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Cheesed off today having to be in the office and overhear some dumb shit opinions ...
workplace rant
...from one member of my team around the Australian flag not being featured alongside lgbti/atsi flags and making fun of Aboriginal words. I get that a lot of corporate virtue signalling is BS but this bloke absolutely has had the whole "true blue Aussies" thing going based off prior conversations as well, and worst of all getting approval from other people in the office (mainly an old fogie).
It's a very working class part of the org and I'm the odd one out here, dude is absolutely friendly enough here and a vital part of the team... and it doesn't really impact me that much personally, but it's enough to sour the rest of the day and feel acutely aware of being an outsider. Hard to brush off because this guy is a long term fixture and popular with many of the other long timers.
Now this is not new to me over my adult life and I kind of feel like I'm overreacting a bit because I've been tired/stressed/uncentred lately.
Plus I don't actually work with this person (and the people I do immediately work with are really lovely), and because of my recent wfh days our in office time rarely overlaps. I could easily put on headphones and ignore the guy. I'm also extremely part time here so honestly, it's not that big a deal.
..but it's enough to make a lot of my warning flags go up and it really, really impacted my productivity today. I absolutely don't care for it.
So I've decided I'll speak to my supervisors next week, and ask for ongoing WFH on the day our office time would overlap, and just generally mention that these sorts of conversations are a factor without naming names.
Is that fair? I'm not trying to be all cancel culture and newspeak and thought control (incidentally another favourite topic of this person), and I don't care to change the culture at this place, but I think this is a reasonable middle ground where I feel heard and can move forward without attracting unnecessary attention.
I hate to say this as well but I agree with Ceo in not saying anything.
It’s one thing to be annoyed at it all but it’s another to change work culture of people who are set in their ways at a workplace.
Also it sounds like there’s quite a few people there who you’d clash with if you did take it up. Some things are better left alone.
I wouldn't say anything unless it's directed at me. I'd keep my head down and think about the pay cheque.
Technically, I could just lose this job and up my hours at the other job I have, which pays better and is much closer. I've only been staying in this one to learn from the specific experience of working in a big org (I don't intend to stay long term). At some point I have to ask if the costs are gonna outweigh the benefits, right now not so much yet but I feel like I'll be heading in that direction if I don't do something for myself
I'd be concerned that this would label you as a troublesome employee
Even without naming names?
Fwiw I'm 100% confident I'd get the support of my direct supervisor, also there are a zillion reasons why they wouldn't/can't turf me or reduce my role. I also have a fair bit of leverage, and wfh hasn't been an issue so far. I just dont have any formal support atm to know how much longer I can keep doing it.
If anything I guess it's me warning them that they could lose me if this keeps happening - but instead of management trying to talk to these people (nightmare), in this instance I'd personally prefer wfh, to have the ongoing option of avoiding them and going along my merry way. And nobody would notice tbh. Everyone wins.
Well your own read on the situation and people involved is going to be better than ours of course. I don't know your value to the company or relationship with anyone involved. Just in this situation more often than not I'd keep my head down and ignore it
Which it shouldn’t!
No argument there
Does this office have the sort of training programs that make those sort of remarks explicitly wrong?
Certainly does, but in this part of the org I dont think anyone really cares, it's a bit of the wild wild west here. Which has its pros, I don't need to be dragged into endless meetings or have to look nice or play as much politics.
In which case start your document chain, be than untearable dedicated notebook or a zillion emails to non-work self. Cover Your Arse. You may want an option other than running away later. Best 🖤
Fingers crossed they let me indefinitely wfh on that day, and that guy sticks to his wfh days, and we won't cross paths again!
I will definitely be documenting anything relevant and keep that shit aside for when I need to work it to my advantage (if anyone kicks up a fuss about wfh), or if anything more serious happens. I was feeling like maybe I was being an oversensitive sook about it but I kind of feel more empowered now. Thanks!
I was just thinking yesterday that we just don't have enough public awareness and acceptance of Native Australian languages and dialects.
I can't think of a single saying from Native Australian culture in common usage, I know a few place names and objects and animals, I know pretty much no kriol.
This makes me so sad, we are all poorer for the lack.