Workers say corporate virus, equity policies are not genuine

Numerous corporate announcements came pouring in to employees’ inboxes throughout the pandemic — from COVID-19 health and safety policies to new racial equity pronouncements in the wake of George Floyd’s murder.

But the majority of Canadian workers believe these corporate policies relating to COVID-19 and racial equity are “not genuine,” according to a new report from Catalyst, a global non-profit which helps build workplaces that work for women.

The survey, which polled nearly 7,000 employees in 14 countries,

including 841 Canadians, found more than two out of three employees (68 per cent) believe their organization’s COVID-related policies were performative. In white-majority countries, including Canada, three-quarters of employees reported that their organization’s racial equity policies were insincere.

Some experts say the results of the survey should be a wake-up call for senior leaders, warning that many employees are less engaged and more intent to quit over disingenuous corporate policies.

“The #MeToo and Black Lives Matter movements opened the door for us to see this idea of performative efforts,” said Janet Piper, senior director of corporate engagement at Catalyst. “By the time we got here to the pandemic and murder of George Floyd, people were paying much closer attention to how companies responded, and whether that response was genuine.”

Though the highest among the 14 countries polled, only 43 per cent of Canadians felt COVID-19 workplace policies enacted during the pandemic were genuine.

Meanwhile, Canadians’ views on corporate racial-equity policies were in-line with other countries. About three in 10 Canadians who identify as white perceive workplace equity policies as genuine, while only about two in 10 racialized workers feel the same way.

The study defines genuine policies as those which are aligned with an organization’s stated values, motivated by concern and care for workers and implemented thoughtfully, in contrast with corporate announcements that are merely performative.

“If your company has a wellness program, but your workload continues to increase, then the great resignation that we’re experiencing here in Canada will continue,” said Piper, pointing to an example of an insincere workplace policy.

Following through with corporate statements, especially when it comes to racial equity, is key to creating tangible change and a sincere response, said Tara Van Bommel, director and statistician at Catalyst’s research department.

“Saying you stand for racial equity, but then not doing anything in the workplace to improve conditions is performative policy,” she said. “Employees are savvy and they’re seeing through this.”

The survey findings come as no surprise to Nouman Ashraf, assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management.

“Organizations often have a gap between enacted values and espoused values,” he said. “Simply having a policy around COVID or racial equity means nothing if the actual behaviour isn’t shifting.”

According to Ashraf, tangible action requires three pairs of mechanisms: motivation and incentive, training and development, and measurement and accountability. It also requires decision-makers, many of whom lack the lived experiences of their subordinates, to step out of their comfort zones to confront these issues, he said.

Van Bommel said senior leaders need to leverage their empathy and listening skills to create genuine responses to crises. While a town hall is a great way to receive input from across an organization, she said middle managers should check in with employees in one-on-one meetings to hear what their concerns are and understand what support they want to see.

The study found racialized employees felt more respected, valued and included in a company if they felt their company’s racial-equity policies were genuine, compared to those who did not.

The lack of genuine corporate policies in some companies is playing a “big part” in the “Great Resignation,” said Piper, noting many employees are looking at companies’ workplace policies when deciding where to work.

Her message to employers: “Do more and be better. Listen to your employees and be open to hearing what they have to say about what they’re experiencing.”