Lockdown and Inclusion: How do we stay inclusive in our workplaces under lockdown?
Working from home and social distancing have very quickly become part of our new reality, and it looks like they are here to stay, in some form or another, for the foreseeable future. In this new reality, we are all actively avoiding social and workplace interactions making it hard to even imagine being inclusive. Yet at the same time, with people’s routines and livelihood disrupted, it is expected that there will be a rise in the levels of loneliness, depression, domestic violence, harmful alcohol and drug use, and self-harm or suicidal behaviour. This pandemic has created a heightened level of fear, anxiety and stress across large parts of the population. With these mental and emotional challenges facing employees in organisations, it is perhaps more relevant than ever to be inclusive while under lockdown.
The COVID19 virus is impacting everyone. It is not just women, minority ethnic groups, certain generations or other marginalised sectors of society that are impacted by this virus. As paradoxical as it sounds, through this isolation and lockdown, we can expand the areas of diversity we look at to ensure that everyone in our organisation is indeed, as Verna Myers puts it, “being asked to dance”. Given that each one of us is processing and managing this crisis in diverse ways, who are those amongst us who might be feeling marginalised and unable to dance at a time like this? Could it be the single Dad who is struggling to juggle work and managing his young children? Or a female colleague living on her own? Or could it be a Chinese colleague who has experienced biases and micro-aggressions during online meetings, or while taking a walk in the park?
So, what does inclusion in an organisation look like in a time of lockdown? You could say that this period of lockdown and isolation are an opportunity to test how truly inclusive your organisational culture is. As this crisis prolongs, we need to move to the next stage of ensuring employee well-being. So, what can those in HR and talent management do right now to help their managers and teams with being inclusive while being isolated?
1. Actively identify groups that are at risk in your organisation and Provide assistance
Minority ethnic groups, older employees, those who live alone are the first to come to mind. Other groups could include colleagues who are repatriating or moving to a new country who will face not just culture shock but being seen as carriers of the virus, or those with aged parents in other parts of the world who may be deeply concerned about their health. Let us not forget leaders who are dealing with managing the situation. During isolation, it gets even lonelier at the top. Reach out to these colleagues to provide mental and emotional assistance where needed. Have an employee care hotline and resources available online to provide guidance on how to manage oneself through this. Even though this crisis is likely to have a harsh financial impact on the organisation, this is an opportunity to show commitment to your employees’ welfare by providing employee care packages, especially to help those who will be affected negatively by the impact of COVID19.
2. Identify online micro-aggressions
From France to the US to London, we have seen how our biases about race and nationality are being expressed negatively through this crisis. The morbid meme and hashtag “boomer remover” that is being used to describe the corona virus highlight underlying age-related biases. Unfortunately, as people spend more time behind their computer and phone screens, and the frustration of being under lockdown grows, these biases can be expressed in more explicit ways. So, what should team leads be asked to look out for during online meetings? Biases and micro-aggressions through this crisis can take the form of ethnic slurs and casual jokes linking the virus with certain nationalities, gender related micro-aggressions about colleagues working at home with children, or age related biases about older employees who may be at risk of contracting the virus and about younger employees being carefree and negligent. Every team member, and especially managers and leaders, need to see themselves as allies of inclusion, and be able to call out these biases and micro-aggressions when they occur.
3. Redefine how your organisation defines Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) through this crisis
Start by expanding it. Increase awareness that inclusion through COVID19 takes on a different meaning — it is about being inclusive to people with different family structures, working patterns, habits, environments, and even dressing when working from home. See this as an opportunity to push your organisation to be as inclusive as it can be, while maintaining social distancing. Having leaders demonstrate and communicate behaviours that are inclusive to these varying patterns of habits, lifestyle choices and behaviour is crucial to creating that inclusive culture.
4. Create opportunities for social interaction
Get creative about getting social with colleagues online. Friday trivia afternoon, Mid-week beer evening or Thursday morning family workout sessions are all great ways to get people to socialise and connect with their colleagues, providing the much-needed light-hearted social interaction we are all craving for.
Originally published at https://talented.dk on May 2, 2020.
