Bias and mental health in the workplace
3 min read · Oct 6, 2023
New Power Labs
Tl;dr: As pushback against equity work grows, the energy spent having to convince and defend lived experiences is taking a toll on mental health.
The spring of 2020 delivered a critical turning point for the advancement of racial equity and justice globally. Catalyzed by the Black Lives Matter movement, institutions worked with the intention of increasing workplace inclusion, embedding broad diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Three years on, while commitments have grown, so has pushback. Energy spent having to convince, defend, or speak on behalf of a group can take a serious toll on employees from underrepresented communities, leading to increased feelings of isolation and exclusion, reduced self-esteem, burnout, decreased job satisfaction, fear of retaliation, and diminished trust. Employees and workplace advocates, especially those from underrepresented communities, are particularly vulnerable to pushback.
Consulting firm Gartner reports that 44% of employees say their colleagues feel alienated by their organisation’s equity efforts, while 42% report that their peers view these efforts as divisive and resent them. While Canadian data on the health impacts of racism are limited, global research shows discrimination is an underlying contributor to health disparities for non-dominant groups.
Equity work is hard work, and it’s important to protect those most vulnerable to push-back.
Harvard Business Review recommended three investments that organizations should make to move beyond ambition towards action with a systemic approach, taking the onus off individual employees: connect strategy to the right accountability partners, support equity, diversity and inclusion leaders, and collect and analyze the right data. Together with a strong network of capital depoyers, we’re working on this systemic change. Join us.
Contributed by: Tracy Dusabimana
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