What should I do...

[jarmor]

Last night at work my boss comes to me and says " I know your not gonna do it but would you move your picture because someone finds it offensive. I basically told him no in so many words and felt that the picture isnt universally offensive and im not doing any obscene gestures or inapproprate acts. The conversation then led into a big arguement and I took down everything I had in my cube. He knew that would even strike a bigger match because my cube was the "cube of cubes" at work and he knew everyone would be wondering why I did such a thing. Today when I get to work he comes to me and says "you make sure when people come to you and ask you why you took everything down you let them know I gave you the option to move it" I then told him im done talking to him and turnt my back. Now I work for a very diverse company and diversity is key there. they encourage people to be their own selves and promote individualism. I felt as if I was disrespected and violated just because of someone else selfish reasons. I have had the picture at work for the last 2 1/2 years and for crying out loud the site leader has even seen the picture and had nothing to say. This situation can take on another level because what they are saying is that if ANYONE finds ANYTHING offensive in someone's personal space they should remove it. My stand on that is we are there to work and not to worry about what someone else has in their cube. My compromise to them is that if I have to remove my picture I will wear a confederate flag everyday to work for the rest of the year. so what do you think?

The picture in question...

[DarkStitch626]

Stand up for your rights Jarvis..this is a free country!

[Twister II]

2 things:

 

1.) Your blowing this up in to a situation bigger than what it needs to be. Someone found it offensive, okay. You could of easily just moved the picture to separate location, doesn't have to be out of your 'cube', but not as visual. Just ask who finds it offensive and talk with them about how you feel.

 

or

 

2.) Sue the bastard!

[SharkTums]

I say screw your boss and quit!

 

Seriously though, they can pretty much tell you to do anything, and get rid of you for anything, so you'll have to decide what is more important to you. If you think you can get another, different, but equal job...screw those people!

 

I think it's pretty obnoxious when people come into work with their dogs, but god forbid I would bring my hamster and 'that's just a dumb rodent'.

 

Everyone is going to be offended by something, you can't please anyone, people need to get a thicker skin or go live in a cave! So I say, keep the picture, and wear the flag!

[Wes]

So let me ask this: If the photo was of a white man or woman in your place, would you be offended?

[USRoadTripper]

^ If there was a white man or woman in the photo, I bet he would never have had the conversation to begin with.

 

I see nothing wrong with your photo, so I would put it back up, but maybe in a place where not everyone who passes by can see it.

 

-Julei

[tacoking]

If you care about the job that much take it down, if you don't...staple it to the guys face.

[jarmor]

So let me ask this: If the photo was of a white man or woman in your place, would you be offended?

 

not at all. Hell I wouldnt even care. Im there to work and not worry about what someone else has a picture of.

[Meteornotes]

First, that's a really funny picture!

 

Second, sadly in today's corporate environment, management is totally over sensitive to any employee complaints, as these days someone will file a lawsuit if their feelings are hurt. So they are going to overreact to pretty much everything. It sounds like your boss did just that. He probably should have just talked about it to you before making the demand he did. I agree that people really need to grow up and not be offended by every little tiny thing that might challenge their world view just a little bit, but that's something that is far outside the scope of the workplace.

 

I think if it was me, I would have just moved the picture to another part of the cube. Then again, knowing me, I might have gone out and got one of those giant light-up neon arrow signs, and put it in the cube pointing at the picture, and set up some sort of sensor that would blast music whenever someone came within ten feet of the picture. This is probably why I don't work in an office, though.

 

Elissa the wise said:

I think it's pretty obnoxious when people come into work with their dogs, but god forbid I would bring my hamster and 'that's just a dumb rodent'.

 

God, do not get me started on this topic! I find this almost as annoying as when the "new baby" has to be brought into the office and shown off, like no one ever popped one out before. Can I bring my cat into work? He's likely to be a lot less annoying than a baby, but no, can't have that. People really irritate me...

 

dt

[disneyfan1313]

God, do not get me started on this topic! I find this almost as annoying as when the "new baby" has to be brought into the office and shown off, like no one ever popped one out before. Can I bring my cat into work? He's likely to be a lot less annoying than a baby, but no, can't have that. People really irritate me...

 

dt

 

Dave - I *heart* you!

 

Jarvis - It really depends how strongly you feel about this and if you want to make it an issue. Chances are you could force the issue and you would probably be allowed to keep it up, and the person who told you to take it down would get a slap on the wrist...but it might hurt your career in the long run. Do you work for a large company? Does it have a separate HR department? If so, talk to them, you have a better chance of getting something done without retribution. Some companies even have anonymous hotlines that you could call and make a vague complaint and then perhaps a memo would be issued saying that they cant police cubes.

[CoasterFanatic]

Jarvis. I thought you lived in Columbia, SC?

 

If so, you should be given a promotion and salary increase immediately for embracing the local community like that.

 

Stand up for your rights. Strom Thurmond would have been proud!

 

// feeling a little sarcastic today

[Hercules]

The only way I would be offended by that would be if there was a white man standing there pointing and smiling just because of what the flag means in our culture.

 

If someone is offended of a black man doing that, they are obviously racist pricks who think you are mocking them.

 

Good for you Jarvis. Keep that picture there.

[weeow]

I love that picture! It's so cool! I don't how it's offensive. Don't take it down! Fight for your rights!

