Tackling Microagressions in the Workplace
Microaggressions stemming from conscious or unconscious verbal and non-verbal racism can have damaging effects on one’s self esteem, confidence and mental health. It also decreases feelings of job satisfaction. Individuals on the receiving end of microaggressions are less likely to speak up at work or contribute ideas and this directly prevents diverse perspectives from being shared, creating a culture where people feel scared to make change. So, how can you as an employer work to ensure this cycle ceases to occur in your organization? LD Human Resources offers several practical tips to help.
By Christina Foggia
A white manager says to a black employee, “Your hair is so big today! I can never keep up with your hairstyles.” Someone at work asks their co-worker, “But, where are you really from?” A white employee in a meeting says, “Well, I think anyone can succeed in society if they work hard enough.” What do these statements have in common? They are all examples of racial microaggressions. According to Forbes, microaggressions are everyday verbal or nonverbal indignities, whether intentional or not, that communicate hostile, derogatory or negative slights and insults to a target person or group.
In workplaces around the world, people are finally beginning to talk about issues such as racism, injustices and inclusion, bringing heightened awareness and allowing anti-racist changes to be made within organizations. These conversations can be uncomfortable, because doing so requires people to look within themselves, confronting their own biases and the ways they may perpetuate negative stereotypes. Before an organization can transform, change begins with the behaviours of its people. Employers and employees must consider their daily person-to-person interactions and ask themselves if they are contributing to a damaging culture where microaggressions are the norm, or helping to create a diverse, culturally rich and supportive environment to work.
Psychologist Derald Wing Sue and his colleagues identified three main types of microaggresions: microassaults, microinsults and microinvalidations. Microassaults are purposeful racist behaviours or slurs, or the use of racist symbols. They are deliberate ways of displaying racism, such as making a racist joke. Microinsults are rude and insensitive comments that demean one’s racial identity. They are subtle, and contain a hidden insulting message that can even be unseen by the microaggressor. For example, a white candidate up for a job promotion tells a prospective black candidate, “I believe the most qualified person should get the job, regardless of race.” This implies the possibility that the black employee may get the position just because he or she is black. Finally, microinvalidations are communications that negate or invalidate the feelings and experiences of a person of colour. An example being a comment such as, “I don’t see colour,” implying that a person will not hold another’s blackness against them, as if ignoring their colour is something that would benefit the person of colour.
Individuals on the receiving end of microaggressions are less likely to speak up at work or contribute ideas. This directly prevents diverse perspectives from being shared, creating a culture where people feel scared to make change.
Microaggressions are often ignored and rarely addressed in the workplace because they bring about fear in the person experiencing it. A fear of a “he said, she said” situation” could prevent them from coming forward, and since microaggressions are often small and subtle, employees may be afraid of coming across as overly sensitive. Also, when people do come forward, they are sometimes gaslighted into believing there is not a real problem, and that they are over-reacting.
The reality is that microaggressions can have damaging effects on one’s self esteem, confidence and mental health. It also decreases feelings of job satisfaction. Individuals on the receiving end of microaggressions thus become less likely to speak up at work or contribute ideas. This directly prevents diverse perspectives from being shared, creating a culture where people feel scared to make change.
So, how can you as an employer work to ensure this cycle ceases to occur in your organization?
Face your own biases
Ask yourself, “Have I made, encouraged or tolerated microaggressions at work?” As a leader, your staff will model your behaviour. Confronting the ways in which you may have allowed microaggressions to persist is necessary to change the values, attitudes and communications within your organization.
Call out individuals who exhibit microaggressions
Gone are the days of sweeping racist jokes and “subtle” demeaning comments under the rug. Now is the time to tell people that microaggressions are simply unacceptable, and have no place in your organization. Your employees should be accountable for their words and behaviours, and calling them out can deter microaggressions from being exhibited.
Have an open-door policy
You want to ensure employees feel comfortable coming forward with their experiences of microaggressions. It is impossible to see and hear every interaction your employees have, so if racism is occurring while you are not around, your employees should feel that they can tell you about it. Create a safe, judgement-free space to ensure instances of racism are not kept a secret.
Educate those around you
Share information about microagressions with your employees, co-workers and higher level management. They may not be fully aware of the different types of microaggressions, or know examples of them. Be a knowledge resource and an advocate for continuous learning in the office.
As you begin tackling microaggressions in your workplace, it is important to remember that microaggressions are a symptom of larger systemic problems that plague our society.
When we confront others about their use of microaggressions, we must try to criticize the microgaggresion itself rather than the microaggressor. Focus on how that person’s statement made someone feel, rather than the fact that they made a mistake (something humans are all bound to do). Educating others about how certain actions have a negative impact is a much more productive goal than assigning blame, shame or punishment.
The team at LD Human Resources is here to support employers as they navigate building a more inclusive workplace. We welcome you to reach out anytime for a complimentary consultation.
About the Author
Christina is a recent graduate of the Schulich School of Business, specializing in Organizational Studies. She plans to pursue a full-time career in Human Resources, and obtain a CHRP designation.
She is highly motivated, hard working and eager to learn and gain experience in the field of Human Resources. Her growth mindset, wide range of work and volunteer experience in financial services, customer service, law and education provide her with a vast array of transferable skills in her current role as HR Administrator. She also manages the social media pages for LD Human Resources and lends an aesthetic design eye to everything she touches.