Microaggressions In The Workplace – How Does It Affect The Organization?

The communication of microaggressions in the workplace can threaten the emotional security of the targeted person. It can also diminish the performance and relationship with peers. It is important for organizations to help foster an inclusive work environment. This will help in generating strong feelings of belonging for the employees. Hence, there will be an increase in the job performance of the organization as a result.

In this article, you will learn about what microaggressions appear in the workplace. Apart from that, we will also discuss the major types of microaggressions that are generally found in the workplace, along with a few examples of the same. Finally, you will learn how to deal with microaggressions if you face them at the workplace. Hence, to learn more about microaggressions in the workplace, read on through to the end of the article.

Microaggressions In The Workplace: What Are They?

Derald Wing Sue, a Professor of Psychology, defines microaggression in Microaggressions in Everyday Life as –

?The everyday slights, indignities, put-downs and insults that people of color, women, LGBT populations or those who are marginalized experience in their day-to-day interactions with people.?

Anyone in the workplace can face microaggression from others. However, in most cases, the victims of microaggression are mostly the marginalized groups in society.

According to Sue,

?No one is immune from inheriting racial, gender and sexual orientation biases. Everyone, including marginalized group members, harbors biases and prejudices and can act in discriminatory and hurtful ways toward others.?

Many people from marginalized groups face offhand remarks on a regular basis. And when they express their hurt and pain, they are consoled with statements like ?It?s just a joke,? or ?I did not mean it,? etc.

However, most of the time, the person saying it has no intention to cause offense or pain to the victimized person. In general, most people are actually unaware of how their worlds and actions can impact some marginalized groups, whose experiences in life differ a lot from most. Hence, whatever the intention may be, microaggressions can have grave effects on the lives of people, especially the ones belonging to a marginalized group.

Types Of Microaggressions In The Workplace

According to Indeed.com,

?Microaggressions can be obvious or subtle, intentional or unintentional and, over time, can have lasting effects on both individuals and communities. It’s important to underscore that microaggressions are common. In fact, they’re so common that you may not notice them if not directed toward you, and there’s a high possibility you’ve said or committed a microaggression at some point.?

Some communities and identities are targeted with microaggressions mostly on the basis of the following:

1. Race
2. Religion
3. Sexual orientation
4. Gender
5. Age
6. Citizenship status
7. Socioeconomic class
8. Disability

In some cases, microaggressions can also be intersections when they are directed toward people who exist at the intersection of overlapping identities. Hence, it is important to be educated on all types of microaggressions.

Examples Of Microaggressions In The Workplace

Here are some of the major examples of microaggressions that you might commonly see in the workplace:

1. Demeaning a woman?s leadership by saying to her that she is bossy.
2. Scheduling important deadlines on a cultural or religious holiday.
3. Assuming a person of color is not well-spoken, and after finding out the opposite, saying, ?You are quite articulate.?
4. Saying someone very organized that the person has obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
5. Asking questions like ?Where are you from? ?. No, where are you really from??
6. Making assumptions about a religious practice and hurling that to a person of a different religion without even knowing the person properly.

How To Deal With Microaggressions In The Workplace?

According to Culture Amp,

?Microaggressions usually emerge from our deeply-rooted biases against those who are different from us. Frequently a result of our upbringing, many folks don?t know they possess these biases until they come face-to-face with them in a conversation or confrontation. That being said, it?s human to make mistakes. Our perspectives are limited, and it?s natural not to understand how every other community experiences the world.?

What basically matters at the end of the day is how you choose to respond when you are already aware of the inherent biases in society, culture, and language. You will also need to be aware of the various ways in which these biases manifest themselves as microaggressions in the workplace.

If you are in a workplace, rather than passively or aggressively addressing a microaggression, the best way to deal with it is assertively. This will lead to a constructive conversation since the environment of the workplace must be considered too.

Here are a few things you can do to deal with microaggressions in the workplace:

1. Addressing Calmly

Directly talk to the perpetrator and directly address it by using pronouns like ?I,? ?me,? and ?mine.? You can also offer an explanation of why the thing is wrong in the first place. This can help the other party understand the microaggression and make things clear.

2. Taking Time Away

Before you address the situation with the perpetrator, you can consider taking some time away and collect your thoughts by going to someplace else. Then you can think about how to deal with the problem and which way of conveying the message would be more helpful.

3. Self-Care Practice

Prioritizing self-care is one of the most important steps you can take to resolve the issue of microaggressions in the workplace. You can also reach out to a trusted coworker to share the issue with them. You can also discuss the issue with a mental health professional. This can help you avoid accumulating negative feelings and detrimental thoughts.

Wrapping Up

The best way to deal with microaggressions in the workplace is to speak up against it. If you are facing microaggressions or witnessing some marginalized group facing microaggressions from others, you must consider talking to the aggressor. You must make sure that the situation is handled properly.

It is important to raise awareness about microaggressions to others and educate everyone regarding actions and words. It is important for the company to step up for marginalized communities by advocating organizational and policy changes. Do you have any more suggestions regarding microaggression? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

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