The year is 2020 and the workplace is not a safe space for every person.
Don't believe us? Just look at the news. Reports of workplace inequality are rampant. Aside from that. The Supreme Court only just passed a ruling making it illegal for an employer to terminate someone because they're homosexual or transgender.
If you’ve never had to give a thought to whether your workplace is a safe space, then you should read this article. Why? Because you can do the work to help.
We spend a majority of our waking hours at work—whether working remotely, commuting to an office, or engaging in physical labor for dozens of hours every week.
Imagine if that workspace you enter—the space that provides your livelihood, pays your bills, and supports your family—is not a safe space for you. Imagine that you don't feel that your voice is heard or that you can't speak up about things that are important to you. Imagine fearing that—in speaking up—you could be jeopardizing your job and your career. According to a study by Quantum Workplace, only 39 percent of employees feel comfortable being emotionally transparent around executive/senior leadership.
Some individuals don't have to imagine these things because they are very real. Here are three ways you can help the underrepresented, unheard, and underserved employees in your workplace—and in your life as a whole.
Be an Ally
Ally and allyship have become pretty general terms—and ones that can lose meaning without being done correctly. An ally is—among other things, a friend, a listener, an open-minded sounding board, and someone who is always open and willing to acknowledge and change their own prejudices. Allyship is more than simply saying, "I'm with you and I hear you." It's saying "I'm with you, I hear you, and here's how I'm going to enact change."
To be a real ally, you have to lean into your own discomfort. When something seemingly doesn’t apply to you, it’s not reacting with “Well, that can’t be right, because, in my experience…” An ally always lends an empathetic ear, recognizes mistakes, and learns to empathize and relate to them rather than to explain them away.
To be an ally is to be uncomfortable. To be an ally is to act with extreme empathy. So, how do you enact allyship in the workplace?
- Acknowledge your own blind spots. We all have blind spots—and even with the best intentions, we always will. Acknowledge your blind spots. When you slip up or make a misstep, abandon your usual defense and own up to your mistakes. This is how we learn. This is how we continue to learn. Learning is a lifelong process.
- Get uncomfortable. Acting as an ally won't always be comfortable and feel-good. In fact, it might be just the opposite. It might make you feel guilt and shame. While those are not the greatest feelings to feel, they are ones that can enact real learning.
- Ask questions. Ask questions everywhere. Why doesn't management have a safe place for employees to give feedback? Why is leadership comprised of only white men? Why wasn't this person invited to work on this project when they have the most experience?
Be an Advocate
So, you’ve taken some real time to listen and learn—and you’re feeling disturbed (and likely angry) at the inequity that exists in your workplace. This is where you take your empathy and put it into real action.
In our recent episode of The Femails, we spoke with Desiree Booker about specifically supporting Black employees through this current time of civil unrest—and beyond.
“[Employees] need to know they’re physically, emotionally, and psychologically safe at work. They need to know that you have their back.”
Build on your empathy. Imagine what it's like to navigate a day at work in someone else's shoes. What can do to make them more comfortable? How can you show them that they have your unwavering support? This is where you take your empathy, cast away any feeling of helplessness, and get to work.
- Find places where underrepresentation exists—and fix it. Once you start looking for underrepresentation, you’re going to find it. You’ll find it in leadership, in audience-facing marketing, at events—the list goes on. This is a problem that needs to be addressed from the top down. For too long, there's been a misconception that the underrepresented should do the work. It's not their job.
- Create space for others instead of taking it up. This is a tough one for many. This can mean passing yourself over. It can mean passing an opportunity to someone else because opportunity is a privilege. Recognize—and this isn't easy—when you are afforded opportunities because you earned them versus when you were given opportunities that are better to be shared with others. Share the space.
- Look out for potential + promise. The modern workplace can get bogged down in details like previous experience, resumes, clout, and connections. The same players simply cannot always continue to receive the best opportunities time and time again. Share the space. Look for potential instead of experience. Bring new voices and new perspectives to the conversation.
Be an Amplifier
An amplifier is going to take action and advocacy—and plaster it all over a billboard. An amplifier is like one of those aerial advertising planes that fly along the coastline on a bright and sunny beach day. An amplifier will use methods to echo, repeat, and reiterate the commonly unheard or passed-over voices at work.
Be like that plane when amplifying other voices at work. Here are three ways to Amplify other voices at work:
- Speak Louder for the People in the Back. The most vulnerable people in the workplace may also be the most terrified to speak up. Be the help they might need to get their voices heard. It might be as simple as forwarding an email they wrote with a particular idea or initiative. It might be as uncomfortable as interrupting a chronic interrupter mid-meeting to make sure there is room for all the voices.
- Repeat, Repeat, + Repeat. We’re all-too-familiar with being spoken over, having ideas taken, or having our input being repeated—verbatim—by someone else. A survey by OfficeTeam reported that 29 percent of employees reported having their ideas stolen at work.
When you’re acting as an amplifier, the repeat is going to be one of your greatest tools of amplification. When your Black coworker chimes in during a meeting only to be passed over, make sure you repeat whatever they said. When your underrepresented coworkers hits reply-all to an inter-departmental email with a great idea, make sure that you hit reply-all to reiterate why it’s such a great idea. - Invite. We're all too familiar with how difficult it can be to "get a seat at the table." If you have the seat, you need to squeeze over and make room for another seat. Make sure the underrepresented folks in your workplace are included in meetings, decision-making, events, fundraisers, committees, and everything. When the table runs out of seats, build a new table.
This is a starting point and the beginning of a conversation we want to keep having here, with you. To start, we can ask ourselves questions and always keep workplace inequity top of mind. Ask yourself this question at the beginning of every workweek. What ways can I be an ally, advocate, or amplifier in my workplace?
