Not only do people of color feel less belonging in the workplace, they also feel less safe to speak up without fear of repercussion, according to data from DEI consulting firm The Courage Collective. The report, published in August 2023 and sent to HR Dive, shows that this disproportionate apprehension around speaking up extends to the management level: Whereas 84% of White managers feel like they can speak up confidently, only 50% of POC managers feel that way.

“If those who have historically held power are the only ones who feel comfortable disagreeing, innovating, and taking risks lead to change, we are likely to repeat the same inequitable workplace cultures,” researchers said.

BY THE NUMBERS: PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY

87%

The rate of White men who feel safe voicing dissenting opinions

67%

The rate of Black women who feel safe voicing dissenting opinions

64%

The rate of AAPI women who feel safe voicing dissenting opinions

33%

The rate of Black men who feel safe voicing dissenting opinions

71%

The rate of White millennials who feel like they have equal access to growth opportunities (The cohort aged 25 to 34, also known as millennials, made up 40% of survey respondents — the largest age demographic.)

49%

The rate of POC millennials who feel like they have equal access to growth opportunities.

93%

The rate of White managers who feel like they belong

68%

The rate of POC managers who feel like they belong

The researchers for The Courage Collective’s report called out “four key drivers” pushing forward their interest in designing the study. This included alignment of values, access to leader support, growth opportunities and the safety to “disagree and disrupt” — conditions that researchers call out explicitly as “psychological safety.”

Study facilitators asked participants whether they could agree with the statement “I can voice a dissenting opinion without fear of repercussions.”

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