Find out how microaggressions in the workplace can affect employee well-being and how to take steps toward meaningful change.
In today’s increasingly diverse workplaces, creating an environment where all employees feel respected and valued is essential. However, microaggressions, subtle, often unintentional acts of discrimination, can undermine this environment and significantly impact employees’ job performance, overall well-being, and engagement. Understanding microaggressions, how they affect employees, and how organisations can address them is crucial for fostering a truly inclusive workplace. At Blueprint for All, we partner with organisations to ensure that the future workplaces, where young people from diverse backgrounds may end up, are genuinely inclusive. By partnering with organisations, we support efforts to create environments where all individuals are empowered to thrive, free from the negative effects of microaggressions and other barriers to inclusion.
What are, and how do we define, microaggressions?
Microaggressions are subtle, often subconscious, comments or actions that convey negative or stereotypical attitudes toward individuals based on their race, ethnicity, gender, or other aspects of their identity. Microaggressions are often considered harmless or trivial, making them more challenging to recognise and address. Below, we’ve written out examples of microaggressions based on the three types of microaggressions currently classified:
- Verbal Microaggressions: Unlike overt discrimination, verbal microaggressions are often disguised as compliments, jokes, or neutral statements but carry underlying messages that reinforce social hierarchies and inequalities. Such as, “you’re so articulate!” – implying surprise that a person of diverse ethnic heritage speaks well.
- Behavioural Microaggressions: Actions that exclude, ignore, or treat someone differently, such as consistently mispronouncing an employee’s name despite corrections or avoiding sitting next to someone from a different racial background.¹
- Environmental Microaggressions: Systemic or structural factors within an environment that communicate exclusion, bias, or a lack of belonging to marginalised groups. Unlike interpersonal microaggressions, which occur in direct interactions, environmental microaggressions are embedded in physical spaces, organisational policies, cultural norms, or institutional practices. Some examples of microaggression may present as lack of representation, access to resources, or discriminatory historic practices.
The impact of microaggressions on employee engagement
Employee engagement reflects the commitment, motivation, and involvement employees bring to their work. It is deeply connected to equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) because a fair and inclusive workplace fosters trust, psychological safety, and a sense of belonging, all of which are essential for engagement. Employees who feel valued, respected, and empowered to contribute are more likely to be motivated, productive, and invested in their work. However, microaggressions, particularly microaggressions at work or micro bullying, can erode this engagement by creating an environment where individuals feel excluded or undervalued, ultimately impacting morale, retention, and overall performance.
While microaggressions might seem minor or insignificant to those who perpetrate them, their cumulative impact on those who experience them can be profound.
Here’s how microaggressions can affect employee job performance and employee engagement:
- Increased stress and anxiety: Repeated exposure to microaggressions can lead to chronic stress as employees constantly navigate an environment where they feel undervalued or marginalised. This stress can manifest in anxiety, depression, or physical health issues, all of which can impair job performance.²
- Decreased engagement and productivity: Employees who experience microaggressions may feel less connected to their workplace and less motivated to engage fully in their work. The emotional toll of dealing with these subtle slights can lead to disengagement, decreased productivity, and a lack of enthusiasm for taking on new challenges or opportunities.³
- Erosion of self-esteem and confidence: Microaggressions can undermine employees’ confidence in their abilities and sense of belonging in the workplace. Over time, this can erode self-esteem, leading to a reluctance to speak up, share ideas, or pursue advancement opportunities.⁴
- Increased turnover: Employees who feel their workplace is not supportive or inclusive are likelier to seek employment elsewhere. High turnover rates can be costly for organisations and damage team cohesion and morale.⁵
Microaggressions, though subtle, can have a significant negative impact on employee well-being, job performance, and engagement. How do you handle microaggressions in the workplace? By working with Blueprint for All, organisations can take meaningful steps toward fostering a culture of respect, inclusion, and high performance. Addressing microaggressions is not just about avoiding harm, it’s about building a workplace where diversity is celebrated, engagement is strengthened, and everyone can thrive.
How we can help your organisation
Our consultancy, Inclusive Futures, works directly with businesses to address systemic challenges and create workplaces where all employees can thrive. Here’s how we can support your organisation:
- Psychological Safety: We help organisations build psychologically safe workplaces where employees feel empowered to share ideas and express concerns without fear of retaliation.
- Stronger Team Cohesion: Our tailored EDI coaching fosters understanding and collaboration, ensuring teams work effectively across diverse backgrounds.
- Higher Retention Rates: By actively addressing microaggressions and promoting inclusion, organisations can reduce turnover and retain diverse talent
- Enhanced Productivity: We provide actionable strategies that help organisations boost engagement and drive better performance.
If your organisation is committed to tackling microaggressions and building an inclusive, high-performing workplace, Blueprint for All can help. Contact us today to learn more about how our consultancy, Inclusive Futures, can support your business through tailored EDI strategies.