Considerations for the Return to Work

The past year was difficult thanks to the pandemic, the murder of George Floyd, and the exponential increase of anti-Asian violence. Thankfully, safe and effective covid vaccines are here. There is a growing sense of hope in a post-pandemic life, but not for all. A Harvard Business School online survey found 81% of respondents stated they “either don’t want to go back to the office or would prefer a hybrid schedule from now on.” Minoritized employees, even more, dislike the prospect of returning to work. The Slack Future Forum found a distressing 97% of Black knowledge workers want at least a hybrid work model, if not to be fully remote.

Additional findings from the Future Forum:

• Only 12% of knowledge workers say they intend to return to work full-time. 72% are looking for a combination of office and remote work.
• “Work-life balance” is the thing they like most about remote work — with 52% saying it is better, and only 18% saying it is worse.
• Stress and anxiety about work also improves — with 42% saying it is better with remote work, and only 20% saying it is worse.

The lingering impact of covid is one factor impacting feelings about returning to the office; the reality of wanton racial inequality and brutality are other factors. Last summer, countless companies pledged support to the Black community as they watched millions of people take to the streets in protest of police brutality and racial inequity. The long-awaited racial Me Too moment arrived. As high-profile companies pledged their solidarity, Black and brown employees revealed these same companies as havens for rampant inequality and abuse. Stories of toxic cultures devaluing employees of color emerged from the often admired Pinterest, The Wing, Away, and more. Companies conceded they needed to do better and scrambled to find DEI trainers, consultants and establish internal ERGs. As they return to the office looms, Black and brown corporate workers are less interested in returning than their white counterparts. White employees cite health/safety concerns, long commutes, and more time with family as reasons they are wary of returning to the office. For Black and brown employees, the reasons go beyond safety and convenience and include workplace hostility, microaggressions, and more; simply put, Black and brown employees don’t want to return to intolerant workspaces.

Cose (2011) found Black professionals who aspired to senior leadership roles often adopted a strategy of silence regarding race and inequity to advance in the workplace. The stories from the summer of 2020 highlighted the harsh retribution faced by those who speak out against racism, justifying the rationale of this strategy. To be Black at work often demands tolerating racism and pretending an imperviousness to microaggressions. Minoritized groups are forced to share space with people who continually use white supremacy to inflict harm and deny their humanity. Enduring these situations causes minorized groups to manage the emotional labor required to suppress emotions when faced with intolerance. Black and brown employees endure office politics and the stress of doing their jobs, but with less mentorship/sponsorship, less money, and more scrutiny.

Black and brown folks are not interested in returning to the “normal” of pre-Covid and pre-George Floyd, where unchecked racism was the norm and the myth of the neutral meritocracy prevailed. Upon the return of in-person work, I suspect organizations and leaders are ill-prepared for the change in office dynamics that will greet them. Pre-covid, the subtle elements of race and power at work were rarely acknowledged; the events of summer 2020 exposed those elements.

There is perhaps no more straightforward example of the nuance of race and power than the Central Park birdwatching incident on May 25, 2020 (Note: this took place the morning of George Floyd’s death). With calculating deftness, Amy Copper demonstrated how easily whites (especially white women) could weaponize their presumed innocence and marshall powerful and dangerous resources to do their bidding. A Black man was not obedient to her, and she was indignant. Cooper’s instinctive response was to harness the racial power imbalance. Despite breaking the law, she knew the societal position afforded to her as a white woman would override her legal infraction, and her innocent Black challenger would face repercussions.

The birdwatching episode encapsulated the racial dynamics in our society often mirrored in the workplace before covid. I recalled numerous occasions in my professional career where I encountered the same racial repulsion embolden by confidence in the white supremacy machine. Black and brown employees are not invested in returning to the pre-Covid “normal.” Here’s where I’m concerned: the Amy Coopers of work expect to return to the office with unchanged racial dynamics. They will expect the “others” to tolerate their abuse silently. Black and brown communities are advocating for themselves with greater urgency, calling out oppressive systems and demanding large-scale change. I assert this shift is taking place in the workspace and may be felt more keenly upon return to in-person working.

Most organizations have failed to evaluate if the workers want to return to in-person work and why or why not. I would wager many organizations have no idea what the remote experience has been for their employees over the last year. A survey from Project Include found since Covid-19, anxiety has increased for 85% of employees. The same poll found 64% of all respondents reported an increase in working hours since the pandemic. Forty-six percent of Black women said race-based hostility during the pandemic. For Asian women, 30% report an increase in race-based hostility. It’s time to acknowledge the obvious; typical office dynamics do not work for people of color and many others. I no longer have any inclination to tolerate anyone who refuses my humanity or expects my unconditional deference to them, and I suspect I’m not alone. This will mark a seismic change in the workplace landscape. Those stats illuminate an unprecedented opportunity to rethink how we work both in-person and virtually. As you plan your return to the office, here are some considerations to make your workspace better for all.

