Creating An Inclusive Workplace Through Allyship
by Manveetha Muddaluru
As someone who identifies as belonging to a marginalized community in Canada, an important aspect of the workplace that I value is inclusivity. Being a respected employee in a workplace and to not be discriminated against due to one’s identity should be a benchmark in a work environment; however, several recent news stories have shown that being treated with respect in the workplace has become a privilege that many are denied.
Recently, a $35 million lawsuit was filed against the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) by five senior ranking, long-term employees who allegedly faced acts of Islamophobia, racism, sexism, and homophobia at the government agency. Accounts from the five employees shed some light on the work environment that forced them to speak out. The lawsuit states, “CSIS is a workplace rife with discrimination, harassment, bullying and abuse of authority, in which the tone set by management, namely to mock, abuse and humiliate and threaten employees, has permeated the workforce.” For many Canadians, it is surprising to see a government establishment that is tasked with ensuring our safety and security being added to a long list of workplaces where employees from marginalized communities have been compelled to resort to legal measures. Like with many organizations, an emphasis on practicing — not just discussing — workplace inclusivity needs to be a top priority.
With the current global political climate, many believe that activism that is socially large scale and vocal in the media is the best way to support a cause of interest as it garners public attention. What can employees do to make an inclusive change from a small scale and individual perspective?
In the current day, it is no surprise that workplaces are becoming increasingly global, allowing for interactions with a diverse group of people. One way of celebrating diversity, while also learning to be inclusive is allyship. The Anti-Oppression Network describes allyship as “an active, consistent, and arduous practice of unlearning and re-evaluating, in which a person of privilege seeks to operate in solidarity with a marginalized group of people.” By understanding the foundations of the term allyship and the aspects that define it, we as current and future employees can assess our own actions and identify ways to create an inclusive workplace.
Here are some important things that I have learned about allyship so far, adapted from Jamie Utt’s “So You Call Yourself an Ally: 10 Things All ‘Allies’ Need to Know”:
1. Listen to the stories of people you are allying with!
Listening to a diverse set of voices can heighten our understanding of the issues a certain marginalized group faces. Allyship, much like many other actions in the realm of social justice, has a countless number of intersections. A person who is attempting to be an ally may also need allies. Becoming aware of these intricate intersections takes time and as with any learning process, mistakes will be made. When criticized, listen to the criticism, apologize, and use it as a positive learning experience to motivate yourself to act differently in the future.
Tip: To avoid stereotyping in the workplace, take the initiative to learn from an unbiased perspective. This process of learning includes listening to the experiences of others in a respectful and genuine manner, while not being aggressive or overbearing when asking others to share their stories. Not only will you learn about their experiences, you will be able to foster a relationship with the person you are learning from.
2. Use your voice to bring attention to the issue — not to yourself!
Expressing solidarity doesn’t mean shining the spotlight on yourself while you address an issue. By diverting the focus away from yourself and targeting a cause associated with individuals you are attempting to ally with allows the issue itself to remain the focus. Rather than simply expressing your stance on an issue, use your voice to engage others who might share your identity or experiences.
Tip: Initiate or suggest a professional development group training session, such as positive space training, that is focused on inclusivity in the workplace. When possible, ensure that facilitators are speaking from lived experiences, as this will help get a message across from a personal point of view. When you witness a colleague facing adversity, have a one-on-one conversation with them (if they are open to it). If the situation calls for it, address the issue with the next person in the chain of command, whether it is a supervisor, manager, or HR.
3. Allyship is a lifelong learning process.
We have all been in situations where we’ve wanted to speak up against injustice, but haven’t had the courage to. For this reason, as Utt explains, it is a common myth that being an ally is a status or identity that one can self-proclaim. We can only work towards being accepted as allies by those who we trying to ally with. To do so we must embark on a journey — one that includes a constant process of learning, unlearning, and relearning by proactively evaluating our actions, beliefs, and values.
Tip: In times when you feel conflicted on whether or not you want to stand in solidarity, remind yourself that you have the privilege to choose when to support others who are marginalized. Marginalized individuals endure adversity on a daily basis and don’t have the same privilege to choose that you do.
Understanding, practicing, and promoting allyship is important in every workplace. A good start to promoting an inclusive workplace through allyship is having professional development sessions for all employees, regardless of levels of seniority. Not only will this open up lines of conversations between employees and to staff in senior positions, it will also affect positive change at a higher organizational level.
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