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The weird hierarchy game of HR and race

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The weird hierarchy game of HR and race

IDSC December Exclusive: The chicken costume that made me give up on contacting HR

Shamontiel L. Vaughn
Nov 14, 2022
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The weird hierarchy game of HR and race

idoseecolor.substack.com
Photo credit: RODNAE Productions/Pexels

Human Resources has always been a peculiar space in Corporate America — for me. Sometimes it is a safe ground where employees can air their grievances, and the HR rep will play the mediator between subordinate and supervisor. Then there’s the time my workplace report was greeted by an HR rep, who pulled out his smartphone to show me his friend wearing a chicken costume and told me I needed to learn to “play the game.”

I fully understand why so many black remote workers refuse to go back to their old jobs after the spring of 2020.

I quit that job shortly after, filed for unemployment and even the judge who took my case (after the company refused unemployment) was dumbfounded by the chicken costume antics. I represented myself in court, won the case and received unemployment. I suppose that should’ve felt victorious. I could’ve gone without the experience altogether.

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