As a term, “microaggression” can feel a bit ambiguous, even though it's a hot topic in our day and age. Merriam-Webster defines microaggression as a "comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group (such as a racial minority)."
These harmful behaviors can emerge in a wide range of situations... including in the workplace. If you’re concerned that your office might be negligent about addressing and condemning microaggressions, these seven signs signal that your worries aren’t misplaced.
Gender-based microaggressions unfortunately persist in many industries and work environments, and even when women earn promotions into leadership positions, they frequently find themselves confronted by insidious attempts to undermine their authority. Forbes reports that 36% of women have dealt with colleagues questioning their judgement, as opposed to only 27% of men.
Companies who fail to actively recruit and hire minority employees are guilty of “macroaggression” as well as the micro- version, but even those that do strive for a diverse population of workers can become a breeding ground for insensitivity and discrimination. A prime example occurs when employees of similar racial backgrounds are regularly confused for each other and called by the incorrect names. The coworkers committing these infractions may not consciously intend to undermine their colleagues, but their inability (or unwillingness) to learn the right names speaks to a troubling trend of depersonalization.
A genuine compliment from one coworker to another typically gets a positive reception...but when said compliment comes with racial or gender-based subtexts, it’s less than welcome. An example provided by Business Insider involves gratuitous and over-the-top conversations about the hairstyles worn by black women; “Your hair looks nice today” is appropriate verbiage for a workplace compliment, but “Is that your real hair?” or “Your hair’s so amazing! Can I touch it?” feel explicitly tied to racial stereotypes and should therefore be adamantly avoided.
Ageism in the workplace isn’t just the provenance of TV shows like “Younger”- it’s also a grievous reality affecting many industries. Evidence can manifest in obvious ways- like a company’s refusal to hire anyone over the age of 40 (which is, of course, illegal)- or in more nuanced ways, like restricting job responsibilities involving web content or social media activity to younger employees. Basing these assignments solely on age rather than on interest and experience happens more frequently than it should, and if it's happening in your workplace, it’s a clear sign that microaggressions are part of your company culture.
While your coworkers may think they’re paying their female colleagues a compliment by praising their office party-planning skills or constantly asking for their help when cleaning up after a meeting or when making photocopies, they’re actually feeding into a presumption fueled by sexist views on a woman’s place in the working world. By the same token, constantly turning to your male coworkers for help with tech issues (although these employees have no particular training or experience in tech) also contributes to this problem.
Playing “Cupid” between two friends or acquaintances isn’t a problematic move in and of itself. However, LGBTQ folks often endure poorly-conceived matchmaking attempts by their friends with little consideration of their personal preferences or tastes; the old “I know two single gay people, so they must be a match!” assumption is, regrettably, alive and well. While it’s an absurd oversimplification in any context, these behaviors are particularly inappropriate in a work setting.
Office cultures that permit microaggressions often foster other forms of disrespectful interactions between employees, and a clear symptom of these environments involves an acceptance of regular interruptions. If your colleagues regularly talk over each other in meetings, making it impossible to express a cohesive point, that’s a sign of communication dysfunction that can easily feed microaggressions.