Respect in the Workplace Training

black women at work conference table microaggressions

While cultivating a respectful and affirming workplace is a priority for many organizations, reaching that point without guidance can be challenging. How can teams learn to value differences, communicate and collaborate in a respectful way, and avoid incidents of harassment and bias? Diversity Builder’s Respect in the Workplace training combines diversity equity and inclusion training with the topic of harassment prevention. This course provides invaluable direction on these issues, covering DEI topics in the workplace as well as harassment and discrimination prevention. It also highlights how organizational values dovetail with DEI goals, facilitating employee engagement and participation.

Training Effectiveness

Hands-on discussions, exercises, and realistic case studies bring the content to life for participants and increase effectiveness. Diversity Builder tailors the class to the specific work or industry of the organization with strong consideration given to the core values and mission statement. In addition to a general Respect in the Workplace course, there is a separate one with a managerial or organizational perspective for leaders. Diversity Builder has several experienced and engaging trainers, one of whom earned a PhD in leadership and organizational change and specializes in cultural competency and cross-cultural communication.

Learning Objectives

Gain an awareness of the impact of diversity, inclusion, and bias
Recognize the benefits of a culture of difference and inclusion
Acknowledge & identify microaggressions and their harmful impacts
Avoid harassment & hostile work environment
Create an action plan for next steps

What are the benefits of DEI training?

With the demographics in the United States changing and diversifying so quickly, an understanding of DEI issues is essential to creating a respectful and well-operating workplace. Increasing awareness of bias and discrimination requires that organizations proactively address these topics. Companies that prioritize DEI have the upper hand in terms of recruitment, employee engagement, and business outcomes, including:

Attracting Millennials and Gen Z individuals, who want to work for organizations that have a diverse workforce and actively engage with DEI initiatives¹
Having happier workers with better work-life balance²
A more innovative, creative workforce³

Furthermore, substantial disparities for BIPOC workers, women, and other marginalized groups still exist, requiring immediate action on the part of organizations. In workplaces where there hasn’t been an effort to bring groups together, marginalized employees sometimes feel pressure to hide parts of their lives or identities. Individuals who are part of a religious minority, for example, might feel that they can’t mention their holidays without alienating coworkers. Racial bias in the workplace is extremely well documented, with 40% of BIPOC workers having experienced racial discrimination, while women (especially women of color) are less likely to be promoted to management positions.⁴^,5 Acknowledging and addressing these barriers is the first step in cultivating a respectful workplace where employees of all backgrounds know they have the same access to opportunities.

What is the difference between diversity, equity, and inclusion?

While diversity, inclusion, and equity are sometimes used interchangeably, there are key differences between these terms. The facilitator will outline why all three are crucial in addressing the organizational obstacles described above.

^[1] Miller, J. (2021, February 18). For younger job seekers, diversity and inclusion in the workplace aren’t a preference. They’re a requirement. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/02/18/millennial-genz-workplace-diversity-equity-inclusion/
^[2] Krentz, M., Dartnell, A., Khanna, D., & Locklair, S. (2021, September 20). Inclusive cultures have healthier and happier workers. BCG Global. https://www.bcg.com/publications/2021/building-an-inclusive-culture-leads-to-happier-healthier-workers
^[3] Hewlett, S. A. (2014, August 1). How diversity can drive innovation. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2013/12/how-diversity-can-drive-innovation
^[4] Rosanwo, D. (2022, February 24). Hue x Harris poll: State of inequity report 2022. The Harris Poll. https://theharrispoll.com/briefs/diversity-inclusion-workplace-state-of-inequity-hue-2022/
^[5] Field, E., Krivkovich, A., Kügele, S. (2023, October 5). Women in the workplace 2023. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace

Diversity is the range of human differences, including but not limited to race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, social class, abilities, religious or ethical values system, national origin, and political beliefs.

Diversity is sometimes thought of as representation, such as the range of ages, races, nationalities, and more present in a workplace.

Equity, however, takes into consideration a person’s unique circumstances so that everyone has the same resulting opportunities. This might mean reallocating resources so that each employee has the chance and the means to participate fully in professional development, for instance.

Inclusion requires that diverse people are not only represented in a workplace but also participate in decision-making and leadership. They are welcome to bring their authentic selves to work without being excluded or othered.⁶

Inclusion is involvement and empowerment, where the inherent worth and dignity of all people are recognized. An inclusive workplace promotes and sustains a sense of belonging; it values and practices respect for the talents, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of living of its members.

An organization that fully implements diversity, equity, and inclusion in its decision-making will make much greater progress towards becoming a welcoming place.

Identity and Bias

When leading DEI training, it’s very helpful to discuss identity and bias to explain how exclusionary practices affect fellow employees. Understanding these issues and how they play out in a workplace is critical to avoiding harmful words or actions that undermine a respectful environment.

A person’s identity consists of the various characteristics that influence how they are perceived and treated by others. While race and gender are often discussed, diversity consists of many additional aspects of a person’s identity and lived experience.

