S9 E9: The Hidden Tax of Being the "Only" at Work with Amina Gass

Being the only at work isn’t just lonely, it’s heavy.  It’s the unspoken pressure of carrying an entire group on your back while still trying to do your actual job, all while dodging microaggressions and pretending you don’t notice the side-eyes in meetings. Been there too many times! In this episode, I sat down with Amina Gass to name the emotional labor that underrepresented folks shoulder every day, and we talk about how allyship, mentorship, and how genuine inclusion can make the difference between burnout and belonging. 0:02:05 - One Hard Truth About Work 0:05:02 - What Being the “Only” Feels Like in the Workplace 0:09:23 - How Emotional Labor Shows up for Women of Color vs Their Peers 0:15:18 - How Microaggressions Compound the Experience of Loneliness Over Time 0:29:30 - Myths About Representation That Should be Debunked 0:31:54 - What Does Support Look Like Beyond Token Gestures? 0:44:44 - If Orgs Were Serious About Change, What Would Look Different Tomorrow? Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don’t have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit ⁠⁠⁠lattice.com⁠⁠⁠ to learn more. And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba’s newsletter! It’s for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/   And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out  https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content!   Follow Amina: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aminagass/ Follow Hebba:  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef