Microaggressions At Work: Employers’ Guide

Microaggressions are subtle, often unintentional behaviours or remarks that convey bias or discrimination towards individuals based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or disability. They may be expressed through language, actions, or assumptions and can create an environment where employees feel marginalised or undervalued. Common examples include stereotyping, backhanded compliments, or excluding someone from conversations or opportunities.

For UK employers, addressing microaggressions is essential to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and respectful workplace. While microaggressions may seem minor on the surface, their cumulative impact can lead to decreased employee morale, productivity, and retention. They can also result in grievances or claims of harassment or discrimination under the Equality Act 2010.

One key consideration is raising awareness among employees and management. Providing training on unconscious bias and inclusive communication can help prevent microaggressions and promote understanding. Employers should also establish clear policies and reporting mechanisms, ensuring employees feel supported when addressing concerns.

Failing to address microaggressions can damage workplace culture and expose employers to legal and reputational risks. Proactive steps to educate, support, and create accountability within the organisation can help employers build a healthier and more equitable work environment for everyone.

 

What are microaggressions?

 

Microaggressions at work are a type of behaviour that can make an employee feel they do not belong or are not accepted in the workplace. Microaggressions can be defined as “the everyday verbal, non-verbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalised group membership.” The “micro,” refers to person-to-person interactions.

 

Examples of microaggressions at work

 

Most employers are aware that acts of unconcealed racism at work are unlawful, but perhaps a greater risk to their organisations are those less obvious, and sometimes unconscious, behaviours that may make the business environment discriminatory.

They may be very brief, verbal, or non-verbal communications, behavioural, or sometimes even unintentional acts from one employee towards another.  Typically rooted in unconscious assumptions and stereotypes, often the individual speaking may be well-intentioned and unaware they have engaged in an exchange that could cause upset to the recipient.

Examples could include:

 

Ethnicity and Race

 

• Asking a black or minority ethnic colleague, “Where are you really from?” after they have already said they are British. This can imply that they are not perceived as authentically British due to their appearance.
• Commenting to a black colleague, “Your hair is amazing, can I touch it?” reduces their individuality and may reinforce stereotypes about physical attributes.
• Saying, “I didn’t expect you to have a British accent,” to a minority ethnic person implies assumptions based on their appearance or heritage.
• Making statements like, “I’m not racist, I have loads of friends of colour,” can come across as dismissive and defensive, rather than addressing the behaviour or discussion at hand.

 

Gender Stereotyping

 

• Assuming women need protection or referring to them with terms such as “sweetheart” or “love,” which can infantilise and undermine their professional standing.
• Requesting a female colleague to handle refreshments for a meeting or assuming she is the note-taker. These actions reinforce traditional gender roles and can devalue her contributions.
• Referring to a male nurse as a “male nurse” or a woman doctor as a “female doctor” unnecessarily highlights their gender, implying they are exceptions in their professions.

 

Disability

 

• Speaking to a colleague with a disability more slowly or loudly, assuming they cannot understand or communicate effectively.
• Ignoring a disabled colleague in meetings and directing questions or comments to their assistant instead.

 

Age

• Telling a younger colleague, “You’re too young to understand this”, or
• Telling an older colleague, “You must struggle with technology,” undermines their capabilities and creates assumptions based on age.

 

Sexual Orientation

 

• Saying to an LGBTQ+ colleague, “You don’t look gay,” or asking, “Who’s the man in your relationship?” These remarks rely on stereotypes and invade personal boundaries.

 

Religion or Belief

 

• Expressing surprise that a Muslim colleague does not wear a hijab or questioning a Jewish colleague about why they take specific religious holidays.

 

Physical Appearance

• Commenting on weight or body size, such as, “You look so healthy now,” or “You’re so small, how do you manage that role?” These remarks can come across as intrusive or patronising.

 

While these examples may not appear to be a direct or overt attack, they appear to stem from unconscious biases, stereotypes or cultural misunderstandings. Employers should use such examples in training to raise awareness, emphasising that microaggressions, while often unintentional, can negatively affect workplace culture.

 

Consequences of microaggressions at work

 

Microaggressions at work can affect organisations in several ways, by:

 

• Causing job seekers to hesitate to apply for vacancies within your organisation because of their belief that assumptions may be made about their name or ethnicity
• Impairing diversity within your organisation because you are struggling to attract or retain diverse employees
• Increasing mental health issues for employees suffering from adverse comments or behaviours
• Employees losing faith and trust in their employer understanding and respecting their basic needs, leading to a dip in workplace engagement
• Employees developing an unwillingness to speak up in meetings or take professional risks
• Employees losing motivation and sense of purpose, or doubting their abilities

 

 

Dealing with microaggressions at work

 

On the face of it, the comments may appear minor, but the net effect on the targeted employee(s) can, if not dealt with appropriately, be shattering and corrode the culture of the workplace.

