Agenda item

To receive a discussion paper on Microaggressions and Unconscious Bias in the Workplace.

RESOLVED: That the Committee commented on and noted the Discussion Paper on Microaggressions and Unconscious Bias in the Workplace.

Audio recording – 35 minutes 32 seconds

The Human Resources Services Manager presented the Discussion Paper entitled ‘Microaggressions and Unconscious Bias in the Workplace’ and advised that:

·                Microaggressions were defined as negative comments or actions that targeted a marginalised group and were often linked to stereotypes.

·                They could be intentional or unintentional and while their delivery could be subtle, their impact could be significant both on mental health and emotional wellbeing.

·                Hostile work environments could result from the accumulation of unchallenged microaggressions over time and lead to a reduction in employee morale.

·                How people thought could depend on their life experiences and sometimes their beliefs and views about others that might not be right or reasonable.

·                Unconscious bias led to automatic judgements based on stereotypes or preconceived notions and could result in the unfair treatment of individuals.

·                Both microaggressions and unconscious bias could hinder diversity and inclusion efforts, affecting team dynamics and overall organisational performance.

·                It was key to address these issues to foster a respectful and productive workplace.

·                The Council were committed to creating an environment where all employees felt valued and respected which was supported through its ‘Inclusive’ value in the Council Values as well as the ongoing work of the Inclusion Group.

·                Failing to address these issues could have severe consequences such as increased staff turnover, decreased employee engagement, legal ramifications and a loss of reputation as an employer which could hinder recruitment and retention of good employees.

·                By tackling the issues proactively, a supportive and inclusive work environment could be created, resulting in enhanced organisational performance and employee wellbeing.

·                Several initiatives had been employed to combat the issues such as recruitment training which covered unconscious bias and e-learning modules which included equality, diversity and inclusion.

·                Posters on microaggressions in the workplace were developed by the IG to promote awareness of this issue among employees.

·                Personal development mornings had focused on unconscious bias and microaggressions.

·                Members of the HR team, Senior Leadership team and IG had attended training on these microaggressions.

·                Next steps to combat these issues included additional training for all staff to further develop their understanding on these topics and encourage them to consider their own behaviours, as well as promote inclusion, equality and diversity.

·                They were planning to relaunch the Council values to further embed the ‘Inclusive’ value.

·                Members were encouraged to share their perceptions of microaggressions and unconscious bias as it would help the Council to further understand these issues.

The following Members asked questions:

·                Councillor Ian Albert

·                Councillor Keith Hoskins

·                Councillor Daniel Allen

·                Councillor Bryony May

·                Councillor Claire Strong

In response to questions, the Human Resources Services Manager advised that:

·                Microaggressions could constitute comments or actions that did not specifically target a marginalised group, but they were more broadly aimed towards marginalised groups as detailed in their definition.

·                Microaggressions could occur both face-to-face and online, particularly through social media.

·                The HR team and IG were developing the skills of staff to be able to challenge microaggressions in the moment by recognising them, processing interactions and then responding correctly although they acknowledged the difficulty in challenging them in the moment.

·                It was important for staff to see that unconscious bias was present in everyone to make it easier for them to recognise it within themselves and challenge it when they saw it through their behaviour. 

·                Digital copies of the microaggression posters would be sent to all Members following the meeting.

·                Work on microaggressions and unconscious bias would never be complete as the conversation on these issues was ongoing.

·                HR and IG would drip feed messages on the topics to all staff to keep them present for points of discussion and reflection. 

·                Sessions on microaggressions and unconscious bias would continue to be held at staff briefings, the Senior Management Group, and in the monthly staff Insight Magazine.

·                There were inclusion-based questions in the Staff Survey last year and they would investigate the rollout of pulse surveys with a focus on inclusion.

·                Actions on inclusion were detailed in the Staff Survey Action Plan. One of these was to continue to keep the discussion on microaggressions and unconscious bias ever present at the Council.

·                Conducting a presentation on microaggressions and unconscious bias in the workplace prior to or during a Full Council meeting would be investigated.

Councillor Keith Hoskins highlighted that it was good to see the increasing awareness of these problems and showed how much progression had been made on attitudes in the workplace in recent decades.

Councillor Claire Strong highlighted that having regular conversations with employees about the topics was key as being on the receiving end of unconscious bias was not pleasant.

In response to questions, the Director – Resources advised that:

·                Assumptions should not be made about anyone.

·                It was natural for people to make mistakes but in order to tackle them it was better to ensure that people learned from them rather than being punished for them.

·                The Staff Survey Action Plan included an action to ensure that managers were supported to facilitate meaningful conversations with staff during 1-1s and RPRs about their health and wellbeing.

In response to questions, the SCF Representative advised that:

·                Discussion on microaggressions had taken place at the IG on more than one occasion and this was a good starting point because it encouraged further conversations about the topic.

·                Challenging microaggressions was more about positively influencing individuals to change their behaviours rather than punishing them for acting in a certain way.

In response to questions, the Chair advised that:

·                There was value in spreading awareness of microaggressions and unconscious bias in the workplace by building the topics into inductions, training programmes and development as they were important issues.

·                A presentation on microaggressions and unconscious bias in the workplace could be incorporated into a Full Council meeting where there were fewer items on the agenda. 

RESOLVED: That the Committee commented on and noted the Discussion Paper on Microaggressions and Unconscious Bias in the Workplace.