In today’s climate of heightened awareness about racial injustice and sexual harassment, workplaces across the globe are making unprecedented efforts with diversity training in the workplace. These efforts hope to reduce incidences of or eradicate racism, sexual harassment, and other harmful behaviors that can lead to employee turnover, brand damage, and costly lawsuits.
Perhaps more difficult to remove entirely are workplace microaggressions. These behaviors or statements don’t necessarily have harmful intent. However, microaggressions in the workplace do inflict insult or injury, often unknowingly, which is why microaggressions training is important for every business.
The term was first coined after the Civil Rights era in the late 1960s and 1970s. During this time, more visible and violent racist acts were replaced by subtler manifestations like microaggressions in the workplace. Today, microaggression has become a common buzzword in the social justice arena.
What are Microaggressions in the Workplace?
Many employees struggle to define or even recognize these microaggressions in the workplace. Unless you’ve been a victim of them or have had sensitivity training in the workplace, they can be tricky to pinpoint.
Microaggressions can be similar to implicit biases, in that they can be easy to miss except by those that are directly impacted by them. In other cases, they may be related to the different types of unconscious bias existing in the workplace.
Examples of Microaggressions in the Workplace
Here are some examples. See if any of these are familiar to you!
|
Theme |
Microaggression |
Message |
|
Alien in own land |
“So, where are you from?” |
You are a foreigner |
|
A White person does not want to acknowledge race |
“When I look at you, I don’t see color.” |
Denying a person of color’s racial/ethnic experience |
|
The notion that the values and communication styles of the dominant/White culture are the ideal/”norm” |
“Why are you so quiet? We want to hear what you think. Speak up more!” |
Assimilate to the dominant culture |
|
A statement made when bias is denied |
“I’m not racist. I have several Black friends!” |
I could never be racist because I have friends of color |
|
Statements that assert that race or gender does not play a role in life successes |
“I believe the most qualified person should get the job!” |
People of color are given extra unfair benefits because of their race |
|
White dominant society expect Black folks to be less competent |
“You’re so articulate or well-spoken.” |
This remark suggests that they assumed that the person would be less articulate and are surprised to find out that they aren’t |
Microaggressions at Work
These microaggressions can cause frustration, self-doubt, and anxiety. Unlike macroaggressions – these large-scale, hidden aggressions that mostly occur at the systems level – microaggressions are interpersonal. They usually happen in workplace settings. This means that they’re perpetrated by people you know and in settings you should be comfortable and feel safe in. That’s why giving your employees programs such as microaggression training is especially valuable to any business.
How to Deal With Microaggression in the Workplace
If you’re commonly on the receiving end of microaggressions, it can be exhausting. How do you disarm them without exceeding your emotional bandwidth? Oftentimes, many believe that they are used as teachable moments. Ultimately, the goal is to create a truly inclusive and respectful workplace for everyone. The solution to microaggressions in the workplace is to ensure that your efforts include diversity e-learning that focuses on workplace microaggression training.
Workplace Microaggressions Training FAQs
How can I train my employees about microaggressions at work?
Many of these microaggressions exist because of a lack of awareness, which leads to these negative subconscious comments. Microaggression training creates a culture of respect in a diverse and inclusive workplace.
What is an example of microaggression at work?
An example of a behavioral microaggression can be an insensitive remark or a problem action that plays into stereotypes about someone’s race, ethnicity, or gender. This could be mistaking a team member for a service worker.
What is taught in microaggression training?
During microaggression training, team members learn how to identify microaggressions at work and how to commit to challenging themselves and others to eliminate them from the workplace.