Whether it’s mispronouncing a name, making comments about someone’s age or taking credit for another’s work, toxicity in the workplace is nothing new. However, according to new research from Mental Health First Aid England (MHFA England), there may be more victims of discriminatory behaviour than you might think.

Almost one in three (31% of the 2,000 surveyed) said they had experienced at least one form of microaggression or discriminatory behaviour from their manager in the last six months. What’s equally concerning is that one in five of these people said these experiences have had a negative impact on their mental health, and one in seven have even considered quitting their job as a result.

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

Forms of microaggressions included not getting credit for work done, favouritism of other employees and sarcasm, while misspelling or mispronouncing employees’ names and exclusionary comments about ages, working patterns, personal life and physical and mental health were all cited among the list of negative behaviours people had faced in the workplace.

But what is this doing to the mental wellbeing of people at work? Well, more than one in seven of those surveyed said these microaggressions left them feeling like they were unable to be their whole self at work. “A big part of feeling you belong, is feeling known, respected and valued,” says Dr Melissa Carr, director of the World of Work Institute (Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) at Henley Business School. “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.” 

There were noticeable differences among people’s experiences shown in the research. The 18-34 age group were the highest to note discriminatory behaviour from managers, with 66% saying they’d experienced this, compared to 38% of 45-64 year olds. As well as this, while almost half of white British employees had experienced this type of action from managers, the percentage drastically increased for Asian or Asian British employees (57%) and even more so for Black or Black British employees (72%). 

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

The research coincides with a new campaign launched by MHFA England called My Whole Self, which encourages workplaces to celebrate and embrace diverse identities and experiences. As part of this, they’ve published a free resource, My Whole Self: Guide To Creating Inclusive Workplace Cultures, sharing practical, inclusive tools for leaders, HR, people managers and employees. 

For more information about mental health in the workplace, the charity Mind has several free resources that cover issues including burnout, working remotely and coping with redundancy. 

Images: Getty