When I hear a manager or a interm manager calling someone an associate it’s like nails on a chalkboard. It makes me so angry that I have a hard time even listening to what the say. The only “leaders” who say that are the pandemic panic (white unqualified people who were promoted so they wouldn’t get laid off NOT talking about race) and they are doing it to prove to themselves they are in their positions for a reason.
The role associate is the lowest level in my department and now they call us all associates no matter what our actual title is.