Race Discrimination?? My accent

[lau_lau73]

Hello,

 

I've been going through a selection progress to be a recruitment consultant at a well known recruitment company in South Wales. The interview with the branch manager went really well despite me not having a great deal of experience in the field.

I got through to a second interview with the MD (the branch is franchised from the main company) which went well until the following happened;

 

The MD mentioned my accent (I'm originally from Birmingham but moved to South Wales a few months ago) saying that people will not like it. That the further west you go, the more people will not talk to you.

 

He identified 3 main problems that I have;

 

a) I don't drive - something that I have said I will learn as soon as I can afford it.

b) I don't know the area that well, something you can only learn by driving - I said that is something I will learn alongside the driving.

c) My accent.

 

He then told me that I would be better off getting another job, getting a car, moving back to Birmingham and getting a recruitment job there.

 

I know that if I don't get the role, I will be told that it is due to my lack of experience but would this class as racial discrimination and would I have a leg to stand on?

 

Surely it's not right to be spoken to in this way - do you think i am being discriminated against?

 

Any help or advice would be grately appreciated!!

 

Thanks in advance.

[Ell-enn]

Hi there, just a few questions so I can get a bit of background.

 

Was a driving licence and knowledge of the area a requirement for the job? i.e. in the advert or job description?

 

With regard to discrimination there is some useful information here:Discrimination in recruitment and selection | Business Link

 

 

although it is written for employers it gives a good overview of what is classed as discrimination in recruitment.

 

Kind Regards

 

Ell-enn

[lau_lau73]

Hiya,

 

Thanks for the reply. The employer actually found my CV on the internet and approached me about the vacancy, i did check their website to look at the job description and it does not state that knowledge of the local area, nor a driving licence would be required.

 

Do you think this counts as discrimination?

 

Cheers

[Ell-enn]

Hi, to be honest, it's a very difficult thing to prove. When a position is advertised and applicants invited for interview the employer will (should) measure them against a person specification. If, for example, 2 candidates meet the specification, but one has extra qualities which would enhance the position then it is likely they would be recruited.

 

If you do not get the job, write and ask for feedback and see what they say.

 

Kind Regards

 

Ell-enn

[cal37]

Making this out to be racial discrimination would be really hard. The law does not consider you to be English, Scottish or welsh etc but British. That is what’s stated on your passport.

 

There have been cases where the above was stated for cases of racial discrimination to be thrown out. However in 2005/2004 there was a case against Edinburgh city council, where an Englishman working as a bin collector won his case of racial discrimination because his co workers acted in an anti English way.

 

I would say its not worth the expense of taking it down the racial discrimination route in all honesty.

[GlasweJen]

Aren't speech impediments covered by DDA? I know it's not an impediment but an accent but I think it might have a shot (a long shot but still a shot) at race discrimination, anti-english attitude by a welsh employer?? I'd call ACAS and ask for their advice before dismissing this entirely.

[Guest Gertie100]

As Ell-ann says up there, always go for feedback to find out why. Also ask the question with regards to the driving - if it was that important then it should be listed on the job spec.

 

Personally they don't sound like the sort of company you should want to work for and this attitude is very short sighted... my first recruitment role was in Bedfordshire and the fact that I had a south wales accent worked in my favour with my clients because I was instantly recognisable on the phone, and it set me apart from all the other agencies trying to get their business.

If you are really interested in recruitment then look to other agencies...

 

By the way where in South Wales was the agency?

[Weird Al Yankovic]

Making this out to be racial discrimination would be really hard. The law does not consider you to be English, Scottish or welsh etc but British. That is what’s stated on your passport.

 

 

Not the case.

 

I myself won an ET for Race Discrimination whilst in Royal Mail and to be 'Welsh' was clearly defined by them as a seperate distinct ethnic group as the vast majority of those who made my life hell were English.

 

Also, one can be British but may also be a Sikh, Jewish or a gypsy etc.

 

To the OP. It may be that the interviewer was being just brutally honest.

 

West Welsh, like the North of Wales, can be very unhelpful and make an 'outsiders' life difficult if they are so inclined.

 

Not all will be like this but I myself have come across this despite being Welsh too. (But not a prolific Welsh speaker)

 

It would be tough for you to prove what the interviewer said was racist, especially as it was only said at a meeting between yourselves.

 

He might just turn it around and say he mentioned that some of the general public in a particular area may make life tough for you and would you feel comfortable with that as a general observation in an interview.

[cal37]

Not the case.

 

I myself won an ET for Race Discrimination whilst in Royal Mail and to be 'Welsh' was clearly defined by them as a seperate distinct ethnic group as the vast majority of those who made my life hell were English.

 

Also, one can be British but may also be a Sikh, Jewish or a gypsy etc.

 

To the OP. It may be that the interviewer was being just brutally honest.

 

West Welsh, like the North of Wales, can be very unhelpful and make an 'outsiders' life difficult if they are so inclined.

 

Not all will be like this but I myself have come across this despite being Welsh too. (But not a prolific Welsh speaker)

 

It would be tough for you to prove what the interviewer said was racist, especially as it was only said at a meeting between yourselves.

 

He might just turn it around and say he mentioned that some of the general public in a particular area may make life tough for you and would you feel comfortable with that as a general observation in an interview.

 

 

If you read the rest of the post i stated that a case has in fact been won on these grounds.

[advisee]

This is perhaps something to check in more detail, but as others have stated, discrimination on the grounds of national origin is certainly an offence. I'm wondering whether terms like Pom, brummie, scouser could be seen in the same light as nigger, saffa, paki, jock etc.... and I expect that they could be.

 

However this isn't a derogatary term, just reference to where someone is from and what their accent is...

 

It could certainly make for an interesting case, were it to go all the way...

[cal37]

I think the problem is that terms like Pom, Brummie, scouser etc is considered normal banter. Now terms like paki, nigger etc etc have been named as offensive in a racial way.

Name calling bulling etc in the work place is wrong, discrimination on the grounds of national origin is wrong but proving where its discrimination or just leg pulling is the difficult one.

[Miss_Dior]

well...either way good luck to you if you can take it further, seen as the company approched YOU. I think its really bad that so late on in the day they mention the 3 reasons youve listed.