Diversity Diva
Diversity Diva | Cell-phone usage requires the polite approach
In my last column, I answered a question about how a person at work should handle overhearing a personal phone conversation that they find objectionable. The flip side is what I would have said to the person having the phone conversation.
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No protection from opinions
Jan 25, 8:49 PMDear Diversity Diva: The other day in the break room I heard a guy having a conversation on his cell phone about aid to Haiti. Some of the things he said were downright mean. He probably was at lunch and, honestly, I don’t even know exactly who he is, but don’t I have a right not to hear that kind of stuff at work? In your simple question, there were a whole lot of layers, the first being that you overheard a personal conversation that someone at your workplace was having on his cell phone at a time when he wasn’t necessarily on the payroll.
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Diversity Diva | Offensive e-mails have no place at the workplace
Jan 11, 10:08 PMThere are some things that I just assume I will never know the answer to because I don’t care, it’s way over my head or both. Here’s one question that I care about but have just resigned myself to never knowing the answer to: Why do people use their workplace computer to write offensive e-mails to people outside the company, to post on message boards or online stories, to blog, or to engage in offensive language using social networking sites?
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Diversity Diva | Separating work and home
Dec 28, 8:15 PMDear Diversity Diva: I work at a company where managers are expected to host little holiday parties at their home for the people they manage. Because of the neighborhood I live in, I just don’t feel comfortable having folks from work over. How do I get out of this and keep my boss from holding it against me? — Humble About My Home Dear Humble: This time of the year can be a stressful time, not just because of family expectations but because of the expectations at work with the pseudo-family dynamic some workplaces can engender.
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Diversity Diva | Let heritage be self-defined
Dec 14, 8:04 PMDear Diversity Diva: At lunch, several of us were talking about the Tiger Woods affair and we kind of got into a debate about the right way to refer to someone who is more than one race. What is the right way? — Mixed Up About Mixed Races Dear Mixed Up: It’s understandable why you would be confused. Most of us are blends of ethnic heritages. Some are just more obvious blends than others.
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Diversity Diva | Add war to the list of taboo topics at work
Nov 30, 10:44 PMDear Diversity Diva: I’m in the military reserves, something everybody at my job knows because of the changes to my work schedule from time to time. One of my supervisors makes anti-war comments all the time that really bother me. How should I handle this? Signed, Worked-Up Weekend Soldier Dear Worked-Up: Sex, money and religion have always been topics best not to discuss in inappropriate places. Add the U.S. involvement in military action to that list.
