Even in 2024, workplace microaggressions such as “Is that your real hair?” or “You’re so articulate” persist nationwide. Despite their subtle nature, these behaviors do not go unnoticed, leaving a lasting impact on the workplace atmosphere, morale and creating challenges for those targeted. From making assumptions about one’s abilities based on background to perpetuating stereotypes and using exclusionary language, managing workplace microaggressions requires a thoughtful approach. The first vital step is acknowledging that even well-meant words can cause harm. Building an understanding that unintended comments often reinforce unfair systems allows us to then dismantle that damage. Additionally, self-awareness of our own possible microaggressions, though uncomfortable, can prevent workplace exclusion. According to the 2023 McKinsey & Company report on Women in the Workplace , 78 percent of women resort to self-shielding at work in response to these microaggressions, modifying their...

The modern workplace is evolving, yet discrimination remains a persistent issue despite growing efforts to create a more diverse and inclusive work culture . Anti-discrimination policies exist to protect employees from unfair treatment based on race, gender, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and other factors. However, recent data suggests that these policies alone are not enough to prevent bias in hiring, promotions, and workplace interactions. In Fiscal Year 2022, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) received 73,485 new discrimination charges—an alarming 20% increase from the previous year. Additionally, 61% of employees in the United States say they have witnessed workplace discrimination, signaling that many workplaces still struggle to enforce fair practices. Antidiscrimination in the modern workplace isn’t just nice to have – it’s a must. Discrimination in employment takes many forms. Retaliation is the most common complaint, making up nearly...

Since 2020, the world has undergone significant and enduring changes. The working industry, in particular , has been permanently transformed and no longer resembles its pre-pandemic state. The pre-pandemic changed the formula for how many companies and their employees conduct business. The pandemic showed us many flaws and systematic issues that had not been viewed before. The working culture that existed back then has yet to grow as we progress through 2024. What Was The Pre-pandemic Work Culture The culture surrounding work before the pandemic was one of a huster nature. There was a tremendous envy of beating deadlines, no matter the cause or the effects on employees. Working within an office or building also requires a lot more communication. Remote work was barely there for a few individuals and even fewer companies. The pre-pandemic culture, characterized by its fast pace and competitive nature, often led to employee burnout. It was more than building relationships and...

Impostor syndrome (also known as impostor phenomenon, impostorism, fraud syndrome or the impostor experience) is a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills, talents or accomplishments and has a persistent internalized fear of being exposed as a “fraud.” Despite external evidence of their competence, those experiencing this phenomenon remain convinced that they are frauds and do not deserve all they have achieved. Individuals with impostor syndrome incorrectly attribute their success to luck, or interpret it as a result of deceiving others into thinking they are more intelligent than they perceive themselves to be. Who Came Up With The Phrase Imposter Syndrome? Imposter syndrome was first identified and coined as a term in 1978 by psychologists Pauline Clance and Suzanne Imes. In their seminal paper “The Imposter Phenomenon in High Achieving Women,” Clance and Imes described imposter syndrome as an internal experience of intellectual phoniness common among...

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) strategies are all the rave right now for the private sector and nonprofit organizations. And while everyone is seemingly treating DEI as the proverbial popular kid in school, many strategies that have been implemented are working to create more just and equitable cultures. Although there is evidence of intentional work being done to increase diversity at companies, the ever-evolving nature of the job market has created certain norms, pushing diversity to the forefront. For the folks at Facebook, implementing remote work increased their diversity metrics. According to The Washington Post, since Facebook implemented a more liberal remote policy, the company saw noticeable increases in employee representation. Between 2021 and 2022, the tech company grew among Black, Hispanic, Asian, and multiracial employees. Its number of white employees decreased by 1.5 percent. The increase in minority employment also applied to its leadership group. A...

In a 2021 interview, Nene Leakes claimed that Bravo used her outstanding tax debt against her…to the point that they were trying to force her to stay on “RHOA” in the face of blatant racism. View this post on Instagram A post shared by the Jasmine BRAND (@thejasminebrand) The interview with The Jasmine Brand (which can be seen above) revealed that the ex-Housewife felt like a “workhorse” whose talents were over-used and under-appreciated (and under-compensated). She also claimed that her outstanding tax debt was used as a form of blackmail against her, which all but forced her to stay on the show despite repeated alleged microaggressions from Kim Zolciak-Biermann and other members of the Bravo team. Now, the former reality star is suing Bravo, NBC, and other entities for what she feels is racial abuse and a hostile work environment. Let’s take a look at everything Nene Leakes is alleging in her lawsuit.

Black designers have mastered code-switching while working in predominantly white spaces, but how can they embrace their authenticity more in professional settings? We’re covering this topic during the AfroTech Conference from the lens of Terrence Williams, a Black designer and visual artist who consistently advocates for more inclusive design spaces. He has been working as a senior design lead at Salesforce for the past four years. In the “Designing Blackness: How Black Designers Can Embrace Their Authenticity” session on the engineering and design stage, Williams plans to talk about why it’s crucial for Black designers to embrace being their most authentic selves in workspaces. “As a designer of color, I’ve had to navigate a number of spaces where I may be the only one or may not always feel as connected,” Williams told AfroTech. “I’ve had to learn to build my community as time has gone on.” Williams also told AfroTech that he struggled early on in his career without mentors that...

Working from home provides a certain freedom and flexibility that office life will never match, and Black women are taking advantage of that. Whether that freedom looks like working in your pajamas, taking extra breaks, binging Netflix shows during meetings, indulging in midday workouts, or for some Black women, escaping workplace racism, working from home brings various senses of comfort that some aren’t willing to give up easily now. Insider published a story detailing how Black women feel about working from home and how it gives them “more agency over their lives.” While the pandemic forced many companies across the nation to adopt work from home models, it also forced them to question their workplace culture, even while their teams weren’t congregating in person. In June 2020, an Essence Magazine study reported that 45 percent of Black women said they often experienced racism while at work. Slack backed that in its recent Future Forum survey which found that more Black employees...