When being sacked is not just about our performance at work

When Kwasi Kwateng (former Chancellor) was sacked, it came as no surprise to Black people. The recent news in the UK Government is troubling time for us all. The cost of living increases, energy price rises and post-Pandemic struggles are creating alot of uncertainty. Now we know that he made alot of bad decisions. Should he have been given the job in the first place? That’s truly debatable! But the main thing that stands out for alot of us Black people is noticing how Kwasi didn’t make these decisions alone, but yet he is the only one to lose his job.

Kwasi being sacked was not a surprise

This is the pattern that Black people have witnessed and endured in the workplace for centuries. Whether it’s in retail, in an office, service sectors or others, alot of us Black people have been in this position. Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t joined the Kwasi sympathy committee! But we know that pain of looking around and seeing your white counterparts being rewarded with promotions and pay rises for mediocre and sometimes a poor work performance. While we are repeatedly rejected for promotions or our efforts are overlooked.

Poor performance by white counterparts – yet they are promoted

When the work project has failed, we find our work unfairly scrutinised. Or our decisions are second guessed leaving us filled with doubt. Sometimes we’re then fearful. Then we see following all this, the manager who signed off the project and/or contributed to the decisions made removes them self from the problems. Suddenly it seems as if they are unaware of the problems, even though they were kept informed from the start. No matter how many emails or phone calls you had with the manager, the Black person receives their P45 and the manager stays employed.

This may seem like a simplified way of looking at things. I know he made alot of poor decisions. But as I said before, he didn’t do this alone. So it’s unclear how Liz Truss can separate herself from the disastrous and destructive mini budget.

What will it change for us?

For the UK, these are truly unpredictable times. For us Black people at work, this unfair treatment continues to be a regular occurrence. We’ve seen shifts and with more of us making progress in our careers, along with EDI programmes there are some improvements. But until our colour is no longer a factor in how we are treated at work, this will not be the last Black person pushed out of the workplace because of their race, while the poorly performing white person continues to progress.

#Afrowomanonline #Blackpeopleatwork #Kwasisacking #Liz&Kwasi