Something that’s come to my attention a bit recently our favourite old chestnut of “It’s political correctness gone mad”
As you can see from the new category & title for this weekly post “A Northern Monkey Speaks”, I am (unashamedly) from the land of cotton mills, flat caps, and decent pints of bitter in a friendly local pub. Perhaps as a result, I have a very dry sense of humour. Maybe not Bernard Manning level - but if someone gives me an opening to direct abuse at them, I normally take it with open arms.
I also say what I think. If I don’t like something, you’ll find out about it.
After a recent class in Employment Law, I’ve been left wondering if - one of these days - that could land me into trouble. There is that fine line between ‘office banter’ and ‘harassment’. Telling someone that they can’t/shouldn’t be doing a job because they’re black/female/gay - that’s wrong, obviously. However, what about making a retort when the office homosexual appears from the kitchen clutching a bottle of fairy liquid?
There’s an even finer line between being polite and discriminatory. Offering to help a female carry some boxes. Helpful and good manners; or suggesting that she can’t do the work because she’s a woman? Most people (I would hope) think the former, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s some that think the latter.
Law Girl recently made a post opening a debate asking if, as a society, we are becoming too sensitive to issues. She specifically mentioned “Hate Speech” - personally, I end up thinking about 1984 (with the ‘Two minutes hate’) - it’s very emotive, and any comments with ‘hate’ are clearly on the wrong side of the line.
However, I’m still wondering if we have become overly sensitive. People are taking offence at what I, for one, would call legitimate opinion - and not “hate speech” or anything intentionally offensive at all. See, for instance, the huge fuss over Archbishop Rowan Williams’ comments about Sharia Law. I think that people, on the whole, are becoming more aware about potentially causing offence - and treading far too carefully.
It gets to overkill - what are we ‘allowed’ to call British non-natives with a different coloured skin. Are they black? Brown? Negros? “Of ethnic origin”? Golliwogs? OK, almost certainly not the latter - but what is the “PC” term? I think it varies - perhaps someone can help?
Back in the workplace, the legislation is worded so that you may be guilty of an offence based on the effect of the action. It may be that you don’t intend to cause any ‘intimidating’ or ‘degrading’ environment - but if the other person takes offence, they can potentially bring a claim to the Employment Tribunal.
Perhaps, therefore, it’s still not worded wonderfully despite several re-attempts. It is true that the victim’s perspective is only one relevant circumstance, and therefore someone who takes offence at everything might not have much of a claim. But, it probably explains why people are overly cautious of offending ‘minorities’. And why I, perhaps, needs to engage brain before mouth more often.
~ Asp
