Microaggressions are everyday slights, snubs, comments, or insults that express negative messages or stereotypes about a minority group, such as gender, race, sexual orientation. Microaggressions can be verbal or non-verbal, and intentional or unintentional.
Repeated microaggressions can build to create a hostile work environment and may be workplace sexual harassment. Because microaggressions are “hidden messages,” they can be hard to identify, and it can be difficult to explain how they impact you. Each microaggression may seem minor to the person doing it, but repeated microaggressions can form a pattern of harassment.
Because workplace sexual harassment doesn’t require intent, saying things like “I didn’t mean it that way,” “it was just a joke,” or “I meant it as a compliment” are not a defence. It can still be a microaggression and workplace sexual harassment even if the person didn’t mean to cause harm.
Examples of gendered microaggressions could include:
- repeatedly using incorrect gender pronouns;
- assuming a woman can’t do or isn’t qualified for traditionally-male dominated work;
- asking a woman when she’s going to have kids;
- telling someone they look “metrosexual;”
- telling someone they need to “man up;”
- telling a woman she looks “so young” or assuming she is in a lower-ranking position;
- making assumptions about someone’s sexual orientation. For instance, asking a woman if she has a boyfriend before knowing her sexual orientation;
- telling someone they would be more attractive if they were a man/woman;
- addressing women as “sweetheart” or using other unprofessional nicknames.