Be sure to consider the following non-exhaustive list of identities when exploring diversity:

Race
Color
Gender
Religion
Nationality
Age (those over 40)
Ability level
Sexual orientation
Gender identity
Neurodiversity

Participants will examine their own combination of identities and reflect on the associated benefits and challenges, creating empathy and connection with coworkers who might have also faced various hurdles or assumptions in their lives.

^[6] McKinsey & Company. (2022, August 17). What is diversity, equity, and inclusion? https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-is-diversity-equity-and-inclusion

Conscious and Unconscious Bias

In addition, participants will learn about conscious (or deliberate) bias as well as unconscious (or involuntary) bias. Bias leads people to make assumptions about someone based on their background or identity. It can come from many sources, including:

History, culture, and upbringing
Personal attitudes
Stereotypes
Fears and misperceptions
Previous experiences

The facilitator will highlight best practices for communicating inclusively, such as avoiding sweeping statements or jokes about specific groups. Employees will come away from this training understanding how identity and bias factors into exclusionary practices, positioning them to make their workplace a more welcoming environment.

Microaggressions in the Workplace

Understanding and avoiding microaggressions, which can lead to distance between colleagues, is key to respectful working relationships. Diversity Builder includes microaggression training in several courses including Bystander Intervention, Resolving Bias, and Harassment Prevention. Microaggressions are smaller (but harmful) words, behaviors, or environmental factors that reflect bias. While these instances might seem minor, they take a heavy toll on marginalized individuals. Women who change their behavior at work in an effort to avoid microaggressions, for instance, are three times more likely to consider quitting and four times more likely to be consistently facing burnout.⁷

As Derald Wing Sue wrote in Scientific American, people of color are also hurt by microaggressions:

“Microaggressions are constant and continual in the life experience of people of color. They experience these offensive behaviors every day from the moment they awaken in the morning until they go to sleep at night and from the time they are born until they die.”⁸

Avoiding microaggressions and other instances of othering are crucial in creating an inclusive workplace. Looking at case studies, in which participants put themselves in the shoes of a person facing microaggressions at work, is highly beneficial in understanding the devastating impact of microaggressions. After this section of the course, employees will know how to recognize and avoid microaggressions, contributing to a more supportive workplace.

Defining Harassment, Discrimination, and Bullying, and Best Practices to Avoid Them

In addition to microaggressions, the training also describes more extreme instances of hostile behavior such as harassment, racial and gender discrimination, and bullying.

Unfortunately, harassment is often poorly understood or downplayed. Unwelcome words or actions based on any protected class (race, gender, religion, etc.) qualify as harassment. When this becomes severe or pervasive enough that a reasonable person would find it intimidating, hostile, or abusive, or workers are required to accept the behavior in order to stay employed, it becomes illegal. Harassment can take many forms but often includes jokes, intimidation, physical threats, name calling, objectionable objects or pictures, or actions that interfere with carrying out assigned duties.⁹

^[7] Field, E., Krivkovich, A., Kügele, S. (2023, October 5). Women in the workplace 2023. https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/women-in-the-workplace
^[8] Sue, D. W. (2021, March 30). Microaggressions: Death by a thousand cuts. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/microaggressions-death-by-a-thousand-cuts/
^[9] U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (n.d.). Harassment. https://www.eeoc.gov/harassment

The course provides a detailed examination of racial and gender discrimination, encouraging participants to consider whether various scenarios describe illegal harassment as defined above. Those facing harassment often deal with many negative outcomes, including psychological harm, decreased workplace productivity and disengagement, as well as physical symptoms (headaches, exhaustion, and more).

Like harassment, workplace bullying is often excused or ignored. Look out for the following behaviors, which constitute workplace bullying:

Undeserved criticism or blame
Being treated differently than the rest of the team
Isolation or social exclusion
Being sworn or shouted at or humiliated
Practical jokes
Excessive monitoring or scrutiny

These have no place in a respectful and affirming work environment. The facilitator will emphasize the importance of targeted employees and bystanders alike in pushing back against discrimination, harassment, and bullying, with specific actions and scripts to use in these situations. However, those engaging in harmful behaviors should also take responsibility for their actions. This can take the form of listening to the harmed party, acknowledging one’s mistakes, and acting differently going forward. This will foster healing after a harmful incident and enable employees to act in positive ways in the future.

Respectful Communication Strategies

Finally, the facilitator will provide effective strategies for respectful communication between teams and coworkers. The four-point sequence strategy, for example, can assist in consulting diverse perspectives when making decisions and avoiding groupthink. Here are the steps:

Point A: Explore what the team knows and what can be learned from the team’s various experiences
Point B: Identify emerging themes and start developing potential solutions
Point C: List pros and cons for each solution and describe what a good solution would look like
Point D: Consider who else could have valuable input and analyze how other teams and departments will be affected

Participants will identify opportunities to apply this framework to their own work. They will also learn best communication practices such as approaching coworkers with empathy, affirming others’ perspectives (even in the case of disagreements), showing humility, and providing feedback on facts instead of emotions. In coordination with the DEI topics covered previously, this empowers employees to return to their workplaces with the tools and techniques to work effectively and respectfully with each other.