Discrimination at Work Can Increase Your Risk of High Blood Pressure (article)

“Discrimination in the workplace is an issue that affects people across industries and walks of life. Back in 2020, Glassdoor reported that 61% of employees in the United States have either experienced or seen discrimination tied to one’s race, age, gender, or LGBTQIA+ identity at work.

This pervasive presence of workplace discrimination in American life can move from the office to other aspects of one’s life. The buildup of stress, anxiety, and depression from discriminatory practices experienced at one’s job can have wide-ranging effects on overall health, and one recent studyTrusted Source published in the Journal of the American Heart Association shows that people who felt discrimination at work faced increased high blood pressureTrusted Source risk.

Experts say the new research not only offers a window into how the way we’re treated at work can affect our health but also sheds a spotlight on the changes some companies may need to make to ensure workers’ overall well-being is prioritized.”

My Takeaways:

• Workplace discrimination can lead to significantly poorer health outcomes including in this study an increase in stress, anxiety and depression symptoms. Additionally, work stress in general can cause high blood pressure as well.

• Workplace discrimination is defined as any unfair treatment a person receives through their racial, ethnic, sexual or gender identity. Additionally disabilities and other medical conditions can be discriminated against as well.

• Being discriminated against and especially in a situation where an employee feels powerless to do anything can exacerbate poorer health outcomes. So it remains vital that we recognize and address these in our work environments.

Full article is here!

#WorkStress #Health #Discrimination

What are some ways we can counter workplace discrimination?