POC Coworker Cries Racism, White Woman Believes Otherwise

OP works in a place where there are predominantly white women. And as a white woman herself, she has found herself in a difficult situation with a POC coworker-turned-friend.

Her coworker happens to be the only POC in their unit. OP describes her as an “inefficient employee.” She calls in constantly, is consistently late, slacks off on her duties, can’t be trusted to take on additional work, and the list goes on.

Outside of work, OP really likes her friend. Plus, they’re the same rank; it’s not OP’s place to reprimand her for what she does at work. But because of this, her friend often confides in her. She recently told OP she believes that the recent discipline she received at work wasn’t because she had done anything wrong — she thinks it’s because she’s “brown.”

Coworker Is Overthinking

Part of OP’s friend’s “evidence” of this prejudice comes from a time when she and OP were both late to work. OP — who has never been late to work before — received a warning while her friend, who is late all the time, was written up. The other woman claims the difference in discipline actually comes down to skin color, since OP is white.

Her friend insisted on taking this to the management and talking to their higher-ups about this. But OP believes nothing good will come out of it because it is absolutely not a “race thing.”  All it will take is for them to look into her attendance and the amount of work she does when she is there versus the amount other people do.

Should She Interfere?

OP knows she can’t be the one to tell her not to do this. But she feels so horribly awkward when her coworker is ranting about racism. She has no idea what to say. Who is she to discount how someone of color feels when she herself is a white woman? She believes that whatever she says in this circumstance will be wrong.

Redditors say that OP needs to stay completely out of the matter. It will be impossible for her to come out looking okay after involving herself in the discussions. Everyone believes it’s the only safe thing for her to do.

What do you think?

Read the original Reddit story here.

This post was produced and syndicated by Wealth Of Geeks.