Have you ever been in a meeting with your boss and while you’re trying to get an important point across they keep looking at their watch or tapping away on their computer?  Or how about your manager constantly getting your name wrong and embarrassing you in front of others?  If these sorts of situations sound familiar then you could have been a victim of something which is known as a microinequity. 

A microinequity is generally a subtle message that might seem small when considered on its own but it is a repeated behaviour which adds up to make the person on the receiving end feel devalued and discouraged at work.  They are negative messages that are normally not verbal but take the form of body language, tone of voice and facial expressions.  They can have very damaging effects as it has been found that words actually mean very little when compared to the messages we send and receive non-verbally.  



   

The person responsible for the growth of awareness around this problem is Stephen Young, the former chief diversity officer at JP Morgan who wants organisations to realise how important it is to recognise these behaviours and deal with them before they effect employee productivity, morale, absenteeism and eventually turnover. 

It has been argued that the only way to deal with microinequities is to discuss them and get the issue addressed.  Employers then have an obligation to make sure any concerns are dealt with.  However, because the natures of these messages are generally quite subtle then it might be hard for you to know for sure whether or not you are experiencing this at work.  But if you genuinely feel that you are constantly being made to feel devalued at work through situations like the above then the chances are you need to talk about it with your boss.  It will be in their best interests too to deal with the problem as a very possible effect of microinequities is the employee leaving the organisation to find another job where they are treated better.