Most of my neighbors work for the same company.

19 Comments

1. AnonymousFebruary 23,2025 at 1:19PM UTC

   Move to a new neighborhood or get a new job!

2. AnonymousFebruary 23,2025 at 9:13PM UTC

   My home will be paid off in 1 year. Otherwise, I would. I am looking for another position.

3. Anna BrooksFebruary 23,2025 at 2:35PM UTC

   I think I would let him know. It’s disgusting and racial

4. Dameka LewisFebruary 23,2025 at 2:43PM UTC

   I would say something anonymously. The sales girl is trash that needs to be taken out.

5. AnonymousFebruary 23,2025 at 3:20PM UTC

   I don't see any advantage to doing anything or doing nothing. While the anonymous note to the HR director idea looks promising, I think it is risky if you are truly afraid of this person if she were to find out. If you choose the anonymous note route, it might be better to send it to Salesgirl informing her that the person she shouted the "N-word" to was the HR director of the company. One advantage to telling her directly, though, is that she knows you saw it happen. It could also be risky depending on her capabilities and what you anticipate you might do. Most of the time, especially in times like this, doing the right thing always comes with a measure of risk. I take it you don't live in a neighborhood that does block parties.

   Then, there is the option the first poster said: find another job and move.

6. AnonymousFebruary 23,2025 at 4:03PM UTC

   Stay out of it.

7. Nicole DellFebruary 25,2025 at 4:44PM UTC

   And that's why racist acts persist because 'people' don't want to get involved, even anonymously until it affects them.

8. AnonymousFebruary 23,2025 at 6:02PM UTC

   Sounds weird and possibly could turn into a real nasty situation. I like peace where I live. If your actions only cause it to escalate and will also draw you into what is not your business I’d stay out of it. Sit back and watch and if you are asked anything about it and can be helpful without getting into a fight with one of your neighbors do so. Otherwise steer clear.

9. JB09718February 23,2025 at 7:13PM UTC

   I think the root question to ask is would you get involved if workplace dynamics weren’t a factor? (Ex: HR director and family were just a regular family and salesgirl was just a regular person.) If you would still want to say something due to the hostile or uncomfortable living environment it’s creating, I would advise posting something like Nextdoor or whatever neighborhood group you have to voice your concerns. (You could phrase it generally or post specifics about the event anonymously.) I wouldn’t touch the workplace side of it. Assuming there was a code of conduct the salesgirl is violating, HR would be the ones to investigate and the affected person is the HR director. HR also maintains employee records so he could know who she is and might have already reported it or chosen not to report it. (I know at a director level he may not be well versed in the whereabouts of every employee especially for larger organizations but it wouldn’t be difficult for him to find out if he searched that address and all.)

10. AnonymousFebruary 23,2025 at 9:15PM UTC

    OP here, I failed to add: they both work from home. So when the disgusting act happened, they were both on company time.

11. AnonymousFebruary 24,2025 at 8:06PM UTC

    To the OP - I replied above about taking out the factor of colleagues. But I liked another poster's comment. Put the racist person on blast on your neighborhood app. Telling her this is not tolerated in this neighborhood or anywhere for that matter. I'm curious, how did you hear it? Were you outside, did she see you hear her? With 12 cameras, with a sound system anyone can hear, is obnoxious. She does not live in a castle with a moat. This is odd. But call her out. Noone likes a racist.

12. AnonymousFebruary 25,2025 at 2:57AM UTC

    So many great responses...

    I work in my garden on my lunch break, so I was outside in my side yard. There is a fence between the houses, so I wasn't seen.

    Honestly, I didn't know what to say, I was in shock. My first thought was "did this really happen?"

13. AnonymousFebruary 25,2025 at 2:02PM UTC

    I would be shocked too. If your neighborhood app has an anonymous feature, then post what you heard that they have cameras with a sound system built in and yelled racist remarks to a nearby neighbor. Lay low for sure as you have a pretty nasty neighbor and on top of that a coworker? If the HR Manager heard it and knows who lives there, they can certainly take it up with them, but if it were me, I'd make sure the neighborhood knows this is going on so they can pay more attention to it. Maybe this person will sell their house and leave. But make sure you do your due diligence. As we say here, if we see something we should say something.

14. AnonymousFebruary 23,2025 at 10:44PM UTC

    I'm tired of hearing about things like this. It's harassment pure and simple. To many dumb, incompetent and insecure managers working in these companies.

    I experienced this in the past when I had a manager who was threatened by me because she wasn't capable of doing my job but of course wanted to prove she was the boss. If you're the boss and secure in that you don't need to do silly things like this. Micromanagement is childish and proves incompetence and insecurity.

    Document everything and speak with an employment attorney since this is discriminatory being that you are the only person asked to do this. I wouldn't speak to HR until you get advice from an attorney because their job is to protect the company, not you but they should be aware of this as it is wrong and bound to happen again.

15. AnonymousFebruary 24,2025 at 2:02AM UTC

    Take these people as your colleagues out of the picture. You live next to a coworker (sales girl) who is a rascist. Is this the environment you want to live or raise children? Sell your house and move. 12 cameras really? Sounds like a bit overboard. I’d keep my distance, let them duke it out and perhaps seek a new job and find your way into a better neighborhood.

16. AnonymousFebruary 24,2025 at 2:34PM UTC

    Why any of us tolerate racists baffles me! I suppose if you took race out of it and it was, say, a middle aged male neighbor yelling harassing obscenities at a younger white female colleague, people here might have a different opinion.

    There should be no tolerance for racists at all.

    Are you fearful if you say something the hateful person will harm you? What is your companies policy about racism? A chat with HR could help you navigate this. But harassment is harassment and ignoring it allows it to persist.

17. Maggie SoldanoFebruary 24,2025 at 2:48PM UTC

    I would deal with this as neighbors not coworkers. Tell your neighbor you witnessed the event and ask them if they are okay. Let them know that you support them and ask how you can help. They may ask for your support to document the harassment or just appreciate the solidarity. Racism is unacceptable and harassment is illegal. See how they want to move forward.

18. AnonymousFebruary 24,2025 at 3:46PM UTC

    As an HR manager, this sounds like an absolute nightmare everyone living in such close proximity to one another! Here's the thing, we can be crafty, he can most certainly figure it out without you helping it along. That said, do you belong to NextDoor or a neighborhood Facebook group or anything? I'd anonymously put this neighbor on blast. No HOA at play here that would prohibit offense flags?

19. AnonymousFebruary 25,2025 at 11:41PM UTC

    Not as great a risk as my coworker faces being harassed for the color of their skin. I will go down in flames with them, rather than work next to a racist with my head down and my mouth shut while somebody suffers that kind of abuse.