How leaders can (and should) end the need for covering

“Covering,” particularly as it relates to the workplace, is defined as a strategy through which individuals manage or downplay aspects of their identity that may be perceived as different. And while of course there are many traits that we as people can’t fully “cover” in the workplace (or anywhere) such as the color of our skin and the texture of our hair, there are many more aspects of identity that people hide or diminish when showing up for work. Some people may hide their sexuality, some people may hide their caretaking responsibilities, and others may hide how they speak outside of work and/or colloquially.

A few years ago, pre-pandemic and before we all received an intimate look into our coworker’s lives outside of work, this may have just been viewed as standard “professional” practice. But now, more than ever, we understand these key parts of our being are essential to living a full life both inside work (where we spend the majority of our adult lives) and outside of work.

So how can leadership teams adapt their thinking and approach to be more open, allowing employees to lessen their need for covering when coming to work?

While the obvious first step is to create a safe space amongst staff members, managers and the C-Suite alike, that’s often easier said than done, and progress largely depends on policy.

First, expectations should be set via HR policies, with a through line to all departments (and even externally, to the recruitment team and the documents you present to potential candidates). This means scanning areas for implicit bias, including but not limited to:

• Talent management systems. Do you have people leaders who are celebrating the availability of your talent over accomplishments? If a team member is promoted because they are able to work early and late every day, what message does that send to your team members with caretaker responsibilities? Clear parameters in talent management can ensure that flexibility is upheld, while also focusing on the output of the individual.
• Dress code or appearance-based policies. If you are guiding expectations in policies focused on specific hair types, clothing or other areas of appearance, you may be sending a message that covering is needed based on race/ethnicity or gender identity. Review these policies with Employee Resource Group (ERG) members, if possible, with a lens towards inclusion, ensuring they will not be sending an exclusionary message.
• Guidance for team gathering events. Are all of your team-building sessions, holiday events or even customer-facing events oriented around alcohol? Those who are not drinking due to religious reasons or because they are in recovery, are pregnant (and more) may find it exclusionary. They may even choose not to attend in order to keep from covering an aspect of their identity. Find ways to ensure that events are inclusive and flexible to meet the needs of all who attend and that there is never goading to participate in drinking or an activity that someone may not want to participate in.

Second is coming to terms with where your organization stands within this holistic process. In order to do so, many would say that opening your organization up and being vulnerable is crucial to advancing further.

However, it’s not often that vulnerability stands the test of time. In fact, many such moments are fleeting. Instead, adopting a culture of cultural humility is the more longstanding solution. Allowing employees and executives to admit that they don’t know what’s right, or what’s expected of them, is perfectly acceptable—as long as they’re willing to learn. This encourages staff to open up, and continue along the learning journey together.

Next, there must be organizational learning on what covering is, its impact, how it shows up, and what can be done. This creates a shared responsibility from the organization, starting from the top down. For instance, at Xero, we currently have our leaders completing a 12-month curriculum to understand DEI (inclusive of covering) more thoroughly. Within this curriculum, they will complete an identity exercise to understand how they identify (many haven’t thought about it in specific terms), as well as times when they have had to diminish said identity.

Last, in order to ensure continued updates and progress, an Inclusion Index for your company should be created, inclusive of questions around covering. This will reveal where people feel most obligated to hide aspects of themselves (e.g., race, sexuality, caretaking responsibilities), and more about what your internal culture prioritizes. Breaking these results down by aspect of identity will further allow DEI leaders to understand where progress needs to be made.

We are talking about people: the ones who sit next to us in the office or the people who are across from us in the Google Hangout. We aren’t always aware of the message we’re sending to one another that imply an expectation for covering but this message is often heard loud and clear by the receiver.

Finding ways to understand how it’s showing up in your organization, and by yourself as an individual, can be a first step into an organizations’ inclusion journey, helping with psychological safety, attrition, wellness, and so much more. It can start today with self-reflection. When was the last time you may have covered something at work? What was the impact it had on you?

Matthew Coons is the Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) Program Manager for Xero.