The number of ethnic minority workers in the UK has doubled in the past 20 years, yet pay gaps persist, with the Office for National Statistics revealing a 2% pay gap between similarly qualified white and non-white employees.

While some argue that this gap exists because ethnic minority workers are more likely to work for lower-wage firms, research from UCL shows that the gap persists even within the same firm.

Segregated workplaces

The researchers assessed data from the 1998, 2004, and 2011 editions of the British Workplace Employment Relations Survey. They believe that the data allows them to understand whether any ethnic wage gap that exists is caused by where we work, or whether there are other explanations.

While some argue for things like mandatory pay reporting, the UK government believes only voluntary pay reporting is required. The researchers argue that leaving it to employers to monitor pay rates would not result in progress unless there are underlying changes to how firms set wages.

This is because Britain’s workplaces appeared to be highly segregated, with around a third of employees having no colleagues from non-white ethnic groups. Indeed, where ethnic minority workers were present, they made up a high share of all workers.

Interestingly, however, this segregation didn’t appear to cause the ethnic wage gap. Instead, male workers from non-white ethnic minority backgrounds earned approximately 11% less than their white peers, while women suffered a 7% gap. This was consistent across all ethnic groups.

Unfair treatment

Finding the cause of this gap is difficult. It’s possible that non-white employees are simply treated unfairly, but this is difficult to prove. The researchers also examined whether ethnic minority workers tend to accept lower wages because they gain other rewards from their work.

This proved unlikely, as the researchers found that ethnic minority workers were typically less satisfied with their pay than their white peers.

It was also unlikely to be a matter of qualifications or experience, as ethnic minority workers were actually more likely to feel over-qualified for their role. This seems to suggest that there is inherent unfairness at work.

Burning out

What’s more, this issue goes beyond the financial as it is also highly likely to impose a toll on one’s mental health. Research from Rice University highlights how even subtle racial slights can result in declines in job dissatisfaction and even burnout.

The researchers quizzed around 350 Black employees on their experiences in the workplace, and particularly on any microaggressions, they have suffered from. Such slights are especially complicated in the workplace, as while people can extricate themselves from settings or say something in return in other scenarios, these options aren’t always available in the workplace.

The researchers were able to identify three particularly common forms of microaggression, the first of which was the expression of anti-Black stereotypes, particularly relating to intelligence or social skills. The second common form of microaggression was the racialized way in which roles were assigned after it emerged that Black employees would often be given roles that were physically oriented or even subservient. There may even be assumptions that Black colleagues are socioeconomically inferior.

The third form of workplace microaggression involves interactional injustices, whereby Black employees are subjected to negative interpersonal treatment. For instance, people reported feeling like second-class citizens or having any unique practices of their racial group treated with contempt. Some even had physical characteristics regarded as abnormal or unhealthy.

These repeated and often subtle microaggressions nonetheless had a profound impact on the well-being of Black employees, who reported much higher levels of job dissatisfaction and burnout. This was often because of the mental preparation they felt they needed to make to buffer the various expressions of racism they encountered.

Making things better

While there are obviously things that can be done at a governmental level, these things can take an inordinate length of time and leave people feeling denied of any agency over their situation. Research from Cornell suggests that ethnic minority employees might benefit from something referred to as “racial codeswitching”, which is when behaviors are adjusted to maximize the comfort of others.

The study found that when Black employees engage in racial codeswitching they tend to be viewed as more professional by both Black and white colleagues than those who don’t.

“Our findings suggest that organizations would really benefit from examining how they may inadvertently reward codeswitching behaviors,” the researchers say. “Companies often claim that they want employees to ‘bring their whole selves to work,’ without realizing that they are unintentionally penalizing Black employees who do not fit into the culture.”

Of course, this is hardly an ideal scenario either, and the researchers urge employers to consider expanding or redefining what they believe constitutes professionalism so that it includes a wider range of cultural norms and values. It does, at least, provide something of a way forward, however.