Calling in Black: a dynamic model of racially traumatic events, resourcing, and safety

Abstract

Purpose Racially traumatic events – such as police violence and brutality toward Blacks – affect individuals in and outside of work. Black employees may “call in Black” to avoid interacting with coworkers in organizations that lack resources and perceived identity and psychological safety. The paper aims to discuss this issue. Design/methodology/approach The paper integrates event system theory (EST), resourcing, and psychological safety frameworks to understand how external, racially traumatic events impact Black employees and organizations. As racially traumatic events are linked to experienced racial identity threat, the authors discuss the importance of both the availability and creation of resources to help employees to maintain effective workplace functioning, despite such difficult circumstances. Findings Organizational and social-identity resourcing may cultivate social, material, and cognitive resources for black employees to cope with threats to their racial identity after racially traumatic events occur. The integration of organizational and social-identity resourcing may foster identity and psychologically safe workplaces where black employees may feel valued and reduce feelings of racial identity threats. Research limitations/implications Implications for both employees’ social-identity resourcing practice and organizational resource readiness and response options are discussed. Originality/value The authors present a novel perspective for managing diversity and inclusion through EST. Further, the authors identify the interaction of individual agency and organizational resources to support Black employees.

Moving Beyond Implicit Bias Training: Policy Insights for Increasing Organizational Diversity

“…Furthermore, networking programs allow marginalized employees to support each other when outside factors affect them. For instance, when deeply painful issues surrounding Black Americans come into national consciousness (e.g., police brutality), they affect Black employees at work (McCluney et al, 2017). Organizational factors such as leader compassion, inclusion climate, and high diversity increase empowerment for minority employees (Leigh & Melwani, 2019).…”

We Challenge You to Join the Movement: From Discourse to Critical Voice

“…With regard to the BLM movement, some Black employees may "call in Black" or take a day off from work after witnessing or experiencing something racially traumatic, despite their feelings of commitment to their companies (McCluney, Bryant, King, & Ali, 2017). Management's ability not only to empathize with these workers but also to show compassion by not holding this act against them can affirm their humanity and civil rights and deepen their commitment to the company.…”

Equity, Justice, and the Role of the Health Promotion Profession in Dismantling Systemic Racism

“…3,5 Racial trauma of this nature can overwhelm a person’s ability to cope and adversely affect physical and mental health outcomes. 18 How organizations and colleagues respond has important implications for the psychological safety of Black team members 3 particularly if they feel that the organization lacks adequate resources to address threats to their racial identities or have failed to create cultures that are inclusive, caring, and safe. 18 While employers can stand with employees by creating a safe space and provide access to adequate mental health benefits (ie, experts/culturally competent counselors in racial trauma), 3,5,17 these events must also serve as a catalyst for renewed conversations about race.…”

“…We can also: Acknowledge the impact of racially traumatic events on well-being and create a culture in which all employees respond compassionately to the suffering of colleagues 18 Identify our blind spots (https://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit/user/agg/blindspot/indexrk.htm) Monitor implicit biases 10 Take action to change unconscious biases and to understand the lived experience of Black Americans 28 Be more aware of subconscious microaggressions 23 Challenge each other to ensure meetings, committees, and so on, are representative Collaborate with colleagues from all racial and ethnic groups 30 Offer flexibility around establishing boundaries 10 Conduct wage equity audits to ensure pay equity and eliminate disparities in wages of people of color, 26 which has the potential to boost gross domestic product by more than $2 trillion 26 Give all employees more input into policies 26 Ensure existing policies are antiracist 2,40 Encourage civic participation 36 (eg, make election day a paid holiday) 26 and facilitate voter registration Consider making Juneteenth a paid holiday to enable employees to use time to reflect and take a meaningful action 47 Develop more diverse pipelines for roles 2 Pay a living wage 26 Engage in advocacy or lobbying 26,29,39 (eg, for racism to be declared public health emergency) 5 Offer paid parental and sick leave as well as full health care coverage 26 Create an emergency relief fund 26 Match job requirements to job tasks and democratize applications (eg, remove box on job applications which felony convictions that disproportionately disadvantages Blacks; don’t require a college degree if the job doesn’t need higher education, and so on) 26 Reimagine equity, diversity, and inclusion 6 to ensure that it is woven into the culture of the organization and has support from all senior leaders (including white men in leadership roles) Ensure racial equity is a component of the corporate strategy 4 Support and address career development throughout people’s careers Acknowledge the role corporations play in maintaining systematic racism 30 Shift from a “color-blind” philoso...…”

“…Acknowledge the impact of racially traumatic events on well-being and create a culture in which all employees respond compassionately to the suffering of colleagues 18…”