I got a call late Wednesday asking if I would like to guest on our local radio station where the host would like to discuss the issue of racism in the workplace. As a solicitor and a HR professional my gut instinct was yes of course! I would love to be able to assist in advising those people who have suffered this despicable behaviour. As we discussed the content in preparation, the host asked me: have you ever suffered racism in work? Without thinking, I said yeah of course! Being a Pakistani Scottish Women I had struggled with many aspects of culture of the profession I had chosen to become a part of, but that’s just how it was!
Saying yes to this as though it was no big deal made me realise just how de-sensitised I have become about the ugliness of what it is we as BAME employees accept in order to be able to progress our careers. Whilst I say this, I am conscious that you can’t paint every organisation with the same brush. I have had the privilege of being part of many organisations both legal and non – legal and I have found that some organisations have made great efforts to address the issue.
So how do we move forward? The discussion that took place last night was thought provoking. Have a listen here if you are interested to hear my thoughts.
