One in three employees experience toxic behaviour in the workplace

Almost one in three employees (31%) have experienced at least one form of microaggression or discriminatory behaviour from their manager in the past six months, according to a new survey.

The survey of 2,000 employees was carried out for Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) England, a social enterprise. It found that the most common negative comments or assumptions managers have made, in the past six months, relate to people’s age, working patterns, personal life, and physical or mental health. Misspelling or mispronouncing people’s names also made the top five.

The most frequently cited exclusionary behaviours employees experience from management included “not getting credit for work done”, “favouritism of other employees”, and “sarcasm”. Almost half of employees (48%) said they had experienced one or more forms of discriminatory or exclusionary acts from their manager in the past six months.

Black people more likely to experience microaggressions

The survey found demographic differences in the responses. Nearly half (47%) of white British employees saw this type of action from managers – but the comparable figures for Asian and Black workers were 57% and 72% respectively.

Two thirds (66%) of those aged 18-34 said they’d experienced these behaviours from managers, but the figure for those aged 45-64 was only 38%.

Almost one in five respondents said these experiences had a negative outcome on their mental health, and one in seven had considered quitting their job as a result.

A third (33%) of employees said either that their company does not promote equality and inclusion, they were unsure of any such initiative at their workplace or that their organisation had no way of doing so.

Simon Blake, MHFA’s chief executive, said: “Everyone deserves to feel seen and valued at work. Equity, inclusion, and a sense of belonging are key to positive mental health and wellbeing in the workplace.

“As employers, if we create cultures where people can bring their whole self to work, without fear of judgement, all the evidence shows we will see strong performance and excellent productivity. This isn’t simply a nice to have, it is a business imperative. Diverse teams mean innovation and excellence and according to Forbes deliver 60% better results.

“When people belong and their contribution is valued, they deliver.”

Workplace culture needs to change

The MHFA has created a campaign called My Whole Self, aimed at creating culture change in the workplace. It calls on employers to create workplace cultures where people feel safe to bring their whole self to work, including background, sexuality, religion, gender, health and mental health. Doing this would drive improvements in mental health and performance, the organisation argues.

Dr Melissa Carr, director of the World of Work Institute (equity, diversity and inclusion) at Henley Business School said: “A sense of belonging is critical for supporting equity, diversity and inclusion within the workplace – and a big part of feeling you belong is feeling known, respected and valued. Microaggressions and discrimination can considerably undermine people’s sense of psychological safety and wellbeing at work, and it’s concerning to see how common these instances are in the UK.

“This research is a timely reminder of the vital role line managers and colleagues play in building supportive work environments that allow people to bring their whole self to work. Employers have progress to make to translate equity, diversity and inclusion policy into meaningful practice throughout the workplace, creating environments where microaggressions and discrimination is recognised and called out.”