Emotional Labor of Women of Color in the Workplace
Written by Tait Manning | Research Associate, Enlightened Solutions
Women of Color are expected to control, modify and suppress emotions in ways that white people, and to a different extent, Men of Color are not.
We either conceal or redefine them — in order to make our presence more palatable for the comfort of others. Modifying language, cultural references, identity, and behavior in order to conform to standards outside of one’s job responsibilities is tiring and burdensome for Women of Color within your organizations. This struggle is further complicated in professional workplaces where women of color are even more likely to be outnumbered by white people and men. The constant managing of emotions, enduring various forms of discrimination, being forced to code-switch in order to be taken seriously, and being exploited and tokenized requires a lot of emotional labor on the part of Women of Color.
Business systems analyst and educator Theresa Suico, shared her workplace experiences saying: “I interact with customers and colleagues alike in a premeditated regimen of behavior, designed over the years to elicit a maximally favorable response from those I interact with. If this approach seems a tad too cautious or calculated, trust me — I really would have preferred to walk in the world differently.”
It is nearly impossible, as a Woman of Color, to fully live up to professional standards based on whiteness and maleness, and yet we are still expected to try and succeed with ease.
There is an integral part of the work experience of Women of Color, that demands us to outwork and outperform our white counterparts, many times with fewer resources, less professional and financial contacts — all without complaint or critiques. There is a pervasive need to outwork or outperform your white counterparts in order to prove ourselves. Maura Cheeks shared a conversation with a successful entrepreneur about navigating the workplace as a Clack woman, in which the woman details the impact code-switching can have on Black employees. “‘Being judged on your work versus mentally performing well would have been more taxing. Your work is judged plus other intangible things. You second-guess yourself and that affects your confidence.’”
Constantly having to be on guard to protect against multiple forms of workplace discrimination can negatively impact the well-being of already marginalized employees; this intensifies for Women of Color with additional marginalized identities. LGBTQ Women of Color are isolated by society in general, so this is made even worse in the workplace where not only whiteness is centered, but heteronormativity as well. Women of Color are forced to deal with racism, misogyny, exclusion, stereotyping (and in some cases homophobia, transphobia, and xenophobia) and ultimately pour all of their energy into protecting themselves from unjust treatment.
In addition to the unrealistic demands for Women of Color, they are also often used in conversations surrounding race, diversity, and inclusion, but are often largely undervalued in other areas.
White employees may see it as an honor when Women of Color are asked to take the lead on projects relating to diversity and anti-racism, but in reality, this can be frustrating. The depth of Women of Color extends beyond their ability to speak about racial injustice. The burden of dismantling systemic racism should not be placed solely on employees of color.
It can be particularly challenging when Women of Color are expected to educate co-workers or listen to reflections or questions from white co-workers who are just beginning to understand racism at a basic level. It’s important for people to educate themselves, but that’s something that should be done independently, and does not need to be discussed with people of color in the workplace without enthusiastic and dual consent. Relentlessly asking marginalized employees questions about their lived experiences and sharing “newfound” knowledge about their own history (and trauma) can be emotionally and mentally draining rather than comforting.
In order to relieve women of color of some of the emotional labor they endure in the workplace, it is crucial to identify genuine forms of support and assess whether the support is even wanted. One individual is not capable of single-handedly altering the societal implications of race and gender, but making an effort to understand the perspective of Women of Color in the workplace can be as simple as active advocacy. Advocating for employees of color and using privilege to protect them from systems and individuals who oppress, can eradicate repressive systems.
