BY NIKKI ADEBIYI, FOUNDER @ BOUNCE BLACK
Content warning: distressing topics
In June, I had the honour of facilitating a panel discussion at the This Can Happen Global conference which took place at Allen & Overy’s London office.
Here’s a summary of our conversation:
Overview
For this session, I had the opportunity to share the stage with Sam Owo, Lloyds Banking Group’s Senior Inclusion & Diversity Manager / Race Action Plan Lead. Our topic of discussion was the relationship between diversity & inclusion and workplace wellbeing.
Context
I kicked off the discussion by contextualising our chat in the wake of the 2020 resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and the protests that followed the killing of George Floyd.
I recounted how difficult many Black professionals found it to focus entirely on work amidst all of the chaos, and I remembered someone’s words to the effect of “it’s hard to concentrate when the world is on fire”.
I also recounted the collective race-related fatigue many of us felt during lockdown. By contrast, some Black professionals felt relief at having to work from home because they were no longer physically bound to office environments in which they had to endure snide comments and stereotypes, known as ‘microaggressions’, which previously chipped away at their mental health.
Of course, these problems predated the 2020 global protests. However, they were more in our faces then because we were all stuck indoors and forced to listen.
Why DEI matters for wellbeing
Since 2020, the need for employers to take equity and inclusion more seriously has only increased. Companies that fail to do so not only suffer economic consequences from staff turnover and reputation damage, but they also end up reinforcing existing inequities.
It’s a vicious cycle.
For instance, companies which perpetuate toxic cultures in which discrimination goes unaddressed, even excused and covered up, end up driving the very same people out of the workplace that their inclusivity campaign optics appear to uplift. Those (ex-) employees are often left hurt and held back in their careers, which has a knock-on effect on social mobility and therefore, financial challenges and mental health.
When we’re talking about mental health, we’re talking about every single one of us in this room. What the diversity element adds is that we’re talking about employees who are from underrepresented groups, and recognising that their experience is different to some of their other colleagues.
Sam Owo
Sam also spoke about the toll it takes on the wellbeing of minoritised and marginalised employees who often have to bend over backwards to conform to certain corporate cultures, on top of the ordinary stresses of their job. One example she cited was that of LGBTQ+ employees who move from team to team within an organisation. They may repeatedly consider how and whether to ‘come out’ about their sexuality, and how their colleagues may treat them as a result.
People from ethnic minority and marginalised backgrounds are having to navigate, all day, being the person they think the company wants them to be. We have to face the mental impact of this.
Sam Owo
Failing to address these issues at all or adequately inevitably impacts employee and team performance, and therefore, an organisation’s bottom line and strategic goals.
By contrast, when employees from underrepresented groups feel a sense of safety and belonging, it boosts their morale and leads to better performance and better team dynamics. So, it’s imperative that employers invest in employee wellbeing in the ways that matter.
How organisations can create inclusive and mentally healthy workplaces
Finally, the discussion closed with examples of what employers can do to support those team members, including:
- Raising awareness of and funding employee resource groups (ERGs),
- Investing in mental health resources like and beyond self-help apps like Headspace,
- Providing culturally competent services via employee assistance programmes (EAPs).
Where existing solutions are not working or are underused, Sam encourages employers to listen to their staff and find out what’s preventing them from making use of what’s available, then explore ways to remedy those blockers.
Learn more about Lloyds Banking Group’s Race Action Plan here