As such, employers have a responsibility to confront and educate their employees about microaggressions at work and unconscious bias. They must ensure employees understand the full impact of such behaviour and the damage it causes. There has been some criticism that training on microaggression at work is unnecessary, but for those employers who recognise the damaging impact on their employees, there are a few places they can start:

 

• Create an internal discussion forum to find out and understand the opinions and feelings of any black or minority ethnic groups within your organisation
• Slowing down the process on recruitment and promotion to avoid snap decisions being made
• Anonymising CVs in the recruitment process
• Ensure that interview panels are diverse, and that selection is made based on aptitude and skills for the role in question
• Encouraging employees to speak out, and when they do take complaints or allegations about discriminatory behaviour seriously
• Sharing articles, research and commentary on diversity and inclusion, and how this has a positive impact on the workplace
• Calling out microaggression in the correct way. This could involve pointing out to the perpetrator the potential impact of their comments
• Undertaking an anonymous employee survey to find out how your staff members really feel about their working environment, and how inclusive it is
• Exit interviews and feedback forms are good ways to find out the employees’ personal experience of the workplace culture
• Making unconscious bias, conscious, through employee education and training

 

 

Unconscious bias

 

Unconscious bias is where social stereotypes outside an individual’s awareness affect their thought processes and decisions. This may also include something called “affinity bias”, where a person feels a connection with another because they have had similar life experiences. Affinity bias can lead to an applicant being favoured over others for job recruitment or promotion.

Confirmation bias happens where someone draws conclusions about another based on their own personal belief system and then looks for behaviours and traits during recruitment that “confirm” those biases.

 

Microaggressions & unlawful discrimination

 

The Equality Act 2010 protects individuals from direct and indirect discrimination, harassment, and victimisation because of race. Microaggressions at work, perhaps in the form of “banter” and improper use of language, which result in a staff member feeling their work environment is hostile because of their race, can amount to subtle forms of harassment and bullying.

Essentially, if one employee discriminates against another, not only is the offending individual personally liable for their actions, you as their employer, may also be liable unless you have taken reasonable steps to prevent such conduct taking place. This is why it is so important to identify unconscious bias, and you should ensure that microaggressions at work are not played down and considered less serious than overt racism.

 

Diversity & inclusion policies

 

The way to tackle this particularly sensitive topic might be to include microaggression within your Diversity and Inclusion training. This has the advantage of educating employees, as opposed to legislating against breaches and sanctioning perpetrators. Rolling out training on unconscious bias fits very neatly with microaggression; when employees are educated, and discussion is encouraged, employers can minimise and identify transgressors.

Employers should encourage all their managers from the top down to be visible black and minority ethnic allies and call out any anti-racist or unacceptable behaviour when it occurs. They should also ensure the business has a zero-tolerance against prejudice and systems in place to address such behaviours.

 

Dignity at work

 

A dignity at work policy plays an important role in preventing employees from experiencing harassment and bullying in the workplace and ensures all members of staff are clear about what is and is not acceptable behaviour. The policy should apply to all members of staff, agency workers, contractors, associates, and anyone else engaged to work within the organisation. It should also set out, in detail, the behaviours that will not be tolerated, together with the reporting and investigation process, grievance procedures, and end with the way in which perpetrators will be dealt with and the sanctions to be applied. As with all policies of this nature, they should be reassessed and kept up-to-date on a regular basis.

Dignity at work is the principle of maintaining a safe, healthy, and enjoyable working environment. This ensures the following principles are met:

 

• The workplace is free from harassment, bullying, and victimisation
• All employees are considerate of one another and treat each other with respect
• Ensure unlawful discrimination in any guise is never experienced by any staff member
• The abilities and skills of all employees are championed and valued

 

Dignity at work policy considerations:

 

• Consider the type of working environment you want to create and set clear objectives as to how you expect your employees to meet them
• Cover all areas in terms of who the policy applies to, whose responsibility it is to enforce it, and why it is important
• Think about incorporating governing bodies’ principles and try to include them in your working culture and ethos

 

 

Employers’ failure to deal with microaggressions

 

It goes without saying that an employer should do all they can to try to prevent and stop bullying, harassment, discrimination, and victimisation in the workplace. These types of unfair treatment can be experienced in different ways, including unconscious bias and microaggressions at work. Depending on the type of treatment, it could be:

 

• A regular pattern of behaviour or a one-off incident
• Happen on social media, in emails, phone calls, or face-to-face
• Be written or spoken, graffiti, imagery, gestures, pranks, jokes or unwanted physical behaviour
• Happen at work social events or in the workplace
• Not always be obvious or noticed by others

 

These behaviours can amount to bullying, discrimination, harassment, or victimisation. An employer has a duty of care to look after the wellbeing of their employees. If they do not do this, and the employee feels they have no other option but to resign, the employer could face a claim of constructive dismissal.

