Strategies to Support Women of Color During COVID-19
During times of uncertainty stemming from COVID-19, women of color have been disproportionately affected by the global pandemic. In a recent article featured on Culture Amp, ModelExpand CEO Paria Rajai and ModelExpand Advisor Marlette Jackson joined forces to provide strategies for managers and colleagues on how to effectively support WOC in the workplace.
In the following article, How to support women of color during COVID-19, we examine a variety of challenges women of color are facing during COVID-19 and ways to alleviate these stressors:
The Unique Challenges of COVID-19
New household obligations during the pandemic are now equivalent to taking on a part-time job in addition to their usual day job: Recent reports demonstrate that 75% of Black and Latinx women spend a combined 21+ hours per week on housework compared with just over half of White women; they also spend more time on childcare and eldercare than their White counterparts. (For perspective, 21 hours per week is equivalent to taking on an additional part-time job.)
As members of collectivistic cultures, many WOC have increased emotional, financial and time stressors: Many WOC are from collectivistic cultures. These cultures emphasize the needs and goals of the group as a whole over the needs and desires of each individual. This means that WOC are rarely just thinking of themself or their immediate family. Often, they have obligations and close connections to their extended family members and wider community, thus increasing emotional, financial and time stressors.
There is a significantly higher chance that the WOC on your team are managing and taking care of family members that have been laid off: WOC are overrepresented in childcare, hospitality, and other industries experiencing job losses due to COVID-19. In addition, LGBTQ people of color are more likely than their White counterparts to have lost work hours or become unemployed as a result of the pandemic. The culmination of these circumstances makes it such that WOC are more likely to have greater financial responsibilities. Even if WOC don’t get laid off they are still more likely to have families that are out of work during this time.
COVID and the resurgence of protests against police brutality have exacerbated personal stress as well as the complexity of workplace dynamics: WOC are already more likely to be asked to do office housework and are the most likely to be harassed at work. The resurgence of protests against police brutality has made the workplace even more difficult to navigate. Insensitive workplace comments regarding police brutality, xenophobia, and the loss and erasure of Black female and Black trans women’s narratives in the fight against police brutality only add stress to exhausting workplace dynamics. As the New York Times noted, COVID-19 has a predominantly non-White, female face. Not only are Asian communities combating an increase in xenophobic comments, but COVID-19 has also exacerbated long-standing health disparities for Black Americans.
How Managers Can Provide Support
Create a culture of empathy and help employees adjust deadlines and reschedule meetings during this time. Leaders modeling time off or even requiring paid time-off each quarter (as a few companies have done) help show that WOC can feel safe doing the same without sacrificing their standing at work.
Provide mental health resources that include therapists from a variety of cultures as they may be able to better support the unique challenges certain groups are facing. To start: Here is a list of Black, Asian, and Latinx healthcare resources. Consider providing stipends or subsidizing the cost of mental health services. In addition, make a list of therapists that use a sliding scale in case this feels too costly for some employees.
Provide childcare services or stipends for childcare support.
Consider modifying or canceling performance cycles. There are several options to adapt performance evaluations in a way that takes into account the stress of the pandemic and aligns with your company culture
Ensure there is diverse representation on your HR team to support your employees (i.e., having a Latinx HR representative may help Latinx employees feel more comfortable discussing healthcare questions or concerns that are more prevalent in the Latinx community.)
