BAME workers feel obliged to hide identity

Nearly half of Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) workers in the UK (49%) say they feel they have to disguise part of their identity to fit in at work, according to research carried out by culture change organisation Utopia. And this pressure to conform increased to 59% for BAME women.

Half of BAME men and 59% of BAME women also said they were afraid to show vulnerability for fear of being judged.

The findings are based on interviews with a representative sample of over 2,000 respondents across the UK.

The survey also revealed that over 40% feel they are less likely to progress professionally because of their ethnicity, compared to 9% of white workers feeling this way. In addition, 44% of BAME people said they were afraid to ask for emotional support at work when they need it.

Tolu Farinto of Utopia, said: “The research shows the Black community in particular is faced with the pressure of forming faux identities because employers are orchestrating an environment that expects workers to ‘act white’.

“And because of these ‘white cultures’, Black employees are not progressing as fast as their white colleagues.”

He called on businesses to create inclusive cultures that demonstrate ethnicity is not a barrier to success in the workplace.

And he emphasised that this is “integral now more than ever, as employers start to consider the move back to the physical office.”