Employers should look into any complaint fully, however if the matter has not been resolved appropriately, the employee may be able to make a claim to an employment tribunal. If this happens, the case will initially be referred to ACAS for “early conciliation”. This is a free service and is aimed to help all parties resolve the issues before a claim is issued.

If the matter cannot be resolved, and the employee makes a claim to an employment tribunal, it must be made within three months (less one day) from the date their employment ended. This is called “the limitation date”. The limitation date is automatically extended to give enough time for early conciliation to take place.

Tribunals are expensive and protracted. If a tribunal case is lost, compensation will depend on the type of case. For example, an unfair dismissal claim has a maximum compensatory award, set each year, but discrimination claims have unlimited compensation, with legal costs in addition to damages.

It goes without saying, the easiest way to avoid employment tribunal costs is to avoid a claim in the first place. By taking steps to positively address and deal with microaggressions at work, employers can help eliminate the impact within their organisation. Education and training are a good starting point, but this should be underpinned by good HR policies that show a clear position against this type of behaviour, and how those engaging in it will be dealt with. There is a fine line between offence and innocence, and when each individual employee recognises that even the most innocuous comment can be damaging, your company will be on the right track.

 

Need assistance?

 

DavidsonMorris’ human resource specialists support employers with all aspects of workforce management, engagement and culture. We provide guidance on developing and nurturing organisational and individual shifts towards more diverse, inclusive and equitable workforces and workplace cultures. For expert advice, contact us.

 

Microaggressions at work FAQs

 

What are microaggressions?

Microaggressions are subtle, often unintentional actions, comments, or behaviours that convey bias or discrimination towards someone based on characteristics such as race, gender, age, or disability. They can occur in verbal, non-verbal, or environmental forms.

 

How do microaggressions impact the workplace?

Microaggressions can negatively affect workplace culture by making individuals feel marginalised or undervalued. Over time, this can lead to decreased employee morale, reduced productivity, higher turnover rates, and potential legal risks.

 

Are microaggressions illegal?

While microaggressions themselves may not always be illegal, they can form part of a pattern of behaviour that constitutes harassment or discrimination under the Equality Act 2010. Employers are responsible for ensuring a respectful and inclusive workplace.

 

How can employers address microaggressions?

Employers can tackle microaggressions by raising awareness, providing training on unconscious bias, and establishing clear policies on respectful behaviour. Encouraging open dialogue and ensuring employees feel safe to report concerns is also essential.

 

What should employees do if they experience a microaggression?

Employees should feel encouraged to report their concerns to HR or their manager. Employers should provide a supportive environment where such issues can be discussed and resolved constructively.

 

Why is it important to address microaggressions?

Addressing microaggressions is key to fostering a respectful and inclusive workplace. It helps build a positive organisational culture, supports employee wellbeing, and reduces the risk of grievances or legal challenges.

 

Glossary

 

 

Term	Definition
Microaggressions	Subtle, often unintentional actions, comments, or behaviours that convey bias or discrimination towards individuals or groups.
Unconscious Bias	Implicit attitudes or stereotypes that unconsciously influence actions and decisions, often reinforcing prejudice.
Stereotype	A widely held, oversimplified, and generalised belief about a particular group of people.
Marginalisation	The process of treating someone as insignificant or peripheral within a workplace or society.
Protected Characteristics	Traits safeguarded by the Equality Act 2010, including age, race, gender, disability, religion, sexual orientation, and more.
Inclusive Workplace	A work environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and supported, regardless of their background.
Implicit Communication	Non-verbal or indirect actions or behaviours that may unintentionally offend or exclude individuals.
Equality Act 2010	UK legislation that protects individuals from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation based on protected characteristics.
Intersectionality	The interconnected nature of social categories such as race, gender, and class, which can result in overlapping systems of discrimination or disadvantage.
Harassment	Unwanted behaviour related to a protected characteristic that violates a person’s dignity or creates a hostile environment.
Microaffirmations	Small, positive actions or comments that promote inclusion, respect, and encouragement in the workplace.
Workplace Culture	The shared values, beliefs, and behaviours that shape the social and psychological environment of a workplace.
Tokenism	The practice of making a symbolic effort to include individuals from underrepresented groups without meaningful inclusion or support.
Intersectional Microaggressions	Microaggressions that affect individuals with multiple intersecting identities, such as gender and race.