Are you, or any of your friends and family,willing to anonymously share your positive and negative experiences at work to help and encourage other black people?

I'd love to hear from everyone, particularly if you have an office job, from administrators to senior and middle management. What are your experiences as a black person at work? How did you overcome them? Are you still struggling to find a solution? Who gives you advice? Do you muddle through on your own? What have you learnt? Are your friends and family helpful? Do they just cuss and carry on, or, can they offer you really sound and constructive advice? I

Areyou isolated at work ? Do you find that your friends, family and social peers can't offer you the right advice and your black colleagues haven't got much to say either?

These are just a couple of the questions. Maybe you want to answer different ones.

How does it work for you?

Spread the blessings...

Useeme.

When I was 16, I was working with a Transexual, a 50year Scotch Transvestite,a footballing lovingLesbian, and a couple that were having an affair while married.



Damn rightI was isolated at work.

I am glad this forum is here, as today I am pissed off. And this saves me creating a forum.

I have been working in the City now, in a new role as a rule I will only work in a performance related capacity - commission only mainly. That way one is paid what one is worth!

The new role saw me start with two other Men. The idea was to work with the leads given generated by the company. I have never been given any leads!!! Imagine how surprised ( less surprisedmore disappointed) whenI found out that the two other newbies recieved leads even though they never even turned up at the office!!!

Undetered I set about drumming up business on my own account and brought in my first deal. This deal is one of the biggest the company has ever had, and I was promptly told that it was too complicated for me to handle,this was some what true but I expected my boss to guide me throught the process.

Instead I was told to work with another more senior colleague on it. Who then proceeded to elbow me out of the picture of meetings with the client and other involved parties!!!:?

Pissed off with this I enquired to myBoss what my commission would be before this chap got too involved,"

"Oh well35%/15% in your favour since your brought it too the table"

"Okay sounds good to me"

Over the next few weeks I've been totally left in the dark about what's happening yet everyone patting on the back saying that I've heard you've pulled in a good deal.

I was pissed off as I was missing an important learning curve, the Sales and Negotion side of things am great at but the technical details related to this new profession are new to me.

Today, my Boss called me in to ask me how it's going I remarked although I have not recieved a single lead since I have started I have brought in two Sizeable deals but will need to brush up on my technical knowledge.

Then he came out with the punchline:

"I know you've brought in one of the largests deals the company has had at one time, but you cannot have that35/15 split, the commission is too big and the other colleague has done most of the work ".

"Hmmmm so how much can I expect then ?"confused2

" 20% of the deal it won't be less than five figures"

We're looking to recieve around £100,000 .

Now considering this company doe's notpay a wage and thier average deal size, is £5000.00 you would think I would be given a bonus or at least what I was told from the start. To me that is racism. No leads given to me, but to other colleagues. Then handing over one's own clients to other workers. I've brought in another deal of similar size and the bosses comments are "

next year I'll give you some smaller size deals don't focus on the big ones" confused2confused3confused2.

As soon as I know what I am doing I am leaving for a better organisation or set up on my own.smoking-devil.

The point is that we are in society that do'es not wish for us to succeed and if so then the goal posts must be changed. We are in a society that would prefer us to be minstrels:

Sports MenWomen

Singers

Entertainers

Criminal

Or integrated in the Public sector or Public Office.

The Cushines are an example of what and how Societies sees Black Men or Women in positions of Wealth and Power or influence and where they believe we belong.

Dada wrote: I can relate to some of the things you are saying, although my experience is down to share ignorance and lack of communication regarding myline manager.

