The perception that when one shows themself fully in a professional and personal light, it may harm him/her, leads to “covering up”. It is a strategy where people downplay parts of their identity in order to conform to the workplace culture. Not being able to ‘bring their whole selves‘ to work has detrimental effects on equality and inclusion in the workplace.
Some examples
In addition to one’s job title, a person has other roles in a personal or professional capacity. When these roles are deliberately not talked about, it is a kind of cover-up. An example of this could be a mother who does not talk about the responsibilities she has as a parent, so that her work is not underestimated in the workplace or she is not given less challenging tasks. Another example is an employee whose same-sex partner does not attend a corporate event where friends and family are invited because they are worried about negative attitudes or comments.
An increasingly common occurrence
New York University Law School professor Kenji Yoshino published his book “Cover Up: The Hidden Attack on Our Civil Rights” back in 2006, where he talks about this phenomenon. A new study, conducted in 2023, called “Uncovering Culture: A Call to Action for Leaders” was published by Deloitte.
The study is based on representative data collected from more than 1,200 adults employed in five major US industries. The results reveal how widespread and universal cover-up is, including for members of the majority. Many people belong to more than one group and conceal multiple identities.
Types of covering
The cover-up behaviors identified in the report are four. Appearance-based covering causes people to change their dress or hairstyle to fit into the mainstream culture. Advocacy-based concealment refers to not defending the interests of a group. Affiliation-based coping refers to how individuals minimize behaviors related to their identity in order to avoid being stereotyped. Association-based concealment refers to how individuals avoid contact with other group members.
Recognizing the different types of covering is an important step for team leaders. Leaders who lead by example through their stories create a space where everyone can be authentic.
