‘It’s dehumanizing’: Home Depot employee felt colleague’s racist remarks were like a punch in the face

A Stoney Creek Home Depot employee says he felt dehumanized on the job because of racist remarks, and by the company's response once he complained.

Joel Bereket, a tool rental associate at the Stone Church Road East home improvement store, said the incident happened in August when a Black colleague started a tool rental contract with an Indigenous man.

The next day, a different colleague, who was white, closed the contract and the Indigenous customer left the store.

Then he said, (The associate) is Black, he's Native, what is this? Cowboys and (N-word)," Bereket said of the white colleague. He said it pretty loud, too ... loud enough to be heard in the next aisle."

Bereket, 26, said he was in shock." He said he quickly left the desk and went to a cleaning room at the back of the store to vent his frustration. He said the white colleague later approached Bereket to apologize, and Bereket told him to get away from him."

It was like someone punched you really hard in the face and you kind of got dazed," he said. I had so many emotions going through my head."

Home Depot has condemned the language used and has said they are still investigating the incident, which Bereket only complained of recently.

Bereket said he didn't speak out at the time, fearing the colleague might lose his job and have his reputation destroyed."

That changed in late May, he said.

On one of their busiest" days amid COVID-19, Bereket said he was working alone without a lunch break, while the same colleague who said the N-word was delegating breaks and scheduling shifts.

It came to a point where I realized, this man doesn't care about me," Bereket said. And I was like, Why am I protecting somebody who doesn't care about me?'"

The recent protests against anti-Black racism and the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police in the United States prompted him to report the incident on May 25, he said, realizing the power of this voice."

Bereket said the colleague admitted making the remarks. An investigation was launched on May 25. Bereket said he was told the investigation wrapped up on June 17.

To Bereket, it appeared as though there had been no consequences, and he was back to working alongside the associate as though nothing had been done.

Basically, what they're saying is, Everyone gets one free card,'" he said. It's dehumanizing ... I might as well not even have said anything."

However, when contacted by The Hamilton Spectator, Home Depot Canada spokesperson Paul Berto said as part of their standard" process, while the case may have appeared closed on June 17, it continued through our escalation process for additional review last week, where we immediately moved to take further action."

He did not specify what further action" would be, or what resulted from the initial investigation.

In the statement June 24, he said Home Depot Canada wants to be clear that the language used was and is completely unacceptable."

He added that they continue to actively investigate this situation and the processes that took place," to ensure they have the ability to maintain a safe and inclusive environment" for their employees.

We stand by our comments on racial equality and justice and we take them very seriously," said Berto.

Bereket said Wednesday that he was made aware that upper management was continuing to review the incident.

I'm happy they're looking back into it," said Bereket. But until something actually happens, I'm not holding my breath."

Bereket said even with a renewed look at the process, the incident and what unfolded over the course of the following eight months was another example of the double consciousness" Black folks carry with them.

I had to think about his well being and my well being at the same time," said Bereket. They don't understand what it feels like to be Black or to think of other people."

Bereket said he also felt that by not saying anything earlier, he could have indirectly killed Breonna Taylor and George Floyd" by allowing anti-Black racism to be tolerated" and to fester."

I'm allowing Black people to be dehumanized for the sake of a white person, so that they don't feel uncomfortable. But, I felt uncomfortable the whole time."

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email: fhewitt@thespec.com