I'm posting this article about BIPOC employees in the workplace because February is Black History month.
Oct. 5, 2021 "Remote work has vastly improved the Black worker experience": Today I found this article by Matthew Boyle in the Financial Post:
Working remotely has its downsides: Cramped apartments, endless Zoom calls, juggling child-care duties.
But for many Black workers in white-collar jobs, getting out of the office has resulted in a vast improvement in their employee experience.
Over the past year, Black workers in so-called “knowledge” roles, like graphic design or data analysis, are more likely to say
they’ve been treated more fairly,
value their co-workers more
and feel more supported by management,
according to a survey by the Future Forum, a research consortium created by software maker Slack Technologies.
The survey of more than 10,000 people saw a 26 percentage point increase in Black respondents reporting “I am treated fairly at work” from a year ago, and similarly big jumps in other questions about their work lives.
Overall, Black workers in the U.S. said their job experience was steadily improving,
while responses plateaued among other racial groups in the most recent survey.
“Going virtual levels the playing field,” said Ella Washington, a management professor at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business.
“Because everything is virtual, there’s less of this informal chatter we had in person.
So that’s going to make anybody feel more like they belong, especially folks that are not usually in those conversations.”
The findings support longstanding research that shows Black workers, especially Black women, feel less valued and respected by colleagues.
Black people make up a disproportionately small percentage of employees across the biggest U.S. companies — and their ranks thin higher up the corporate ladder.
Racism,
discrimination,
and every day slights a
re among the many reasons they say they can’t advance.
Slack, which commissioned the survey and makes virtual collaboration software, benefits from a more remote workforce.
There are also many reasons a person’s job experience could improve over the last year, besides working remotely.
Still, the findings further complicate return-to-office mandates, especially as companies attempt to meet pledges to improve diversity.
While the Delta variant has delayed most companies’ plans to come back in person imminently, cities like New York and London are seeing an uptick in staff returning to their desks.
Two-thirds of executives in the Future Forum poll said they’re designing post-pandemic workforce policies with little to no direct input from employees,
which could lead to dissatisfaction
and increased employee turnover
in the months ahead.
More than three-quarters of employees polled wanted flexibility in where they work
and almost all — 93 per cent — want flexibility in when they work.
But a higher proportion of Black respondents want a fully or mostly flexible schedule, the survey found, compared with White workers.
Some companies are heeding that demand:
PwC, the accounting and consulting firm, said last week that its 40,000 U.S. client-service employees could work remotely in perpetuity, becoming one of the biggest employers to do so.
Such freedom matters to all but “makes the most significant difference for underrepresented and historically marginalized populations,” the Future Forum survey found.
Remote work has vastly improved the Black worker experience | Financial Post
May 16, 2022 "I’m a Black woman and a CEO — and the return to office has me worried": Today I found this article by Jacquie Parchment on the Financial Post:
When I think about what Canada’s future workplaces will look like, I’m really worried.
We’ve learned many lessons about work and productivity throughout COVID.
Workers are rightly demanding their organizations incorporate more flexibility and
consider individual needs into future working arrangements.
As we navigate this brave new world, it is becoming clear that there are important differences in
how men and women view the return to office,
and that race may also affect preference for time spent working in person.
Unless we understand and thoughtfully navigate these preferences,
we risk taking a big step backward in equity.
Diverse representation,
cultures of belonging,
mentorship
and sponsorship
will all suffer.
As a CEO who is also a Black woman, this concern is very personal to me. I know firsthand why it may be more comfortable to avoid coming into a workplace where you feel you do not belong.
I am fortunate, on the other hand, to have had sponsors on my career journey
who looked past visible differences,
fought for me to be seen
and opened doors for me.
We sponsor those we know
and believe in.
At this pivotal time, I find myself wondering whether I could have built those relationships as effectively in a virtual world.
I worry about a future where white men find it even
easier to build critical networks
and career growth than in the past,
because of differences in preference for in-person work.
This is a real risk. We have seen a number of global surveys that indicate that Black workers have a much stronger preference for remote working than white workers do,
because remote work comes with fewer microaggressions.
New data from Mercer around office work should also be setting off alarm bells at Canadian organizations.
Our 2022 Global Talent Trend survey found that most men (77 per cent) agreed with the statement: “I fundamentally believe that work gets done in an office, not remotely.”
Only 59 per cent of women said the same.
If men feel that way and become more likely to show up
— and women do not
— it may have lasting consequences.
Men in leadership might also wrongfully assume women working remotely are not getting as much done.
On top of that, 82 per cent of men think their organizations have effective programs to grow and develop diverse leaders.
Just 69 per cent of women agree.
Clearly, some men in leadership think what they have in place is working
when the people these programs are meant to benefit do not.
In any organization,
social capital — relationships, mentorship and more
— are key to advancement
and to job satisfaction.
Canadians understand this. Despite strong preferences for remote work, Global Talent Trends found that
72 per cent of employees are concerned that remote workers will have more difficulty getting ahead and promoted.
As companies navigate and experiment with the future of work,
it is essential for leaders to have an ongoing dialogue with employees on belonging,
to understand the differences in preference at their own organizations,
and to keep digging deeper.
The future of work is not a moment in time.
It is an ongoing journey that requires
listening to employees
and gathering data to correct what doesn’t work
and to implement what will.
We must continue to progress toward workplaces where all feel comfortable.
We must be thoughtful about what we reward.
Finally, we must avoid “unwritten rules” of engagement.
In a workplace that is officially hybrid,
the choices leaders make on how often they themselves come into the office will send a strong signal
and may affect how level the playing field really is in terms
of access to sponsorship
and opportunity.
We also need to stay humble.
This is a grand experiment,
a fundamental shift on a scale that we haven’t seen before in the corporate world.
Creating some commonality of experience
and ensuring no one is disadvantaged in the hybrid office will be a challenge
— but one we have to get right.
In the fight for a better Canada, a more just Canada, and an economically strong Canada, we cannot afford to leave anyone behind.
Jaqui Parchment is chief executive officer of Mercer Canada.
Return to office has me worried as a Black woman and CEO: Parchment | Financial Post
There are 7 comments when I first copy and pasted this article that came out. Now there's 32 comments:
Jaqui, I'm really really sorry about all this. It was my fault. I voted for governments like the Liberals that promoted the idea of a mosaic vs melting pot and multiculturalism through immigration policies. But I made a mistake because not only you but many who have come here are very unhappy to the point like you they segregate themselves. I feel really bad for voting Liberal all these years but now no more. Thanks for helping me see my ways.
Has Ms. Parchment been exposed to too much heat of late?
