Blog post by Sydney Green
Blog edited by Courtney Keim & Rebecca Brossoit
Outside of the workplace, media-sensationalized events (i.e., mega-threats), like the murder of George Floyd and the LGBTQ+ Miami nightclub shooting that left 49 dead and 53 injured, signal the persistent subjugation of certain groups like racial minority, sexual orientation minority, and female individuals. When marginalized employees experience discrimination themselves and/or observe discrimination toward other marginalized individuals, their well-being as well as their work performance may be negatively impacted.
Despite a new degree of social awareness surrounding racial injustice, discrimination based on race is still prevalent in the workplace. In fact, in 2021, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission received over 60,000 cases of workplace discrimination, 34% of which were based on race (EEOC, 2022). The Black Lives Matter movement and other similar movements (e.g., #MeToo) provides victims with a platform to tell their story and a supportive community, and sheds light on the discriminating experiences that socially marginalized employees often encounter (Brown & Battle, 2019). Furthermore, the growth of these movements has drawn the nation’s attention to instances of human right violations like never before (Ashburn-Nardo et al., 2017).
As occupational health psychologists, we must share in this momentum and work to sustain it by supporting socially marginalized employees, particularly those belonging to racial minority groups. In this post, I provide background on the prevalence and impact of modern racial discrimination and suggest ways to support socially marginalized employees, drawing from ideas shared in my recent book chapter (Green et al., 2022), and connecting them to the field of OHP.
A New Social Awareness
Racial minority employees may be ostracized by their colleagues, causing them to be deliberately shunned or excluded from social interactions (Leigh & Melwani, 2022). Before the Black Lives Matter movement drew international attention to the issue, employees who were negatively impacted by discrimination or reacting to mega-threats were often forced to cope silently. Now, social media platforms offer millions of people access to information and events that once went largely unnoticed. Social media sheds new light on a centuries old problem: in a world that is partially ruled by social status, certain groups hold more power than others. What began as a way for social media users to connect over their outrage surrounding violence against Black people has turned into an international movement, raising awareness against forms of unequal treatment toward Black individuals (i.e., man, woman, gender neutral, cis, queer, trans, citizen, undocumented).
The Impact of Mega-Threats
Mega-threats have become one of the more modern forms of racism potentially exacerbating the stress experienced by racial minority employees (Green et al., 2022). Mega-threats such as the police shootings of Black individuals, the unprovoked harassment of Black U.S. Army personnel, and the murder of George Floyd, provoke feelings of fear, distress, frustration, and anxiety and ultimately threaten the livelihood of Black individuals (Brown, 2021; Green et al., 2022).
Witnessing discrimination in these forms, even by proxy (e.g., watching acts of violence on TV or social media), may be detrimental to an employee’s well-being and their performance. At the same time, given that mega-threats often occur outside of the workplace, the potential consequences of witnessing such discrimination (e.g., poorer well-being) may go unnoticed, unreported, and unaddressed by organizations.
Racial Discrimination, Mega-Threats, and OHP
Racial minority individuals may feel a variety of emotions (e.g., fear, confusion, stress, sadness, anger, despair, helplessness) that often follow experiencing or witnessing racial discrimination, which inevitably spills into the workplace. Thus, the importance of racial equality, both inside and outside of the workplace, is even more apparent through the lens of OHP.
It has been proposed that organizations aiming to foster an inclusive work climate can benefit from providing marginalized employees with a dedicated space (e.g., engaging in active listening and developing actionable goals to address employee concerns) after a mega-threat has occurred (Brown, 2021). Organizations are also encouraged to explicitly address both intentional and unintentional exclusion as well as provide techniques that promote workplace cohesion. Such techniques may include interpersonal skill and conflict resolution trainings and guidelines for reporting instances of workplace ostracism.
Next Steps
Scholars have proposed strategies (e.g., mentoring and coaching) to improve diversity and foster inclusion in organizations. However, instances of racism that occur outside of the organization can still be major sources of employee stress. Thus, they must be considered when creating and implementing diversity and inclusion programs and initiatives.
Looking beyond existing research, as occupational health psychologists, we have the potential to reduce some of the harmful consequences associated with mega-threats. As previously noted, mega-threats can provoke negative feelings among both marginalized and privileged employees. Fostering connections between these groups may be achieved through compassionate leadership and an inclusive work environment (Leigh & Melwani, 2019).
In addition to fostering an inclusive environment, organizations can empower their employees, particularly those who have been socially marginalized, through mental health resources dedicated to helping employees deal with their reactions to certain mega-threats. Access to mental health resources may lead to improved well-being and less withdrawal from work.
Reducing discrimination in the workplace and increasing inclusion must be at the heart of organizational change initiatives as organizations strive to better understand the consequences of mega-threats for their workforce.
References
Ashburn-Nardo, L., Thomas, K., & Robinson, A. J. (2017). Broadening the conversation: why black lives matter. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 36, 698-706.
Brown, K. (2021). The Fear Black Employees Carry. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/04/the-fear-black-employees-carry
Brown, S. E., & Battle, J. S. (2019). Ostracizing targets of workplace sexual harassment before and after the# MeToo movement. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: An International Journal, 39, 53-67.
Green, S. N., Howard, G. J., Stark, H. P., Traylor, H. D., & Smith, R. W. (2022). The impact of mega-threats and political ideology on black employees. In E. King, Q. Roberson, & M. Hebl (Eds.), Research on Social Issues in Management (Volume 3): The Future of Scholarship on Race in Organizations.
Leigh, A., & Melwani, S. (2019). # BlackEmployeesMatter: Mega-threats, identity fusion, and enacting positive deviance in organizations. Academy of Management Review, 44(3), 564-591.
Leigh, A., & Melwani, S. (2022). Am I Next? The Spillover Effects of Mega-Threats on Avoidant Behaviors at Work. Academy of Management Journal, (ja).
U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2022). “Race-Based Charges (Charges filed with EEOC) FY 1997 – FY 2021.” https://www.eeoc.gov/data/race-based-charges-charges-filed-eeoc-fy-1997-fy-2021
Sydney Green is a doctoral candidate in the Industrial and Organizational Psychology program at Louisiana State University. Originally from Ohio, she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Kent State University in 2018. She received her master’s degree in psychology from Louisiana State University in 2021. Her research focuses on supporting socially marginalized employees through improving organizational diversity, equity, and inclusion. To manage work stress, Sydney enjoys spending time with family and fellow graduate students, reading, and exploring the city of Baton Rouge.
Sydney received approval from Information Age Publishing to write a blog about her recent book chapter featured in The Future of Scholarship on Race in Organizations.
Contact information: sgree87@lsu.edu | Twitter @sydneynmgreen