I am a lone worker and have always beentold that my little project is an extention of a larger one not too far away, however, I have noticed that vital information only comes my way when a tragic incident has occured elsewhere, whenever I have asked my line manager for support he constantly produces reasonswhy things cannot happen this way - instead he provides me with masses and masses of policies to read, having worked there for almost4 months, I have just the other day been given my lone working policy, which came to me after an incident has happened elsewhere

Somthing happened at my project the other day and was really disgusted at the lack of knowledge other workers had regarding my place. I decided toe.mailed my line manager and cc'd other managers at the other project only to be mailed back by one of the other asian managers stating - if you have issues YOU need to speak with Your line manager and infact I'VE got issues with the way YOU are conductiong YOUR lone working policy. In a nut shell his e.mail said to me GIRL YOU ON YOUR OWN AND DONT EXPECT NO SUPPORT FROM NOBODY. I called up my agency and informed them 'GET ME OUTTA HERE IM A CELEB' (LOL) I've noticed I am working amongst people who are looking for the easiest person to blame when things go wrong, they dont business that certain info hs passed you by!

Now, I have sincedecided towait untilmid-January, I would have finishedstudyingby then, in the meantime take all I can gain from the project and as Dada stated - get the f*** out of there.

It can be very dis-heartening to find manager can behave in such ways, even more-so annoying to realise your Black manager is not doing his job - Damn fool manmad-moonie.

Anyway, I will take the positives out of this job as what I am doing will proppel me to greater positions elsewhere. I have alsolearnt to back myself up with e.mails (evidence) that I have been left isolated etc.

It's sadas I've spoken to friends andwhat I am going through sounds like the Norm in orgs...

Seems like so many people are struggling with the subtle politics of P.A.Y.E. Yep. We're definitely paying as we're earning.

Dada - sorry to hear that you're under it. Have always imagined the City, especially your line of work, to be quite a lonely place for a black person. Is that what you've found? What's hardest is that we can't just turn around and ask people outright why they're being unreasonable. Or, more directly, to spell out clearly what they actually mean! And, even when we're upfront about a specific task being an opportunity to develop and learn, they, sadly, get trapped in the idea that we're not good enough, or, more disturbingly, there's another colleague that deserves their input, time and expertise more than we do. Or, worse, you did the ground work but someone else will take the benefit. But, the most important thing is seeing it for what it is, keeping focused and making a planned move to something better. As I'm sure you know, so many of us end up losing the faith and trying to fight a lost battle or prove our worth to people who have already deemed us unworthy and can create more and more intricate obstacles to block our path.

Blessingfromgod - sorry to hear that you're under it too. Seems like some of the other managers were a bit pissed that you raised something with them that they felt should have been on a one on one with your manager. From what you say it seems like the issue you raised was valid but, in terms of the politics and culture of your office, they felt you should have dealt with it differently. The worse thing about emails is that they are written with one intent and recieved with a different interpretation. Your black manager may very well be a 'damn fool' and it's probably worth you arranging a meeting, clearly stating what you wish to discuss - focusing on the work objectives and not his incompetence or your feelings - and then sending him a follow up email stating the purpose of the meeting and listing the next steps. (Trust me - I've learned the hard way the cost of expressing my feelings or pointing out a manager's deficiencies!) He may genuinely be crap but, in the backgroundsomewhere, is another manager who let him get away with it and did nothing to improve his performance.

@blessingfromgod

Is your user name a translated nigerian name ?

@ both.

The e-mail thing is quite good, maintaining a record. Also I think having employment insurance, quite cheap usually comes as part of a package of other services from the bank at £15.00 pm, is essential ammo for such subtleties.

Generally I am direct. But it's all about timing.
That is so true.

I think the key is yes read the contract\work policy like a lawyer, have legal protection, keep notes on what's happening but more importantly as I say to my wife each and every day on her way to work: (in the worlds of Albert Finney in "Saturday Night\Sunday Morning")

"DON'T LET THE *******S.......................... GET YOU DOWN!!!!smoking-devil"

Useeme - thanks for your encouragement.

Dada - I am Nigerian bit username has no relation to my Yoruba name.

Useeme wrote - How does it work for you?
It doesn't, not this organisation. I've never know an org to lack the necessity and fundamental needsto circulate vitalinformationThe time is nigh - GET OUT