Understand Your Staff’s Experience- How has your staff processed this unusual year? Are they feeling more or less stress? What are their opinions about returning to the office? What percentage of your team want to stay remote or have a hybrid experience? How have the work expectations of your employees changed? Has your staff experienced increased work pressure during the pandemic? We know women endured more significant burdens during the pandemic; how has your organization contributed to that reality? If so, how will your organization right-size workload as the pandemic ends?

Consider using a platform like Diversio to survey your team and identify pain points. Do the results of the survey reflect the stated values of the company? If not, what is the plan to make corrections? Survey your staff more than once; send surveys before return to the office, immediately after the return, and after 3 to 6 months back in the office.

Don’t Treat Intolerance as a Personality Clash- How does your organization respond to complaints of racism or intolerance that do not rise to the level of legal harassment? How do your leaders react when someone shares they are experiencing racism in your organization? Intolerance and racism are not the same as a personality clash; they are societal power imbalances maintained through violent oppression. As Annalee notes, treating racism as a personality conflict creates a false equivalency between harassment and interpersonal conflict. Complaints of racism or intolerance are not the same as a disagreement over microwaving fish during lunch. Trust the staff who raise concerns; don’t gaslight them for your comfort. Work with consultants to develop a plan when complaints are filed. This plan should include multiple entry points, giving people the opportunity to file complaints with staff other than their managers or HR. Establish clear interventions and expectations of all parties on how to conduct themselves after the complaints are filed. The plan should be thoughtful and enforced, making retaliation efforts by the perpetrators difficult.

Address Anti-Asian Hate- Anti-Asian violence is nothing new in the US; however, members of the Asian community face increased intolerance and violence, thanks to people using fear of covid to justify xenophobia. Your AAPI employees experienced intolerance before the pandemic, and all organization leaders should understand how that hate has changed or intensified during the pandemic. Take reports of harassment or intolerance seriously. Again, avoid the urge to treat AAPI-centered intolerance as a simple interpersonal conflict. Develop plans to address harassment of AAPI team members. If needed, work with consultants to improve the work experience of your AAPI colleagues.

Balance Intent with Impact- It’s time to interrogate the phase, “assume positive intent.” If I get knocked in the face and suffer a bloody broken nose, I’m still at the hospital getting treatment regardless if the antecedent was a deliberate punch or an innocent dance move gone wrong. In the workplace, assuming positive intent denies the impact of the behavior. Accountability is elusive when the intent is the sole paradigm. By focusing on intent, when employees call out hurtful behavior, they are faulted for failure to assume good in intent. Accept at times; employees are acting in bad faith. Emphasize ownership of impact rather than simple intent.

Give More Time Off- With 63% of workers reporting working more hours during the pandemic and high-stress levels, intelligent organizations will give their staff more time away from work. Compassionate organizations won’t turn a blind eye to the pain of Black and Asian communities as they are inundated with violence against their communities. Sadly, some of your employees may be grieving the loss of a loved one due to covid. Others may be suffering a loss but were unable to mourn with loved ones. Don’t underestimate the emotional strain of these trying and violent times. Consider offering paid mental health days in addition to sick and vacation days. Consider giving Fridays off in the summer.

Terminate Intolerant Staff Members- Creating an inclusive and equitable workplace is impossible if intolerant staff remain. No amount of unconscious bias trainings will deprogram racist beliefs. Allowing racists to stay in the workplace is tacit approval of racism. It sends clear messages to abusers that they will not be held accountable, and members of underestimated groups know they will not be supported. As Karl Popper famously notes, while it may seem paradoxical, “defending tolerance requires not to tolerate the intolerable.”

It’s a mistake to attempt to return to life before COVID. We are eager to declare our freedom from Zoom and usher in the roaring ’20s. Returning in-person to the office with thoughtful intention will make the workplace safer and more equitable for all. Over the last year, the impacts of racism in both healthcare and the workplace were exposed.

Now is the perfect time to change how we work. Leaders and committed employees should focus on bringing more equity and justice to their environment and embrace change. They will challenge racism and intolerance; they will destroy the bamboo, black, and glass ceilings, hindering the growth of the new majority. The comfort of some will not take precedent over the pain of others. The new majority is not going back to hostile workplaces. Successful organizations won’t focus on replicating the work environment of 2019, but they’ll focus on the true innovation and disruption of dismantling white supremacy, decolonizing work, and advancing equitable spaces.