October 8, 2018
You’re walking down the hall at work and pass the boss who makes a crack about your gender, race, religion or heritage. You cringe because you don’t want to make a scene, yet once again you’ve been made to feel like you don’t belong.
You have just experienced a microaggression and you question whether you handled it properly. After all, was your boss trying to make an innocent joke and out of ignorance used hurtful words and expressions, or was it intentional? Should you have confronted your boss or just let it lie?
Everyone has experienced this type of microaggression at one time or another.
The insurance industry’s “Dive In: The Festival for Diversity & Inclusion in Insurance,” is an effort to improve diversity in the workplace. The insurance industry is notorious for its lack of diversity and executives want to change and create a better working environment for everyone. They also fear business will suffer if they do nothing, and if they do diversify, it will open new business opportunities all across the industry.
The Council sponsored a Dive In meeting in its Washington, D.C. headquarters on September 25. It was one of more than 50 events in 27 countries. The first event was held in 2015 in London and the sessions since then appear to be having an effect. This year a survey of insurance professionals in London found 52 percent responded favorably to the diversity and inclusion culture. That was up from 21 percent just last year.
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