MICRO AGGRESSION

AFFECTING EMPLOYEE
WELLBEING AT WORKPLACE

AUTHOR: SOURAV ACHARJEE

Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Nagpur

PGDM (Core)

Batch: 2021-23

E-mail: souravacharjee010@gmail.com

Mob: +91 9874992324

 Micro-aggression Affecting Employee Wellbeing at Workplace

Micro aggressions can be described as interactions or behaviors that are biased towards
marginalized communities or groups. They may be either intentional or unintentional.
Though micro aggression may be similar to discrimination, the major difference is that;
micro aggressions may be committed by people who may not be aware that they are
committing acts of biasness. Acts of Micro aggression are common in the world today, with
employees experiencing this form of bias in their workplaces. In the USA for instance, there
are various groups or communities that are most likely to experience acts of micro
aggression against them especially in work places. These groups include; the African
Americans communities, the Asian American communities and the LGBTQ communities.
Most people who engage in acts of micro aggression especially in places of work may not
realize the impact of their actions hence may become defensive. This is mainly because they
are usually not aware that what they might have said or done may be homophobic, racist or
sexist. It is therefore critical to examine how micro aggression affects the wellbeing of
employees in a workplace.

One of the forms of micro aggression that may be experienced in a work place
includes micro assaults. This is an act of biasness, discrimination or criticism that is done
intentionally towards a member of a certain minority group. There are different acts of micro
assaults that members of minority groups usually experience in places of work. Racial slurs
that usually refer to members who belong to certain racial and ethnic groups in a manner
that is derogatory is a common form of micro assaults experienced in work places. For
instance, referring to Japanese people as Japs, Chinese people as Chinks and Hispanic
people as spics in places of work, may be viewed as micro assaults which are a form of
micro aggression. They usually dehumanize these particular minority groups by assuming
that they are not equal to others who are not from those groups. Referring to North-east
Indians as ‘Chinkis’ may also be viewed as a form of micro assault in a workplace. Similarly
referring to a black person as a ‘nigger’ is a common form of micro assault experienced.

Another form of micro-aggression that employees may experience in a place of work

is micro insults. This is a form of discrimination that is usually a comment that tends to
imply that a certain demographic group is not respected. The person who commits this type
of micro aggression act often does not realize that their prejudice or bias comments may
have insulted a particular group. For instance, in a particular workplace such as a hospital,
men who are nurse aids may face micro aggression in the form of micro insults since men in
this type of career are viewed as minorities.

One of the major impacts of micro aggression is that; it may cause health and
mental issues among employees who are target groups of micro aggression acts. Employees
who are usually referred to in a derogatory manner or dehumanized because they belong to
marginalized groups, usually fall into depression easily. They may also develop other health
and mental issues such as prolonged stress, trauma, heart diseases, diabetes, muscle pain
and sleep problems.
 Micro aggression is also harmful in the workplace since it affects a person’s job
satisfaction. An individual who is a victim of micro aggression usually feels that he or she is
not worthy or does not fit to be in that particular workplace. This may lead to the person
underperforming in his or her roles and duties. It may sometimes lead to suspensions,
termination of contracts and dismissal of employees in a certain workplace. Employees may
also fear to speak or comment in meetings making them fail in creating a positive impact in
the work place. In addition to that, they may also develop self-doubt in their abilities and
may lose motivation in their work due to forms of micro aggression in the work place.

It is therefore critical to examine how micro aggression affects the wellbeing of

employees at a workplace. If organizations fail to address micro-aggression, the affected
employees are at risk of experiencing deteriorated mental wellbeing, emotional safety and
physical health. Micro insults to minority groups leads to stress, depression and anxiety
among the victim employees who develop withdrawal symptoms. Constant reminding of
their perceived ineptitude could lead to loss of pleasure and a sore relationship with peers in
the workplace. Besides, micro aggression results in diminished emotional safety as the
marginalized workers lack the self-esteem needed to share ideas freely with other workers.
They fear verbal ridicule and humiliations that can adversely affect their emotional wellbeing
. Micro aggression should therefore be addressed critically in work places since it has great
impact on employee’s wellbeing.