What Is Equity in the Workplace?

You may be familiar with the acronym “DEI," which stands for diversity, equity and inclusion. Equity, arguably, is the glue that holds diversity and inclusion together. Without an equitable workplace and equal opportunity to resources and success for all, the playing field is not level and therefore cannot foster a diverse or inclusive environment. Read on to find out just what an equitable workplace looks like and why it’s important. 

By Helen Harris

“Equity is the truth in action.” – Joseph Joubert 

“Equity is the only acceptable goal.” – Paul Farmer 

“Equality is giving everyone a shoe; equity is giving everyone a shoe that fits.” – Naheed Dosani

The above statements are made up of pretty words and are certainly statements we should live by. But what exactly does equity — specifically equity in the workplace mean? 

Equity, as defined by Merriam Webster, means justice according to natural law or right and being free from bias or favoritism.

“Equity in the workplace means to intentionally and purposely and consciously ensure that everyone in the company has access to the support, resources, treatment and the opportunities they need to succeed in the workplace,” said Daniela Herrera, equity, diversity and inclusion professional and keynote speaker. 

Herrera further states that while equality focuses on making sure that everyone gets the same access to the same resources, equity emphasizes specific, individual needs. And rather than offering a “blanket” set of solutions, workplaces that instill equity in their cultures try to find and correct the root cause for all of the historical and systematic inequalities through processes and systems.

Why Is Equity Important in the Workplace? 

According to the Diversity and Inclusion Speakers Agency, by 2024, 47.2% of the workforce will consist of women. The source reveals that 78% of employees believe their organizations lack diverse leadership, three out of four employees prefer diverse companies — and 80% want inclusive companies. 

So how does this data tie into equity and it being critical in the workplace? 

“When you do not create equal access, that means you don't have diverse perspectives, experiences and voices at the decision-making tables,” said Tara Jaye (Centeio) Frank, author of “The Waymakers,” equity strategist and c-suite advisor. “When you don't have diverse perspectives at decision-making tables, you not only miss opportunities to grow as a business but can also bring great risk upon yourself.” 

Frank continues that without equal opportunities for all in the workplace, it’s easy to slip into a tunnel-vision situation where those in authority only see the world as they want to see it.

“Equity opens those doors so that more people can sit at that table and make decisions and can approach business and society a lot more holistically,” said Frank.  

Understanding What an Equitable Workplace Looks Like 

Now that you know what workplace equity is and why it is important, you may be looking for some examples to solidify your understanding. 

Human Rights Careers provides the following aspects where equity can play a huge role in the workplace: 

• Recruiting/hiring process. What does the hiring process look like, and is the net being cast evenly to people of all genders, races, abilities, etc.? The recruiting process is the lifeblood of forming a diverse workforce, and a diverse workforce feeds into an equitable work environment for all. 
• Salary. Do all employees have access to the same opportunities for advancement and salary increases? “Pay equity looks at systemic issues and the multiple factors that affect pay gaps between groups, such as racial and gender discrimination,” said Emmaline Soken-Huberty in Human Rights Careers. “Pay equality’s goal is equal pay for equal work. Everyone who does the same job should get the same salary.” 
• Accommodations. Is a company providing each employee with the resources they need to succeed. This is not a one-size-fits-all aspect and can include aspects such as a work-from-home schedule to a parent with young children, flexible hours, or providing the equipment necessary to do company-related work. 

Frank adds to this list, that from a talent perspective, people are most likely to leave an organization when they do not feel valued. She also emphasizes that when people feel overworked and underpaid, they are highly likely to start looking for another job. 

“These are the kinds of things that break a relationship,” said Frank. “They break personal relationships, but they break professional relationships as well.” 

While the examples of equity could go on, Herrera states that expectedly, each company is in a completely different stage of its diversity and inclusion journey. But change at any point happens by taking inventory of what processes are in place and actively trying to work toward something better. 

“Companies and organizations that actually take the time, the effort and set aside the budget to pause and review every single process that they have in place and intentionally identify where the inequities are — they have a better chance to succeed with their overall [diversity, equity and inclusion] efforts,” said Herrera. Because at the end of the day, once you have the data from the research you've done and from everything that's going on in your company, what you can do as you can start fixing those issues and creating accountability measures.” 

How To Build More Equitable Work Environments

For leaders to gauge equity in the workplace, they will most likely need to conduct an engagement survey of all employees in addition to doing internal and external research. 

“[This will help employers to understand] what's working and what's not working within the company as a whole first,” said Herrera. “And that data might give you some indications on which communities are struggling or what communities need a little bit more support?”

After the surveys and research and the subsequent findings, Herrera stresses that leaders need to have conversations with employees and respective communities that are struggling to hear first-hand what they can be doing better.   

“You do need to go to the root of the cause and you really need to implement systematic processes in order to implement all of the changes that a company wants to implement; otherwise, it's just going to get lost in the entire workforce.” 

Ultimately, by building more equitable working environments people — all people — could come to work and share their big ideas. 

People would feel comfortable pushing back on the status quo. 

Everyone could come to work in a place that is innovative, embraces creative tension, and allows for meaningful debate in order to arrive at the best possible answer or result. 

And people would feel represented by seeing a diverse group of leaders at their decision-making tables. 

CEOs and leaders at the very highest level would regularly seek feedback on their leadership effectiveness and welcome two-way conversations.

“Every single person and every single leader has an opportunity to make the way for other people if they want to,” said Frank. “But it takes an understanding of [what equity] really means. If more people understood how to create spaces where every single person has an opportunity to thrive [by learning from others], then we would see the tipping point we need to see in order to make sustainable change.” 

Top Takeaways 

What Is Equity in the Workplace?

• Equity, as defined by Merriam Webster, means justice according to natural law or right and being free from bias or favoritism.
• “Equity in the workplace means to intentionally and purposely and consciously ensure that everyone in the company has access to the support, resources, treatment and the opportunities they need to succeed in the workplace.”
• If a diverse workforce feels well-looked after, there is less turnover, higher morale and higher employee performance.
• “Equity opens those doors so that more people can sit at that table and make decisions and can approach business and society a lot more holistically.”
• For leaders to gauge equity in the workplace, they will most likely need to conduct an engagement survey of all employees in addition to doing internal and external research. 
• “If more people understood how to create spaces where every single person has an opportunity to thrive [by learning from others], then we would see the tipping point we need to see in order to make sustainable change.”