New research has revealed that a staggering number of workers from ethnic minorities feel they must ‘work harder’ than their White colleagues in the same role.
The Samsung UK & Ireland survey found that four in five Black and Arab employees say they must ‘work harder’ than their White colleagues. This was the case for 82% of Arab workers, 80% Black workers and 66% of Asian workers. Black and Arab employees feel the most marginalised. Around 59% of Black and 61% Arab professionals feel they are treated differently because of their cultural background.
Shockingly, half (50%) of ethnic minorities have been a victim of unconscious racism at work. This was the case for 45% of Asian workers and over half (53%) of Black employees. The figure rose to 60% for Arab workers. Over a third (36) of ethnic minority workers have said they have also experienced blatant racism. This figure rose to 46% for Arab workers and 44% for Black workers. Additionally, 35% of professionals from ethnic minority backgrounds said they were told to ‘smile more’.
PRESSURE TO WORK HARDER
In fact, ethnic minority employees reported working harder by working more efficiently (46%). Many felt the expectation to produce a higher standard of work (38%), with an in-built desire to do the best job they can (33%). Over half of Asian workers (51%) reported doing this by working more efficiently. And 43% of Black workers carry the expectation to produce a higher standard of work. And around 41% of Arab workers take on work outside of their job role. These statistics demonstrate just some ways that ethnic minorities go the extra mile to be heard and valued at work.
Experiences of ethnic minorities in the workplace, include:
- Having their name repeatedly misspelt or mispronounced (41%).
- Assuming they will find things offensive (33%).
- Being given jobs no one else wants to do (31%).
- Being left out of social activities (32%).
- Being overlooked for pay rises or promotions (33%).
- People feeling awkward asking about their culture (30%).
MORE PRESSURE TO ADAPT
Ethnic minority workers also have to adapt their personality almost four times more than their White peers to fit in at work; (58% vs 15%). The figure rises to 66% for Black workers. Overall, this is because UK workers:
- Felt like they needed to (39%).
- Didn’t want to stand out (37%).
- Want to be perceived to be like everyone else (41%).
- Want to keep their culture separate from work (26%).
- Want to be more relatable (23%).
- Felt they needed to, to progress in their career (20%).
“We have a generational issue of workers in ethnic communities being pressured into high paying and traditional job roles as a way of navigating systemic inequality. From my own experience, Black families specifically have stopped believing their children will have equality without creating a perceived value in their career,” shared Founder of Dope Black Dads and ED&I agency BELOVD, Marvyn Harrison.
“This prevents a diversification of the types of roles people commit to at the highest level, and an important sense of belonging once they get there. The impact of this mental load means Black employees are not showing up as their full self and experiencing imposter syndrome which prevents them from excelling and progressing at the rate their talent deserves. We need a generational shift of all races and ethnicities pursuing roles which suit their passions and consider their neurodiversity, mental health, class, gender, religion and sexuality, as well as being fully accepted for who they are.”
INCLUSION MATTERS
So what organisations should be doing to be more inclusive? With just over one fifth (22%) of workers strongly agreeing that their place of work is culturally diverse and committed to carving out a positive path forward, employees said companies need to do more to attract talent from historically underrepresented ethnic communities. This includes:
- Hosting cultural awareness training (30%).
- Hosting inclusion training (29%).
- Working with racially diverse charities (28%).
- Introducing a mandatory requirement to interview people for senior positions (24%).
- Running mentoring programmes (22%).
- Introducing entry-level requirements for hiring ethnically diverse talent (21%).
CHALLENGING STEREOTYPES
“These research findings align with what we’ve known to be the experiences of many of those from historically underrepresented ethnic communities at work. And that is one of challenge, discrimination and being repeatedly misunderstood,” said Edleen John, Board member at the Tech Talent Charter; a government-supported, industry-led membership group that brings together 700+ Signatory organisations and equips them with the networks and resources to drive their diversity and inclusion efforts.
If organisations truly want to benefit from ethnic diversity, a focus on true inclusion is vital. “This means challenging entrenched stereotypes and focusing daily on equity in processes and interactions. Individuals from historically underrepresented ethnic communities must be provided with access to opportunities, the most relevant development support, mentorship and the space to be their true selves. In addition, managers and teams need to learn how to have open, honest, direct and authentic conversations where topics like culture, background and personal experiences can be shared to develop greater trust,” added John.
Find out how cultural and family pressures and expectations can influence career choices of talent from ethnic minority backgrounds by clicking here.
RELATED ARTICLES
Black and ethnic minority workers – especially younger employees – face racist behaviour and discrimination at work,and most of it goes unreported, confirmed new research.
Racism and unfair treatment still the norm for Black professionals, according to a recent report.
Sign up for our newsletter
