Microaggressions are an all too common issue in the workplace. These subtle acts of discrimination can have a significant effect on your team’s productivity and culture.
Microaggressions can have a particularly detrimental effect on those from marginalized groups, such as minorities or employees with disabilities. Not only do these incidents reduce an employee’s self-worth but they may also lead to mental health problems.
1. Be Prepared
Employers have the power to address workplace microaggressions. You can ensure your employees understand your policies, provide them with resources for reporting microaggressions and create a safe space where employees can discuss workplace matters without fear of reprisal.
One of the most frequent microaggressions you may face at work is when a colleague makes a joke about you or someone else that is perceived as offensive by another group of people. This type of harassment may take place, and it also serves to demonstrate that your workplace does not provide employees with enough space to express themselves freely.
Research has indicated that microaggressions can have a detrimental effect on your employees’ wellbeing. They may lead to depression, stress, anxiety and fatigue as well as burnout and reduced job satisfaction levels.
Though you cannot stop all sex-based microaggressions, you can take steps to ensure your organization is free from sexist jokes and remarks. Furthermore, helping employees recognize their own prejudices will enable them to more effectively work within the system.
You can also encourage them to get trained on their implicit biases. Doing so will enable them to recognize their own prejudices and make better choices in the future.
Karens have become more commonplace in America, their popularity growing over time. On video they often express their anger against mask regulations or people of color they encounter while out and about.
Lillian Glass, a communications and body language expert in Los Angeles, believes these rage-inspiring videos are often caused by both personal and work-related stresses. These include furloughs, layoffs, lockdowns and the return of Black Lives Matter activists.
Glass notes that this anger is often rooted in other issues, such as economic hardships or the strain of maintaining self-worth. It could even be exacerbated by the current climate of racial tension.
If you’re worried about your workplace, it’s essential to handle these situations promptly and professionally. By identifying who the aggressor is, you can minimize their effect and protect yourself and other colleagues from potential negative repercussions. Prepare yourself by responding in a composed, professional manner with all facts readily available; additionally, document the incident for future reference or seek help from HR or another trusted colleague to resolve the matter.
2. Be Direct
Being direct can make communicating your ideas and opinions simpler. Not only does this increase confidence, but it also eliminates any confusion that may exist. Furthermore, being direct saves time by ensuring everyone understands what you’re trying to say.
Being direct is the best way to handle workplace microaggressions from Karens, especially when they are unintentional and stem from unconscious bias. Negative effects on workplace culture and creating an hostile work environment can ensue if these issues aren’t addressed promptly.
Microaggressions are subtle and unintentional forms of discrimination that often stem from social stereotypes or prejudices. They could take the form of an offhand comment, joke, or insult.
One type of microaggression that’s becoming increasingly popular on social media is the Karen meme. These jokes typically feature a woman either crying or acting strangely, and it’s often repeated as a “Karen joke.”
These jokes are popular and easy to share on the internet, but they could also put you at risk of a hostile work environment claim under Illinois Human Rights Act. These types of comments are considered racist and sexist under the law, so it’s essential that we address them promptly.
However, it may not always be the best time to be direct at work. If you’re facing a personal issue, it might be more suitable to wait until after you feel more settled and rational about discussing it.
You might also want to bring in someone trustworthy to discuss the situation with. That way, you can be certain they won’t judge or minimize you for being direct.
Before approaching your manager or HR department with this problem, it’s wise to get a professional opinion. They can help determine whether it’s worth addressing and offer guidance on next steps. They might even connect you with an experienced attorney who can assist with filing a claim.
3. Take a Deep Breath
When faced with stressful circumstances, our body’s fight-or-flight response can be activated. This causes our heart rate to increase and palms to sweat. By breathing deeply, however, we can calm our frazzled nerves and reduce tension.
According to a study published in Physiology and Behavior journal, deep breathing helps calm your sympathetic nervous system – the part of the brain responsible for activating the fight-or-flight response – by relieving it from control of certain parts of your mind. As such, deep breathing may reduce anxiety levels as well.
But if you’re feeling stressed or anxious, taking a deep breath can be difficult. That’s why some people have created techniques to help them take a deep breath – such as using a kinesthetic method.
To practice deep breathing, place one hand over your chest and the other over your stomach. Slowly inhale and exhale for 10 minutes, working up to 20 until you feel relaxed and less stressed.
One way to help calm your nervous system is through meditation or relaxation exercises like guided visualization. These can be especially beneficial when dealing with workplace microaggressions from Karens.
For instance, a meditation session might include imagery like an ocean or forest. Once you’ve done this a few times, it will become part of your everyday life.
Many people turn to deep breathing as a tool to reduce stress and anxiety. When you breathe in, your mind enters a state of relaxation while the air you exhale fills your lungs with fresh oxygen and floods your body with oxygen-rich blood, according to psychologist Elizabeth Rhoads. This can reduce feelings of anxiety or stress significantly.
However, it’s essential to remember that deep breathing only has a temporary benefit. If you’re dealing with chronic or prolonged stress, seeking professional help from a mental health professional may be more beneficial.
No matter if you’re dealing with workplace microaggressions or not, always ensure that you treat others with respect. That means addressing any jokes or remarks about Karens with consideration, especially if they violate your company’s anti-harassment policies or racial discrimination policy.
4. Ask for Help
Microaggressions at work are forms of discrimination and can be detrimental to individuals’ emotional security, performance and relationships with peers. They may occur through unintentional or well-intended remarks and actions which create an atmosphere of hostility at the office – as well as subject employers to potential legal liability for such misconduct.
Microaggressions can be the outcome of unconscious prejudices that people hold without conscious awareness, leading them to make comments or act in demeaning ways. Although these words and deeds may be subtle, indirect, or even accidental, they still send a negative message to BIPOC employees and may lead to discrimination claims against employers.
When faced with microaggressions from Karens, it’s essential to remain calm and respectful. Instead of becoming defensive or attacking the person who has called you out on this, take a deep breath and speak to them about their experience; after all, they are the ones who have suffered discrimination firsthand and can better explain how it affected them.
When asking for help, be specific and explain why. Furthermore, ensure the person providing assistance is available and able to offer meaningful assistance. To accomplish this, craft your request using SMART criteria: specific, meaningful, action-oriented, realistic and time-bound.
For instance, you might seek advice about an important project or request resources to aid with a personal challenge. Reinforcements – cues that encourage the person you are asking for assistance to be more helpful and provide what is needed – can motivate them to fulfill your request.
It can be challenging to receive a positive response when asking for assistance, but remember that most people genuinely want to help and won’t turn you away. You can build a relationship with someone who provides assistance by explaining your situation clearly, asking directly for their assistance, and offering to collaborate on solutions together.
