The escalating economic and emotional repercussions of the coronavirus outbreak and the recession will disproportionately affect Black employees.

In the summer of 2020, the epidemic and racial inequality have been the defining elements. Following the murder of George Floyd on Memorial Day, a revival of the Black Lives Matter movement sparked what many civil rights advocates consider to be the most significant national dialogue on racial justice and equality since the 1960s. Others have felt indignation that such a movement was necessary more than 50 years after the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

Black Americans are developing and dying from COVID-19 at a rate that is more than double that of the general population, further illustrating health and socioeconomic disparities.

According to Charles Ellis Bush II, an attorney at Ice Miller's Labor & Employment Group, managers should know that Black employees "may be bringing trauma, rage, and terror to the workplace." "Employees coping with these feelings may be disengaged at work and unable to function to the best of their abilities."

"Black Employees Bear the Greatest Burden"

According to an old proverb, the Black population is disproportionately affected by economic downturns: "When white America has a cold, black America gets pneumonia." According to some analysts, the Great Recession of 2008-2009 was comparable to depression for African-Americans.

The present recession disproportionately affects African-American workers: The July jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor revealed that while the general unemployment rate decreased slightly to 10.2 percent, it stayed steady from the previous month at 14.6 percent for Black Americans.

National Bureau of Economic Research found that 41% of Black-owned firms had closed owing to the coronavirus pandemic, compared to 17% of white-owned enterprises.

Black workers bear the severest burden of America's inequality amid the pandemics of poverty, racism, and COVID-19.

Employer Strategies

Dr. Sydney Freeman Jr., an associate professor of organizational learning and leadership at the University of Idaho, stressed that it is insufficient for companies to consider equality, which entails offering everyone the same merely. "If my starting point is different, then the same number of resources will not have the same effect. Instead, the emphasis must be on equity, "That is, ensuring that everyone has everything they need to prosper.

Communicate with Black staff.

In these uncertain times, employers should routinely check in with all employees, on-site or remote.

"Managers should place a specific emphasis on interacting with Black employees to demonstrate that the company is attempting to understand the challenges they may be facing and reaffirm their workplace support," Bush advised.

"Engagement is not always straightforward, and some employees may resist by stating, "You've never spoken to me before." Why are you conversing with me now?" Bush stated. "In such situations, I would encourage leaders to be humble, let the employee know he or she is respected and appreciated, and reassure the employee that he or she has a safe place to address concerns."

Offer more help options and encourage staff to utilize them. 

Send semi-regular reminders of the organization's available resources. One of these communications may serve as a lifeline for a struggling employee.

If your organization provides mental health services, anticipate questions from employees. Specify the cost to the employee and any essential information.

Modest support groups may be able to play a role, depending on the needs of the company's employees. These sessions should be a safe environment where employees can discuss their experiences or listen. If a manager or other organizational leader is present, these sessions can also serve as an opportunity for employees to pose questions and comment. Create an official company statement against racial injustice and inequality.

By posting this message on your organization's website, you indicate to present and potential employees that systematic racism is a concern.

According to Freeman, employers should deliberately seek to comprehend what it means to be Black in this society. "The system is skewed in our favor. I mean that society was not created with Black people's growth in mind."

Employees should be able to turn to a clear message from the organization's management if they ever experience racial animosity or prejudice at work.

"If employees are informed throughout the interview that the company is a strong advocate for racial fairness and equality, the employer is more likely to attract and keep brilliant individuals who support this objective," Bush said.

Four Long-Term Strategies for Employers

Some of the proposals made by experts to help level the playing field for African-Americans will require additional implementation time.

"The most important point for companies is that racism will never disappear for black employees. It never becomes stale, and it never ceases to impact [their] lives, "explained Bush.

Examine the organization's inner workings.

Now is the time to perform diversity audits to determine where racial discrimination may be concealed. Ask HR if it can categorize workers based on their job kinds and levels within the company, and use HR data—employee demographics, exit interviews, and employee engagement surveys—to identify discrimination or inequity inside the organization. For example, consider promotions, salary, and attrition.

"You must truly concentrate on race and racism. Be very deliberate. "Enrica Ruggs, a management professor at the University of Memphis in Tennessee, stated that when performing diversity audits, it is crucial to consider the following.

Prioritize Black personnel in general. Then, further, break it down. Compare Black women to Hispanic women and white women, for example. Or look for indicators of occupational segregation.

Ruggs said that these kinds of audits should not be a one-time occurrence. Instead, she stated that this would be a continuous effort because most racism is institutional and has existed for decades. 

Create a new hiring strategy. 

Diversify your hiring and promotion strategies to reach a broader range of prospective employees. Utilize what you've learned if you've already undertaken a diversity audit of the organization.

Elise Gould, an economist of the Economic Policy Institute, advised, "Don't rely on what you've always done." Instead, organizations should take the time to develop a strategy before there is a compelling need to fill a particular post. "When it's time to submit a job ad, it's too late to expand your [hiring] networks," it is vital to remember.

Freeman pushes companies to recruit and promote black staff actively. "Employ African-Americans from historically black colleges and universities in addition to those from prestigious institutions," he advised. Less prestigious institutions can nonetheless have a wealth of exceptional talent.

Evaluate "diversity" and "inclusion" independently.

They differ, and managers should push firms to implement policies for both. "Diversity is invited to the celebration. However, inclusion is being requested to dance upon arrival, "Ruggs clarified.

Organizations can satisfy their diversity requirements by recruiting a set number of individuals from varied backgrounds but frequently stop there. Inclusion occurs only after an employee has been hired and fully incorporated into the organization. Therefore, it is essential that employees feel a sense of belonging and are at ease expressing their honest opinions.

Inquire with HR if employee engagement surveys and exit interviews demonstrate that all employees feel included. For example, if a particular employee group consistently has a high turnover rate, this may indicate that they do not feel like they belong.

Ruggs advised collaborating with HR to devise a strategy for addressing any problems. "Ask: "Where are these individuals going?" How come? It is insufficient to perform the discovery process without making the appropriate adjustments."

JIM IS PRESIDENT OF WOODS KOVALOVA GROUP

Jim has a passion for accelerating talent across organizations. While this passion has fueled his work in leadership assessment and development, it has crystallized in the area of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. 

Jim's experience spans a broad range of industries, including public, finance, consumer, retail, pharma, industrials, and technology. 'Organizational & people agility,' 'design thinking,' and 'digital transformation' are some of the critical themes Jim works with clients across the globe.

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His consulting experience includes assessing, training, coaching, and developing leaders. In addition, he has delivered work in defining competencies and success profiles, designing and conducting assessment centers, integrating talent analytics, and designing and facilitating development roadmaps.

Jim is a certified coach and facilitator for Woods Kovalova Group's virtual leadership assessment and development tools, including leadership accelerators, and WKG Potential. Jim holds an MS degree in organizational development and human resources. He served as an adjunct professor at Villanova University; taught fifth-grade math and science.