"Authentic is more than a critique of the empty promise of being authentic at work. It is an invitation to question the structural realities of what it takes to be a person at work. To begin, we must take seriously the health and wellbeing of workers most impacted by harmful policies, performative practices, and opportunistic rhetoric about representation and inclusion."
"For years, I've heard the phrase, "bring your full, authentic self to work" to support diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. In public, I've heard workers of marginalized identities talk about their desire to be more authentic and the barriers preventing us from letting our "full self" flourish. In private, however, I've witnessed friends and colleagues scoff at the idea of workplace authenticity, saying something along the lines of, "Yeah, right," or "They don't want that," or "They don't even know what that means.""
Workplace appeals to "bring your full, authentic self" are often performative and can endanger marginalized workers' careers, health, and wellbeing. Structural realities determine what it takes to exist as a person at work, and harmful policies and opportunistic rhetoric reproduce inequality. Marginalized workers face barriers to authenticity in public and skepticism in private, with many fearing that institutions will take from their professional advancement and personal safety. Effective change requires centering the voices and wellbeing of those most impacted and reevaluating diversity, equity, and inclusion practices that rely on the erasure or silence of harmed workers.
Read at Fast Company
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