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If a person out of their own initiative want to accept an apology, that is fine. But expecting employees to indulge such behavior is not fair, or acceptable eve

If a person out of their own initiative want to accept an apology, that is fine. But expecting employees to indulge such behavior is not fair, or acceptable even. The US has had: slavery, racial segregation, ethnic cleansing, forced depopulation, extrajudicial killings (e.g: hangings, lynchings), compulsory sterilization, racial profiling/police brutality, mass incarceration, with the latter resulting in loss of voting rights. Thanksgiving day 2016 was being celebrated while people at Standing Rock were being tear-gassed... and that is only domestically. What enabled a lot of that has been racial discrimination. If someone that has been discriminated doesn't want to accept an apology that is fine. At some moment you need to draw a line and racial discrimination is a reasonable criteria for that. South Africa, the country Elon is originally from, had institutionalized racial segregation until 1991. He should know first hand there difference between being a racist and being a jerk. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allport%27s_Scale https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allport%27s_Scale

vlehto 9y ago
But what happens when employee is not accepting apology from another employee? Does not sound like team spirit. So do you fire another one? Dissolve that team? That sounds very costly. If I was employer and had to abide by that, any work location would only have employees of single race and gender. Prevention is likely to be cheaper than dealing with the possible consequences. But then we immediately arrive second level of Allport's Scale...
- partycoder 9y ago
  What is more costly is allowing that behavior to become tolerated and normal, affect employees' morale, ruin the culture, affect the company's reputation, etc. It can also get the company sued. Take a look at EEO laws. You also seem to be forgetting the fact that people don't have to insult or antagonize each other in order to be successful. If anything that is neurotic behavior that is negatively correlated with career success.
nwah1 9y ago
You're reading a whole lot into the statement. And from the statement, it seems that he may have been referring to a conflict between two different minority groups each using derogatory language. If your employees are doing that to each other, asking them to accept apologies seems reasonable. What alternative course is there? Firing everyone on the spot?
- partycoder 9y ago
  Firing is not the only administrative action available to an employer. You can also issue a formal warning, send the employee to training, etc. Then, if it happens again, fire the employee. All depending on what the impact was.

vlehto 9y ago

But what happens when employee is not accepting apology from another employee? Does not sound like team spirit. So do you fire another one? Dissolve that team? That sounds very costly. If I was employer and had to abide by that, any work location would only have employees of single race and gender. Prevention is likely to be cheaper than dealing with the possible consequences. But then we immediately arrive second level of Allport's Scale...

partycoder 9y ago
What is more costly is allowing that behavior to become tolerated and normal, affect employees' morale, ruin the culture, affect the company's reputation, etc. It can also get the company sued. Take a look at EEO laws. You also seem to be forgetting the fact that people don't have to insult or antagonize each other in order to be successful. If anything that is neurotic behavior that is negatively correlated with career success.

nwah1 9y ago

You're reading a whole lot into the statement. And from the statement, it seems that he may have been referring to a conflict between two different minority groups each using derogatory language. If your employees are doing that to each other, asking them to accept apologies seems reasonable. What alternative course is there? Firing everyone on the spot?

partycoder 9y ago
Firing is not the only administrative action available to an employer. You can also issue a formal warning, send the employee to training, etc. Then, if it happens again, fire the employee. All depending on what the impact was.