While it’s important that companies have strong policies in place to tackle discrimination in the workplace, everyone has a role to play in speaking out against unfair treatment, concluded a recent LinkedIn Live event of financial professionals discussing the results of our Global Equity Study.

The study showed the vast majority (89%) of respondents felt excluded from workplace networking opportunities based on gender. In addition, a third felt excluded based on age, a quarter based on ethnicity, 11% each based on (dis)ability and religion, and 3% on the basis of sexual orientation. The results highlight the intersectionality of discrimination, as many people feel they are discriminated against in more than one area.

“Often it is the victim of discrimination who is encouraged to speak up, but we tend to overlook the role that we all play in the situation,” said Daria Severina, Treasury Director at ASML, a supplier of semiconductor equipment systems for chipmakers. “The best way to combat discrimination is when people speak up and do something about it [in the moment].”

Sofia Hammoucha, Global Head of Trade and Working Capital at Standard Chartered, outlined several ways to combat discrimination in the workplace. “Companies need to foster a culture of open dialogue and put proper policies in place,” she said. “They also need to provide training and educate staff, as well as ensure diverse hiring practices.” In addition, she highlighted the importance of employee resource groups (ERGs), which provide safe spaces for different minority groups to come together and support each other.

Interestingly, almost half of the survey respondents reported facing situations where they had to counter their own bias in the workplace.

“It’s a reality for all of us – everyone will exhibit an unconscious bias at some stage or in a certain situation. Therefore, it’s important to consciously address it, which means self-reflection,” said Shalini Grover, Chief Financial Officer at Boeing India. She believes one way to combat your own bias is to be proactive and foster diversity within your network, including mentoring individuals from a different background, whether that is educational, functional or cultural.

Support in different life stages

The panel discussed how discrimination can negatively impact career progression at different stages in a woman’s life, from childbearing to menopause. The latter was viewed as a taboo subject until just a few years ago, yet there will be over one billion people worldwide experiencing the menopause this year, according to a Harvard Business Review article.

In the Global Equity Study, only 21% of respondents said their organisation had a policy around providing support for those experiencing the menopause.

“We want women to come back to work and contribute, yet we are ignoring a critical phase of their life, which impacts them physically and mentally,” said Grover. At Boeing India, she has initiated a conversation about how the menopause is affecting women in an ERG with an aim to developing workplace solutions.

Paternity leave is another area that receives little attention. Only 30% of the survey respondents reported knowing a significant number of men that have taken up parental leave. The panellists felt this is an important equality issue and agreed that paternity leave should be encouraged.

“Paternity leave gives partners the choice to go back to work early, which contributes towards a more diverse and inclusive workplace,” said Severina.

A male member of her team commented that taking paternity leave might be perceived as a weakness by other men in a non-diverse workplace. Thus, having a diverse team where taking parental leave is the norm helps men overcome this barrier.

Being a true ally

According to the Global Equity Study, 75% of respondents believe mentoring, sponsorship and coaching are key to a successful career. Hammoucha argued that coaching is transformational because it’s tailored to the individual.

“Coaching has made the biggest impact on my career, because it helped me understand myself better in the workplace, as well as identify and manage what I call my triggers,” she said. “At specific steps of your career, as you move to a more challenging role, you need to have that coaching to help you help yourself.”

Sponsorship is also very effective, according to Hammoucha, to help women advance in their careers. However, she is more critical of mentoring. “As women, we are over-mentored as a group and under-sponsored, so we need to push the conversation around sponsoring more,” she added.

In terms of how men can be better allies to women, learning to listen came to the fore. “Many men talk a lot about being an ally, but they would be more effective if they listened more to the challenges women face and what they are looking for in an ally,” said Grover.