• Employee wellbeing has risen up the agenda for business leaders in recent years.
  • Surveys show employees of color routinely encounter racism and are more likely to feel underpaid.
  • Experts share the steps businesses can take to help ensure non-white staff aren’t discriminated against.

Employee wellbeing has risen on the agenda for business leaders in recent years. But research shows a racial disparity in employees’ experience of the workplace.

A quarter of people of color reported suffering or witnessing bullying or harassment by their managers at the work in the previous two years, according to a 2018 survey by UK business network Business in the Community.

The following year’s survey found that 30% of employees of color reported being subjected to bad behavior in the last year due to their ethnicity. Last August, 56% of Black staff who took part in the next survey said they were underpaid, compared with 41% of white employees.

Three experts share with Insider the five steps employers can take to create workplaces that support the mental health and wellbeing of all their staff.

1. Acknowledge employees' experiences 

Professor Binna Kandola, a business psychologist and author of Racism at Work: The Danger of Indifference, says employers must start by accepting there is an issue. Acknowledge problems meaningfully by listening without becoming defensive, he adds.

He warns of "micro-incivilities" - common but small behaviors that signal to staff they aren't welcome, which build up and take a psychological toll.

"Unfortunately, a lot of people, even within the diversity and inclusion profession, think racism is a thing of the past. If someone does make a complaint [managers in the company often think], the problem isn't the organisation but the person. They're either too sensitive, deluded or a troublemaker," he says.

Charlotte Armitage, a psychotherapist and psychologist who specializes in media businesses, says: "At the core of every human being is the need to feel respected, worthy and cared for. You might find that your employees value being asked and feel pleased their voice is being heard.

"If they don't want to speak up, they can give feedback through surveys which are simple to conduct but non-invasive."

2. Don't put the onus of coming up with solutions on them

Kandola advises: "Listen but don't ask people for solutions. Team members only have to describe the issue. As a leader, it's your job to take away what you've heard and then come back to the group and say how you are going to respond."

Getting help from trained experts is also key, says psychologist Dr Tina Mistry. "It's totally unfair to expect staff to give you the answers. As with any other area of business from marketing to IT, you need to be paying people to come in and advise you on how to implement change."

3. Create psychologically safe spaces 

In a survey by diversity and inclusion specialists Pearn Kandola, of which Kandola was a co-founder, 52% of more than 1,400 workers claimed they had witnessed an act of racism at work. Of those, only one in five reported it to HR.

The study also found that staff of color were less likely to challenge racist behaviour than their white colleagues. The most common reason for keeping quiet was fear of retribution.

Mistry says safe spaces, where employees feel reassured they can describe their distress and experiences without fearing repercussions from management, are key.

A report by Business In The Community found 53% of white employees felt comfortable talking about their issues compared to 40% of non-white employees. Armitage says staff may feel safer speaking to psychologists or therapists who are also from ethnic minority backgrounds, who may have had similar experiences.

"Employers must strive to create an inclusive workplace culture where team members feel able to challenge discriminatory behaviour without blame or judgement," Kandola agrees.

"This involves reviewing existing processes for incident management, taking complaints seriously when they do arise as well as holding perpetrators accountable for their actions."

4. Tackle unconscious bias in staff and processes

The subtle nature of everyday racism makes it difficult to prove and easy to dismiss, Kandola says, adding this means leaders, line managers and HR staff must be able to recognise subtle behaviours as racist.

Armitage suggests unconscious bias training is a good place to start to ensure everyone is onboard and willing to examine their own potential prejudices.

Kandola suggests businesses go on to review and reform how they hire, promote, and pay staff, to ensure there is equal access to opportunities.

5. Educate yourself to understand different people's different needs

Norms and expectations can also differ across minorities, says Armitage. She urges employers to educate themselves on the practical implications of the differences or consider hiring a cultural diversity expert to help them do so.

Providing prayer or meditation spaces and proactively giving staff days off for religious holidays are simple, initial steps that can help people feel welcomed, she adds.