Discrimination in the workplace is not always loud or obvious. It does not always come in the form of outright hostility, slurs, pay disparity or an immediate unlawful termination. For many professionals across Indiana, the workplace bias is quieter and persistent in ways that could be forms of microaggressions. It is this subtlety that makes it hard to identify and easy to overlook but also more harmful.
Although ambiguous in nature and often appearing small on the surface, subtly discriminatory behaviors can be worse than overt discrimination. It is emotionally taxing and can chip away at your confidence and dignity.
What are microaggressions?
Microaggressions are subtle, often unintentional comments or actions directed at marginalized groups or individuals. They come in verbal, non-verbal or environmental slights that communicate societal biases that could be related to aspects of race, gender, age, sexuality, socio-economic background, disability or other protected traits.
If you suspect that you are a target of microaggression, you may find yourself ruminating on the incident long after it took place to discern the reason behind the mistreatment. However, as the behavior persists, microaggressions create a hostile workplace environment that is detrimental to your well-being.
What are common workplace microaggressions?
Microaggressions in the workplace can come in many forms. Examples include:
- Dismissive humor: “OK, boomer!” or “You probably have no idea how this technology works.” Jokes about age may be laughed off but this type of joke often reinforces age-based biases that can isolate individuals based on characteristics that are not job-related.
- Stereotyping: “You are Asian? You must be great with numbers.” This narrative sounds like a compliment, but this generalization is false and positions you as racial subjects.
- Assumptive comments: “Wow, your English is good!” This assumption may seem like a compliment but implies that you are not expected to be articulate because you are an immigrant or people of color.
- Exclusion from collaboration: Being left out of team lunches, leadership conversations or team meetings are exclusionary tactics that are discriminatory, especially if it aligns with your race, gender, or disability status.
Subtle discrimination reduces morale. It also affects your job security. In many cases, targets of frequent microaggressions may also notice:
- Poor performance reviews despite your consistent work effort
- Being passed over for promotions
- Unjustified disciplinary actions
- Reduced management support
These patterns may escalate the case to unlawful termination and can raise concern among many tenured professionals.
Why awareness matters and when it becomes illegal
Microaggressions may lead to overthinking as targets often feel unsure about whether those incidents are serious enough to report. When microaggression becomes a pattern, it can become part of a larger workplace discrimination claim.
What can you do?
Understanding microaggressions helps you recognize when the workplace culture becomes unfair or illegal. If you feel you have been targeted at work:
- Document what is happening: Always log incidents and be as specific as you can be. Include dates, comments and witnesses.
- Pay attention to patterns: Are other people in your company treated the same way or does it seem targeted?
- Talk to someone you trust: Microaggression at work could be emotionally difficult. Speak to people with whom you can trust about what is currently confusing or challenging for you.
- Find professional help: Seek out legal guidance to determine whether your experiences at work rises to the level of unlawful discrimination.
You do not have to accept this form of abuse, you can take action. You deserve a workplace that treats you with respect and allows you to thrive.