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Law Practice Management

‘Micro-Inequities’ Have Big Workplace Impact

Posted 43 minutes ago
By Debra Cassens Weiss

Eric Tate says everyone has experienced “micro-inequities” in the workplace, and he is no exception.

Tate, a partner at Morrison & Foerster in San Francisco, recalls an incident that occurred when he was the only African-American associate at the law firm’s Palo Alto, Calif., office. A secretary mistook him for someone in the mail room and tried to hand him a package she wanted to ship.

Speaking at a program at the ABA Annual Meeting in New York City, Tate defined micro-inequities as the subtle slights and snubs that devalue employees and often prompt them to leave.

He lists some examples: Having a chummy nickname for some employees but not others. Asking only favored employees to lunch. Dismissing an idea… Continue reading...

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