July 29, 2021
On July 22nd, the Alliance of Women in Workers’ Compensation had the opportunity to host a webinar titled, Alliance of Women: DEI Survey Results are In. Recently, the Alliance of Women conducted a survey with followers surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) topics. The webinar dove into the results of the survey and analyzed how the various topics of DEI can teach us and broaden our perspectives. Since the Better Together conference, the Alliance of Women has continued working with Ngozi Nnaji to help navigate DEI in all aspects of our day to day lives.
At the core, DEI is determining where discrimination explicitly lays and where it could be occurring in both our professional and personal lives. The results of the survey showed that:
– 48% of women respondents experienced gender discrimination in the workplace compared to 30% in personal life (62% @ work < 40)
– 57% of non-White women respondents experienced race discrimination in the workplace compared 60% in personal life compared to 10% of white women
– 45% of LGBTQ women respondents experienced discrimination in the workplace based on LGBTQ vs 68% in personal compared to <1% of hetero women
– 27% of women respondents experienced age discrimination at work (with 69% of these women had age discrimination in personal life)
An employee shouldn’t be afraid to hide an aspect of their life with fears of how their coworkers and bosses will react. While recognizing on the importance of authenticity, the survey asked if any respondents feel the need to hide something:
– 40% of LGBTQ Women respondents hide their sexual orientation
– 10% of Non-White Women respondents hide their race
– 27% of Women respondents hide their political views
– 12% of Women respondents hide their religious views
It is important for employers to help support individuals in their DEI journey. After all, organizational diversity starts with individual diversity. There are various subjects of discrimination that individuals may identify. These various subjects include sexual orientation, political beliefs, race/ethnicity, gender, and religious beliefs.
One way to help individuals move from bystanders to upstanders are by promoting interaction and engagement. Four ways to do so are by participating in affinity groups, allyship, mentorship, and sponsorship. As an employer, it is important to recognize this transition and the impact their employees are working towards. The responses from the survey show that many respondents are making the effort to better themselves as upstanders:
– 51.43% are helping to helping to expand diversity
– 45.75% are placing more value on celebrating cultural differences
– 44.93% are increasing how they interact with diverse people who are different than themselves
– 59.67% are becoming better mentors and allies to diverse groups of people
There are many ways to advance your personal DEI journey. This is not an overnight journey; it will take time and effort. Ensure to utilize the tools that have been provided in the past. Take time to self-reflect while keeping an open mind. Provided are a few of the many eye-opening statistics provided by the survey and discussed during the webinar. If you want to learn more about the discussion, check out the webinar on demand coming soon.