HappyBunny
New Member
I'm a white male at a technology company. I noticed that an Indian lady on my team was having problems with a project she was working on. I offered to go out of my way to assist her in completing her task, and did so. Later that week, I got an email from my supervisor saying that he really appreciated me helping her, even though it was not part of my job description, and pointed out that she seems to not always ask for help when she probably needs it. I responded and said that the "not asking for help thing" was a common thing that I've experienced from many Indian women I've worked with in the past, and said you often get the none committal "head bobble" response when you ask if they understand something.
My supervisor sent that email to HR. HR then claimed that was a derogatory comment based on race and suspended me without pay for 5 days. No warning.
What I did did not discriminate. It caused no harm. I didn't even see it as derogatory. I would not have gone out of my way to even help this lady if I was not aware that, from a cultural standpoint, it is common for Indian women to feel uncomfortable asking for assistance.
What DID do harm was the 5 days without pay. After taxes, child support, and alimony, my net is VERY small. I make a six figure income, but have to live meagerly in a leaky 30 year old travel trailer just to survive on my $12/hr take-home. As a result of my suspension, I will not be able to make my child support payment, which may result in legal action. The child support and alimony I pay to my ex-wife is 95% of her income. The three of them will suffer for this. She will incur a HUGE penalty for being late on her rent. I also have been providing financial assistance to my fiance and her daughter in Portugal, where it is impossible to find work. I will be unable to do that now for about 2 months, and they will have to try to survive on rice & beans and the goodwill of their landlord to not be thrown out until I can get caught up again. After all my housing, utility, and gas expenses, I will be left trying to survive on about $7 a day for the next 2.5 months. I normally can go and pick up my kids for the weekend every other week. They live a couple hours away. It costs me about $100 in gas to pick them up and take them home. I now won't be able to see my kids for 2 months.
These guys are obsessed with going IPO, and will become rich because of it. They see my comment as a potential threat to their wealth.
I know this is morally wrong, but is what they are doing legally wrong as well? If so, and I find work elsewhere, now that I seem to have a target on me, I may consider filing a suit against them. I'm tired of getting stepped on for stupid stuff.
-HappyBunny
My supervisor sent that email to HR. HR then claimed that was a derogatory comment based on race and suspended me without pay for 5 days. No warning.
What I did did not discriminate. It caused no harm. I didn't even see it as derogatory. I would not have gone out of my way to even help this lady if I was not aware that, from a cultural standpoint, it is common for Indian women to feel uncomfortable asking for assistance.
What DID do harm was the 5 days without pay. After taxes, child support, and alimony, my net is VERY small. I make a six figure income, but have to live meagerly in a leaky 30 year old travel trailer just to survive on my $12/hr take-home. As a result of my suspension, I will not be able to make my child support payment, which may result in legal action. The child support and alimony I pay to my ex-wife is 95% of her income. The three of them will suffer for this. She will incur a HUGE penalty for being late on her rent. I also have been providing financial assistance to my fiance and her daughter in Portugal, where it is impossible to find work. I will be unable to do that now for about 2 months, and they will have to try to survive on rice & beans and the goodwill of their landlord to not be thrown out until I can get caught up again. After all my housing, utility, and gas expenses, I will be left trying to survive on about $7 a day for the next 2.5 months. I normally can go and pick up my kids for the weekend every other week. They live a couple hours away. It costs me about $100 in gas to pick them up and take them home. I now won't be able to see my kids for 2 months.
These guys are obsessed with going IPO, and will become rich because of it. They see my comment as a potential threat to their wealth.
I know this is morally wrong, but is what they are doing legally wrong as well? If so, and I find work elsewhere, now that I seem to have a target on me, I may consider filing a suit against them. I'm tired of getting stepped on for stupid stuff.
-HappyBunny
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