How to Create an Inclusive Workplace Part II

HOW TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE

Submitted by Malinda Ware, Program Director & DEI Committee Chair

Part II: NonInclusive Workplace Characteristics

Having an inclusive workplace is important, but it’s not something that everyone gets the chance to experience. Many people are employed in non-inclusive workplaces but don’t realize it. They might just recognize that something is off or not how it should be. How can you tell which category your workplace falls into? You can look for non-inclusive workplace practices. Examples of exclusion in the workplace could include:

• Avoiding hard conversations:

Workplaces that don’t value inclusion may be more likely to avoid the tough conversations. When an employee expresses their dissatisfaction with something, such as feeling like they don’t belong, their concerns are often brushed under the rug. Managers and other leaders take no real action to alleviate their concerns. • Harassment: A key sign of a non-inclusive workplace is any type of harassment. This could be verbal, psychological, or physical, among others. Employees may face discrimination or harassment because of their race, age, gender, sexual orientation, or other identity markers.

This is illegal and should always be reported.

Inclusive employers take these reports seriously and do everything they can to prevent these situations from happening.

• Speaking over others:

Employees in noninclusive workplaces may not feel like they have a voice or that their opinion doesn’t matter. They might be interrupted in meetings, ignored, or spoken over. None of these are inclusive practices.

• Micromanaging:

Micromanaging refers to a boss or manager who attempts to control every little aspect of their employee’s work. It is a non-inclusive practice because it doesn’t allow a person autonomy over their own decisions, timeline, or workload. It assumes that managers know best and relies on complete authority rather than collaboration.

• Withholding information:

Withholding information,

whether about an important work meeting or an upcoming event, can be an intentionally exclusive behavior. Of course, it’s always wise to be sure these actions were intentional and not an accident.

• Inappropriate events:

Inclusive workplaces consider the needs of every employee. A workplace that hosts a hiking trip for their employees even though one is wheelchair-bound would not be considered inclusive. There are always alternative options so that everyone can feel included. • Lack of diversity: If you look around and everyone seems the same, it may be a sign you’ve wandered into a workplace that isn’t committed to diversity or inclusivity. Non-inclusive workplaces usually won’t mind that their values or policies are exclusive, whereas inclusive workplaces will at least be taking steps to create change because they care. If you think that you’re a part of a non-inclusive workplace, you may feel disheartened. However, before you try to move to a new job, it could be helpful to voice your concerns to your employer and see how they respond. Sometimes

employers aren’t aware of the culture they’ve created or have never been challenged before. Those who genuinely care for their employees will take these concerns to heart and try to make the environment more inclusive for everyone.

The Impact of NonInclusive Workplaces

Non-inclusive workplaces can have negative physical and mental health effects, not to mention the cost to the employer. Below are some examples of these effects:

• Mental health

challenges: Feeling excluded at work can contribute to mental health conditions like anxiety and depression.

Employees may feel lonely or isolated, especially if they don’t have anyone to turn to.

When mental health challenges are rampant at work, employees can’t concentrate as easily, tend to be less creative, and may display reduced productivity. • Less cooperation: It can be a combination of sadness, anger, or other emotions that cause an employee to withdraw or react. It’s important that each individual feels the freedom to be themselves despite differences.

• Decreased

productivity: The more diverse an organization is, the more productive it is and the greater profitability it is able to achieve. Diversity promotes innovation, a bigger pool of talent, and better performance from employees. It brings new perspectives to the table and allows problems to be solved with greater speed. When diversity isn’t valued, everyone is negatively impacted as a result— even the company. • Stunted growth: Since inclusive workplaces encourage innovation, non-inclusive workplaces tend to stunt a company’s growth. Not only that, but employees may fail to grow as well.

When people are surrounded by the same perspectives and ideas day after day, they don’t have the opportunity to be challenged. The workplace and the employees can easily become stagnant. • Less trust: Employees that feel judged, excluded, or left out are less likely to trust their colleagues and upper management. They may not voice how they really feel and choose to remain quiet instead.

The result is that the employer loses out on the employee’s unique

perspective, insight, and ideas. The employer may not experience as much growth as they had envisioned, stunting productivity and ultimately the bottom line. Some non-inclusive workplaces can be hard to spot until you take a closer look. The surest way to know that an employer values inclusion is to look at their values and mission statement and the people they employ. If there isn’t anything about diversity or inclusion, or all their employees seem all too similar to one another, it may be a sign of a noninclusive workplace. Luckily, you have the opportunity to search for an employer that appreciates diversity and seeks to make everyone feel included.

To be continued in Part III: Non-Inclusive Workplaces and Mental Health

Source: Wiederhold, Sydney. “How to Create An Inclusive Workplace.” betterhelp. September 30, 2022. https://www.betterhelp.com/ advice/inclusive-mental-health/ how-to-create-an-inclusive-workplace/.