Supporting your Black colleagues after a guilty verdict in George Floyd's death

This is Working Together, a weekly series on equity in the workplace. Have ideas about what we should discuss next week? Let me know in the comments using #WorkingTogether or email me at caroline@linkedin.com. 

When George Floyd was killed last May at the hands of a former Minneapolis police officer, many white people had no idea what to say to their Black colleagues about the tragedy. Nearly a year later, silence is no longer an option. 

After the jury delivered a guilty verdict Tuesday evening on all three counts in the murder of George Floyd, many will return to work today while dealing with emotions ranging from anger to grief to anxiety. It’s essential that teams think critically about how they support their Black colleagues during this time. 

“Folks are going to need some time to process the impetus for the trial,” said Amber Joiner-Hill, the owner of diversity and inclusion consulting firm Magnolia Detroit Consulting. “Organizations need to be more cognizant of what is happening outside of the workplace and what impact that has on your employee morale.”

I asked Joiner-Hill to share some best practices for leaders navigating the aftermath of the trial with their teams. I also spoke live yesterday moments after the verdict was announced with civil rights attorney Charles Coleman, along with anti-racism educators Kim Crowder and Janice Gassam Asare. 

One major takeaway from these conversations? Now is not the time to lean back. 

“The idea that a conviction means that we can now take our foot off the gas with whatever measures we put in place within a business ... is a farce,” said Coleman. “There still needs to be a serious and concrete investment made, not only in terms of diversity and inclusion but also culture and race equity within workspaces.” 

Don’t assume. Ask.

The worst assumption that a manager can make is that he or she knows what their employees are going through. Assuming that a Black employee wants to take time off this week — for example — may be accurate, but it also could be the opposite of how they want to get through this time. “When we make assumptions … we are not taking into account ... the experiences we have based on our gender and race,” said Joiner-Hill. “Ask people what they need and respond accordingly.”

Mental health is health care.

Many workers forget that sick days or personal days can be used for reasons other than physical illness. Reminding employees that they can — and should — use that time to preserve their mental health is critical as well. For this to happen, leaders need to be transparent about how they are working on their mental health during this time. “A lot of Black folks are exhausted,” said Gassam Asare. “The expectation that we have to come into work tomorrow and show up to meetings and show up at a hundred percent should completely be gone. I think all organizational leaders should cancel meetings tomorrow.”

If the relationship isn’t there, recognize it.

In the past year, Joiner-Hill has noticed that her white colleagues have often brought her into unsolicited conversations about race and racism. While these discussions are likely well intended, they can add to the emotional burden that Black people are already feeling. This is especially true if the white colleague checking in doesn’t have a strong relationship with their coworker. “It can be re-traumatizing for us to have to work through our experiences,” she said. “Put in the work to build these personal relationships so when you ask us how we're feeling, it comes from a genuine place as opposed to virtue signaling.” 

Move beyond public statements.

While corporate leaders came out in droves over the summer to shun systemic racism and promise change, now is the time to demonstrate that change. As conversations about race become more open — and expected — in the workplace, Black colleagues are going to start to take a hard look around. Are there more diverse voices in leadership roles? Are their Black peers getting promoted at an equal rate as their white colleagues? If answers to these questions are no, companies will start to see a talent drain. “If I walk back into this office and it seems like nothing changed and 2020 never existed, there is no reason for me to stay,” said Joiner-Hill. “Women of color are realizing they have power in the workplace.” 

For Gassam Asare, it all comes down to accountability. “It doesn't matter how many mentors or programs and employee resource groups you implement,” she said. “If people aren't being held accountable for the things that they do, the environments that they create and in the words that they are saying, nothing is actually going to change.” 

What’s Working

‘Work appropriately.’ Rather than dictate to her 155,000 employees how they should return to the office, GM CEO Mary Barra came out with a simple policy: ‘Work appropriately.’ The policy assumes that current workers will decide what is best for themselves and their families moving forward. Barra also believes the move will help GM recruit talent from locations outside of their central office hubs. [CNBC]

Taking on more. We’ve covered the negative impact of the pandemic on the career’s of women, and a new study points that solutions may start at home. In families where fathers take on a larger share of child care, mothers were far less likely to suffer negative employment outcomes in the early days of the pandemic. Fathers doing more isn’t a complete solution, however. Thinking more holistically about care in this country is vital for working parents to feel empowered in their careers. [HBR]

What’s Not

Women leaving science. Studies are showing that women in science have published fewer papers, led fewer clinical trials and received less recognition for their expertise during the pandemic. Some are concerned that the decades of work to make STEM — a field that is dominated by men — more diverse will be erased in this pandemic. [NYTimes] 

Is Zoom sexist? As video conferencing has grown pervasive since the start of the pandemic, women may be suffering more of the negative effects than men. A new study from Stanford University shows that over 13.8% of women feel “very” to “extremely” fatigued after video conference calls, compared to 5.5% of men. Why? Given the added emphasis on a woman’s physical appearance, the “self-view” option on Zoom is particularly draining for women. [Fast Company]

Who’s Pushing Us Forward 

Thinking like a breadwinner. Even though about half of women in the U.S. report making as much or more as their husbands, very few women take ownership of the financial planning for their families. The reason for this is mired in assumptions we make based on gender, cultural stereotypes and how we raise our children. I spoke with Jennifer Barrett — author of Think Like a Breadwinner — about what needs to change so more women take a leading role with their finances. Check it out above. 

What topics do you want to discuss next time? Let me know in the comments below using #WorkingTogether