Supermarket Perimeter - April 2024 - 24

Why is intersectionality important?
When discussing DEI, it is important to consider how any of the
current issues affect employees belonging to more than one
marginalized group.
" The impact of age intersects with other facets of a person's identity,
such as race, ability, and gender, " the Women of Influence+ report said.
" Intersectionality can compound the negative effects of ageism, and
respondents are noticing this in their workplaces. Almost 70% (69.2%) of
respondents believe ageism disproportionately affects women. "
" Ageism is so intertwined with sexism, so it is hard to separate the
two, " said one respondent.
" Ageism is proportionally much higher for racialized women, " another
respondent said, " The perfect age in the workplace for a woman is a
perpetual 34-years-old. But that's too young to be in the C-suite or in
a senior position. Women of color need to be older, but still look full of
vitality. "
In March, Toronto-based, global HR research and advisory firm
McLean & Company published a study on psychological safety in the
workplace with an intersectional approach.
" Establishing psychological safety in the workplace is not a quick fix
or a simple checklist item on the organizational to-do list, " said Elysca
Fernandes, director of HR research and advisory services at McLean
& Company. " Successfully building psychologically safe workplaces
requires acknowledging that employees' unique intersectional
characteristics influence how they experience psychological safety at
work. This is why conversations around diversity, equity, and inclusion
are one of the first opportunities to recognize that psychological safety
is not a universal experience and approaches to fostering safety must
meet individual needs. "
McLean & Company also recently published a report on how to build
an employee sponsorship program.
24 - APRILL 2024
MCLEAN & COMPANY ADAPTED
TIMOTHY CLARK'S " FOUR STAGES OF
PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY " INTO THE
FOLLOWING TOOL FOR EMPLOYERS:
Inclusion - Employees feel like they belong and are
appreciated for being themselves.
Learning - Employees feel safe participating in the
learning experience.
Contributing - Employees feel safe using their skills,
making a difference, and participating.
Challenging - Employees feel safe speaking up and
challenging the status quo.
THE COMPANY ALSO PROVIDED THE
FOLLOWING 3 CATEGORIES TO WORK ON:
Organizational norms - Shared standards of acceptable
behavior that are socially enforced and guide all interactions
across the organization. For example, establishing ground
rules for DEI sessions where people share their personal
experiences.
Leadership behaviors - Actions, values, and characteristics
that leaders incorporate to motivate their team and achieve
their goals. This may look like practicing grace and humility
by apologizing for mistakes rather than acting defensively.
Artifacts - The organization's processes, policies,
and procedures, such as introducing and consistently
reinforcing an anti-discrimination policy.
" Leadership representation gaps will not resolve themselves and
individual-level solutions are not enough for meaningful change to
happen, " Fernandes said. " Employee sponsorship exists across a spectrum
of formality. Informal sponsorship approaches, though important for career
development and maintaining networks, risk perpetuating the status
quo and lack of leadership diversity. Formal sponsorship goes a step
beyond in addressing organizational-level barriers. "
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Supermarket Perimeter - April 2024

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