Need to know

Q I really like my line-manager, but she regularly says things which I think she probably shouldn’t. For example, a couple of weeks ago she had a rant about old people, and she often makes rude comments about the Welsh. However, she always does it in a humorous way, and it makes lots of people in the office laugh. She is white (I am not), and I don’t want to complain and get branded as being too PC.

A Your boss probably has no idea she is making you and possibly others feel uncomfortable. She clearly doesn’t know that older people are disproportionately unemployed and underemployed. That there are eight times as many older workers out of work for more than twelve months, than younger workers¹. Equally she probably doesn’t know that the Race Discrimination Act applies to Brits, White, Black, Welsh or otherwise, either. She also sounds like a good boss doing her best.
Unfortunately, what you are describing is a common symptom of a bigger problem. Most people do not challenge what are, on the face of it, minor incidents or attitudes, often prejudice disguised as humour. They wait until they can’t stand the atmosphere or ‘jokes’ any longer and then leave. The minor incidents combine and become part of an institutionalised mechanism that ensures some people, usually minorities, are kept firmly out. This is the reason, for example, that there are hardly any women in the board rooms of top companies. It simply becomes too tiring to keep fighting. Are you concerned about being seen as PC, or of annoying your boss and facing the possible consequences?
Consider the risks to yourself first and then the risks to the business. If you decide to tell your boss how you feel, she may well be angry and embarrassed. Equally, she may reflect, choose her words with a little more care and consider the impact on others too. Only you can judge this based on how she behaves around you and others. What is the rest of the organisation like? If you think your concerns will be ignored or that you could become a target of further ‘jokes’, then do not approach your boss. Is there anyone else you trust that you could speak to in confidence? Perhaps even someone in a different department who could pass on your concerns anonymously to a more senior person. Failing this you could seek informal advice from a friendly employment lawyer. Most will offer a free ten-minute chat at no cost. This should help you to gain some confidence even if you decide not to take things any further.