also go outside the company and file a complaint with the closest Equal Employment Opportunity Commission office. And, of course, you can also consult with a local employment attorney. Good luck! I hope it stops soon.
Information here is correct at the time it is posted. Case decisions cited here may be reversed. Please do not rely on this information without consulting an attorney first.