[crispy]

I wouldn't be offended if it was a white man there, expecially if he knew REAL history

 

Sorry to break everyones awesome public school knowledge, but the Civil war was started for financial reasons, and in the beginning had nothing to do with Slaves, in fact quite a few african americans fought FOR the confederacy

 

learn your history people before you decide to be offended, or you will be no better than activist movie stars.

 

 

seriously, I wish people would get over this PC kick, if your going to allow people to express themselves, there is nothing vulgar, or wrong with the picture, in fact I find it funny

 

I would complian to whoever is above him, that you feel harrased by your boss

 

Oh, and where a confederate flag to work every day, that would be freakin' awesome!

 

 

 

Here's a link, It describes why the south tried to secede

http://www.wealth4freedom.com/truth/CivilWar.htm

[mcjaco]

This sounds terrible, but it's not worth the aggravation. Just take it down, unless you really want to lose your job, or face all sorts of moronic sensitivity classes.

 

The corporate world here is full of stupidity. We have a person her who has missed over 60 days this year, do they reprimand her or fire her??? NO, in fact, she alleged that someone in our group was verbally harassing and we all had to move desks to accomodate her. She's missed over 2 months since then...sounds fair doesn't it?

 

^ Crispy, I'll agree that the Civil War was about more than slavery, but I think they've simplified it a bit too much.

[Hercules]

I wouldn't be offended if it was a white man there, expecially if he knew REAL history

 

Sorry to break everyones awesome public school knowledge, but the Civil war was started for financial reasons, and in the beginning had nothing to do with Slaves, in fact quite a few african americans fought FOR the confederacy

 

learn your history people before you decide to be offended, or you will be no better than activist movie stars.

 

 

seriously, I wish people would get over this PC kick, if your going to allow people to express themselves, there is nothing vulgar, or wrong with the picture, in fact I find it funny

 

I would complian to whoever is above him, that you feel harrased by your boss

 

Oh, and where a confederate flag to work every day, that would be freakin' awesome!

 

 

 

Here's a link, It describes why the south tried to secede

http://www.wealth4freedom.com/truth/CivilWar.htm

 

Ok, well, I don't care about what the history is about, I care about what it stands for today.

[pvcoasterguy]

Here's what I'd do:

 

Take the picture down temporarily until you can sort out everything that happened. Talk to someone else in the company (HR), and see what comes of it.

 

Also consider if you want to chance at the loss of a job. This can greatly effect your opinion. Just take some time to think, reflect, and then do what you think is right.

[crispy]

I wouldn't be offended if it was a white man there, expecially if he knew REAL history

 

Sorry to break everyones awesome public school knowledge, but the Civil war was started for financial reasons, and in the beginning had nothing to do with Slaves, in fact quite a few african americans fought FOR the confederacy

 

learn your history people before you decide to be offended, or you will be no better than activist movie stars.

 

 

seriously, I wish people would get over this PC kick, if your going to allow people to express themselves, there is nothing vulgar, or wrong with the picture, in fact I find it funny

 

I would complian to whoever is above him, that you feel harrased by your boss

 

Oh, and where a confederate flag to work every day, that would be freakin' awesome!

 

 

 

Here's a link, It describes why the south tried to secede

http://www.wealth4freedom.com/truth/CivilWar.htm

 

Ok, well, I don't care about what the history is about, I care about what it stands for today.

 

 

I can appreciate that

 

But history is very important, and the reason it stands for what alot or people believe it stands for is ignorance on the part of many many people

 

 

Uh I just want to let everyone know, I do not own, fly or promote the Confedrate flag in any way, While I believe what it stood for is misrepresented today, I am a U.S. citizen, and we won that war, and the benefit was the abolishment of slavery, which is a great, great thing!

[CoasterExpert13]

Hum..well, "J" everyone is gonna have a different view on the picture and/or situation, all I can say is that the picture doesn't seem offensive...So do what you feel is right for you.

[Hercules]

^^ I completely understand, and I understand the history of the flag also. I totally get what you were saying and I never thought you were an advocate of anything. It is just the way that people see the flag in this day and age, and the people the choose to fly it are the problem.

 

History is definately important, but that is not how it is viewed now.

[mr_teisco_delrey]

Hell, I just printed it out so I can tape it to my office wall in the morning. If anybody asks me about the picture, I'll tell them it's my cousin. I say everybody should print it and put it up in their office!

 

P.S. I'm whiter than white.

[mr_teisco_delrey]

I'm speechless! The picture lasted on my PRIVATE office wall less that two hours before I was told to remove it. This is one overly sensitive screwed up country.

[FlyingScooter]

Minority rules: Alive and Well in USA. (and we thought we had freedom of expression.)

Well, not in the workplace.

 

 

My sister teaches in a private school. While she was teaching about WWII, she showed a picture of the Nazi flag. The school recieved several angry parent calls over this. She actually got called into the principals office to discuss this.

 

How can a teacher teach without visual aids? The principal, who must be a complete fool told her it was okay to show pics of the 'Jap' flag, as he called it, because we bombed the hell out of them and made them our victims. (this guy must know somebody on the board of directors...)

 

side note: she teaches in a Catholic school near Cleveland.

[crispy]

its the world we live in, people are overly sesistive

 

 

I think I'm going to print out that picture, and put it on my locker at work, we will see how long it last

[roasted_marshmallow]

Weren't the wars fought for freedom of expression? Isnt that what civil rights are all about? Put the picture back up in the most prominent spot in your cubicle and let it be the only thing you have there.... it's a statement. If someone doesn't like it, they don't have to look.