Rashida
It’s no secret that employees overwhelmingly want more flexible work conditions as the option to return to the office becomes available.
While some people are eager to return to some office time after months of time at home, many do not want to return full time.
However, the remote work experience varies immensely based on the type of job, company culture, and, the person. The experience has been vastly different for racial minorities.
97% of Black respondents want to keep working remotely, compared to 79% of white respondents.
But that isn’t the whole story.
Black employees across the board also face some unique challenges when working remotely.
Let’s dive into the complex landscape of remote work for racial minorities.
Who Wants to Work from Home?
In short, everyone wants more options to work from home after the pandemic. However, the interest in continuing to work remotely is not equal across racial lines. 79% of white respondents want to keep working remotely in some way, while a whopping 97% of Black respondents said the same.
Who CAN Work from Home?
Before diving into some of the reasons why Black employees may prefer remote work, we have to clarify who can work from home. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor, only 20% of black workers and 16% of Hispanics have jobs that allow for remote working flexibility.
Working from home is not an option for those who work in many jobs in fields like healthcare, construction, education, agriculture, and manufacturing. Lower-wage workers do not have the same opportunities to work remotely.
Less than one in five Black employees even have the option to work from home. 13.4% of the country’s population is Black, yet only 8% of managers and 5.3% of people in the tech industry are Black. I am proud to say my father is one of that 5.3%, and one of the 20% who can work remotely. But for so many in our community, this is not the case.
Jobs that cannot be done remotely faced immense strain during the pandemic, and they offer far less flexibility in general.
While far fewer Black employees even have the option for remote work, the ones who do want to continue it.
Why Do Minority Workers Prefer Remote Work?
For minorities, working in a predominantly white environment can be stressful. To avoid discrimination and gain respect as professionals many minority workers resort to “code-switching.”
Code-switching is altering one’s language, style of dress, and overall presentation to fit in different environments. Oftentimes, African American Vernacular English (AAVE) is looked down upon, as well as natural hairstyles on those with curly, coily, and/or kinky hair textures.
Code-switching is something I’ve witnessed my father resort to several times. I can immediately tell if he’s on the phone with another black person (from work or not) vs a white colleague. Yes, to some extent everyone turns on their “professional” code for work, but for people of color it’s also turning off many aspects of their culture.
Ultimately, many minority professionals in “knowledge fields” find comfort in working in their home environment. Sure, they may have to code-switch for a Zoom meeting or two, but it’s not all day. The entire day isn’t spent under a microscope of scrutiny, beneath a pressure to make your racial identity more palatable for someone else.
Remote Work Challenges Minorities Face
Even though the vast majority of Black workers in “knowledge work” want to keep working remotely, remote work is not all sunshine and rainbows for minorities. Black employees who can and want to continue remote work are not the majority of the minority workforce.
The type of occupation and socioeconomic status also plays a role in a person’s remote work experience. Minorities also face a host of unique challenges when it comes to remote work.
Broadcasting Identities
Remote work tends to limit the need for code-switching and can allow minorities to enjoy racial identity expressions during most of the day. However, it comes with a tradeoff. As the Harvard Business Review states, “workers are now sending social class (i.e., size workspace) and cultural signals (i.e., furnishings, artwork) about their identity affiliations to professional colleagues and clients.”
Bigger Households
Census Data reveals the fact that Black households have 20% more people and Hispanic households have 80% more people compared to White households. Bigger households tend to mean louder households. House’s with more people may also require many people to share rooms, and offer limited personal space for an office.
Larger households present a challenge for remote workers. It can be harder to find a quiet space to work. Distractions can run rampant. Working as a student or employee in a large household can be extremely difficult.
Technology Resources
A 2019 Pew Research Center survey found that 58% of Black and 57% of Hispanic adults own a desktop or laptop compared to 82% of White adults. The disparity in technology access is another big hurdle for minorities working remotely.
Race-Based Hostility
While working from home often reduces the need for code-switching, it has not helped with workplace race-based hostility, especially toward women. According to NPR, “women of color were the most likely to report increased race-based hostility, including 45% of women who identified as African, African American or Black.”
Working remotely does not fix racial problems. Companies must address the hostility that was present before the pandemic.
Remote Work and Diversity
The HR Firm Clutch found that 60% of respondents said their company has become more diverse in the last year. When approached thoughtfully, remote work facilitates workplace diversity.
Remote work allows companies to hire from a global talent pool, which gives them great access to a diverse pool of qualified applicants.
Furthermore, remote work enhances accessibility. It removes some of the barriers and limitations minorities may encounter from a traditional office setting.
However, remote work cannot erase faulty hiring or workplace culture practices. As Desk to Remote states, companies must “ take the big picture approach to inclusive hiring, there has to be a strong combination of intention and strategy from the get-go.”
Conclusion
Overall, remote work has many incredible benefits as well as challenges for minorities. While more Black employees want to continue working remotely than their White counterparts, it’s important to remember that the vast majority do not have the option to do so. Remote work can alleviate some of the stress and pressure of code-switching, but it includes other tradeoffs for racial minorities.
