Workplaces across the globe are trying to eliminate discrimination and embrace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) within their cultures. Discrimination appears in many forms and is expressed in different ways, one such being – MICROAGGRESSIONS. An essential but often overlooked element in creating inclusive workplaces is to recognize and address microaggressions.
Most of the workforce in the United States has experienced Microaggression at work disguised in the form of a compliment, a harmless joke, or even a casual comment about an individual’s appearance.
Microaggressions mostly emerge from deeply rooted biases as a result of an individual’s upbringing and the cultural environment they have been exposed to. This includes personal experiences and perspectives that have developed based on various cultural elements, influences, and factors shaping a person’s worldview, values, beliefs, and behaviors.
WHAT IS MICROAGGRESSION?
Microaggressions are everyday subtle yet insensitive verbal or non-verbal actions, remarks, statements, and often assumptions directed towards a marginalized person or a group (like people of color, women, LGBTQIA+ community). These acts are usually unintentional but related to an individual’s race, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, social class, religion, or disability status.
Although labeled as “micro,” these “not-so-micro” instances, when allowed to accumulate, can significantly impact an individual’s emotional well-being, sense of security, and self-confidence.
Microaggressions would be perceived differently depending on the person’s situation, personal relationship, delivery tone, history, context, and several other factors.
To address microaggression in the workplace, the first step is to create awareness about its existence. The more individuals educate themselves about microaggressions, the better they become at identifying these instances. Such awareness creates a safe environment for everyone to reflect on their actions, biases, and behavior.
Read more: 5 Ways to Promote Cultural Diversity in the Workplace
EXAMPLE OF MICROAGGRESSIONS
In the workplace, microaggressions can emerge within a wide range of conversations and situations. For instance: selecting an individual from an under-represented group solely to showcase diversity rather than the basis of their skills or qualifications. Similarly, within the customer service industry, callers insist on interacting with someone of a particular nationality only. Making causal remarks about people’s age within a team can carry implicit implications, suggesting that they might be too new/young to be trusted with responsibilities or perhaps too old/experienced to adapt to new technology.
Let’s see how microaggressions can be classified on the basis of different factors –
a.) Racial –
- Where are you really from?
- Your English is quite good for being an immigrant.
- You don’t act/sound white or black?
- Why are your people so loud and dramatic always?
- Expecting someone of an Asian descent to be good in Mathematics or Science.
b.) Gender –
- Assuming women to take up the “office housework” like organizing parties or completing the admin work
- A female constantly being interrupted while speaking in a meeting.
- Comments on women about being overly emotional and sensitive.
- Dismissing a man’s request for paternity leave.
c.) Sexual Orientation –
- Asking personal questions about someone’s sexual orientation at a workplace.
- Making offensive comments – That’s so gay! or You don’t look/sound gay!
- Assuming heteronormative culture – Do you have a husband/wife?
- Disregarding an employee’s preferred pronouns or consistently misgendering them.
d.) Age –
- Remarks to older employees – Do you even know how to use TikTok? and younger employees – You’ve done well for someone your age!
- Addressing and categorizing people based on generational labels such as Gen Z, Millennials, and Boomers within a team.
- Drafting job descriptions using age-related biased words such as “experienced”, “qualified”, or “recently graduated”.
These are just a few common examples. Microaggressions can also occur based on an individual’s religion, social class, disability, and Neurodiversity. Recognizing the diverse ways in which microaggressions occur is essential for fostering a respectful workplace culture. By addressing and eliminating microaggressions across all dimensions, we can work towards creating a truly inclusive environment for everyone.
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HOW TO ADDRESS MICROAGRRESSIONS
Addressing microaggressions requires an equal balance between advocating for oneself and maintaining a conducive work environment while still making an impact and supporting change.
To truly address microaggressions, workplaces must adopt a proactive approach. Here are a few strategies to consider:
- Educate & Train: Build an atmosphere of learning by sensitively educating employees about microaggressions and how to avoid them. Organize Unconscious Bias Training and open conversations to raise awareness about the impact of their words, actions, and behaviors.
Address Microaggressions at Work with Unconscious Bias Training
This Training will help you understand what unconscious bias is, how it affects our decisions and how do we manage it at our workplace. Unconscious Bias Workplace Training helps participants gain a deeper understanding of why it occurs and what actions can be taken to mitigate its consequences.
- Speak Up: If you see microaggression happening to someone at work, you can help by addressing the situation. Use your voice to stand up for what’s right and to promote inclusive language. You can calmly say, “That’s not fair or kind. Let’s treat everyone with respect.”
- Express Impact: By sharing how microaggressions make them feel, individuals can personalize the experience and help others realize the tangible harm caused by seemingly harmless comments.
- Continuous learning: Keep learning about different cultures, identities, and experiences. Doing so will enhance your understanding of the diversity present within your workplace and avoid unintentional microaggressions.
- Set Boundaries: Politely but firmly communicate your discomfort. “I would prefer if you refrained from commenting on my appearance or anything personal during work discussions.”
- Report it: Establish clear channels for reporting and addressing microaggressions confidentially, ensuring that individuals feel safe speaking up.
Microaggressions may be subtle, but their impact is quite significant. Being aware of microaggressions and working through them each day is crucial to building an inclusive and culturally strong workplace. It can have a changing effect on our mental health and well-being at work. Promoting inclusive cultures that support people’s growth doesn’t happen instantly. Rather it is an ongoing journey of learning, growing, and evolving.
Want to learn more about diversity, equity and inclusion?
Workplace diversity is about identifying differences and embracing them regardless of your ethnicity, culture, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and sexual identity to foster an inclusive work environment. DEI Training for The Workforce training will take a deep dive into acceptable and unacceptable workplace attitudes and behaviours, interactive exercises to gain a practical understanding of how to build a supportive workforce.
