Alleviating the Burden of Education from Marginalized Employees

Let’s go back in time for a minute. It’s June 2020 and the world is buzzing with the news of George Floyd’s murder. Black Lives Matter protests are happening, grass-roots organizations are taking action, and there’s a growing demand for accountability and policy change. Brands and companies are releasing statements, pledging resources for anti-racism initiatives, and acknowledging a need for change. 

At work, Black employees are approached for their insight, their experiences with racism, their support with drafting statements and leading DEI projects. This labor can be both physically and emotionally taxing - and is typically unpaid. Underrepresented and marginalized employees often take on this extra burden of educating their colleagues about the importance of inclusion. 

But why can this be hard for leaders to recognize? In this article, you'll learn how to spot the signs that some of your employees are tasked with the burden of education, and what to do about it.

The burden of education

Marginalized individuals often take on extra work to educate coworkers, leaders and friends and lead initiatives to develop an inclusive culture. Marginalized employees often engage in emotional labor - having to manage their composure at work while dealing with added stressors and distressing situations.

Research supports this - in this study of U.S. ecology and evolutionary biology university programs, non-white, non-male and first-generation faculty members were found more likely to engage in diversity and inclusion activities.

So how can you approach this? Here are some common signs that your employees may be taking on additional work to foster culture of inclusion and belonging at your workplace: 

1. DEI is side-of-desk work: Employee resource groups are starting to form naturally, but they don't have any budget.

If ERGs are starting to come up naturally, there’s already an employee interest in DEI - and a scope for improvement in your workplace. Here’s how to take it further while empowering your employees: 

• Allocate a budget towards their efforts. Employees will be able to use the resources to make meaningful change and will know you value their work.

• If allocating a budget is not possible, advocate for resources for ERGs in C-suite and leadership conversations.

• Behind-the-scenes DEI work is often invisible. Recognize the work and efforts of your employees and celebrate their accomplishments. 

• Here are some more ways to uplift and empower your employees through ERGs.

2. Inclusion is being spearheaded only by those that are affected most by non-inclusive policies and practices.

Inclusion is a collective effort. If DEI is only being championed by marginalized employees, others may not be aware of their role in the well-being of the workplace, or may not consider their contribution to be meaningful. 

This can show up in different ways. For instance, a Hispanic employee might take the initiative to speak with HR about their concerns with company harassment policies after being the target of racist remarks. A non-Hispanic coworker that was aware of these remarks but did not participate in them may choose not to act at all. 

📝 Tip: Take group action by getting leadership and all employees involved in inclusion for everyone in the workplace. Not sure how to drive engagement in DEI? Speak to one of our team members today to learn how Crescendo can deliver a personalized DEI journey to every employee in your organization.

3. Marginalized employees are considered “subject matter experts” and are approached for additional tasks.

Marginalized employees are often approached by others for their insight in sensitive situations out of fear of “saying the wrong thing”. For instance, they might be asked to support a training session, or lead a discussion centered around their identity. 

It’s okay to exercise caution in what you say - especially when you’re starting conversations around an identity you don’t embody. But being afraid to speak up in the workplace about inclusion leads to over-dependence on marginalized groups for guidance. Daisy Auger-Dominguez - DEI Strategist and Chief People Officer for Vice Media, suggests:

• Asking better questions

• Taking the initiative to educate yourself

• And pushing yourself to communicate candidly about difficult topics

Marginalized employees shouldn’t have to take on additional work compared to their non-marginalized coworkers. Before approaching an employee to lead or advise on a new DEI project, ask them about their level of comfort. Would this be stressful or anxiety-inducing for them? Educating others about marginalized experiences can be mentally exhausting and triggering. If they agree to lead a project, compensate them accordingly for all additional work. 

Another alternative may be to seek out external educators with diverse experiences so that your employees can focus on their current responsibilities. Regardless of who you go with, ensure that you express gratitude for the work and perspective that the contributor brings to your initiatives - and compensate them fairly.

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Looking for more ways to alleviate the burden of education? Crescendo offers Inclusion Campaigns to support team discussions and Learning Moments for time-efficient, bite-sized DEI learning. Book a demo to see Crescendo in action today!