An elite City law firm has vowed to crackdown on ‘microaggressions’ in the office by launching an anonymous reporting hotline for staff upset by ‘non-inclusive’ language at work.
Hogan Lovells has created a new internal system for staff to report instances of ‘microaggressions’ or ‘interactional bias’ that make them uncomfortable.
The law firm, one of the highest earning in the world, says the hotline aims to create a ‘a secure, anonymous channel to log incidents such as microaggressions or interactional bias related to gender, race, sexual orientation, disability and more.’
Critics on Legal Cheek, a website aimed at junior lawyers, described the hotline as ‘Orwellian’ and ‘woke tokenism.’
Another speculated that that the hotline would be used protect the firm from constructive dismissal claims.
One commenter said: ‘Can’t wait to tour the Hogan Lowell’s special re-education centre.’
Hogan Lovells has teamed up with InChorus, a technology platform that works with corporate partners to create ‘speak up’ hotlines that allow staff to report bullying, harassment and ‘non-inclusive behaviours’.
The system can be embedded into software such as Slack and Microsoft teams.
InChorus describes microaggressions as ‘subtle, often unintentional, behaviours or comments that convey negative assumptions about a person’s identity or background.’
Examples of microaggressions that could be reported included describing a mixed-gender group as ‘guys’ or calling a colleague of an ethnic minority background ‘articulate’.
Other examples including reference to age, sexuality, disability, and social class such as calling younger colleagues ‘kids’ or ‘babies’ and ‘making assumptions about someone’s financial status’.
Penny Angell, UK managing partner at Hogan Lovells said: ‘We know that there can be a reluctance to call out seemingly ‘minor incidents’, which may nonetheless contribute to someone feeling excluded or marginalised in the workplace.
‘By embracing this technology, we can help ensure that every voice is heard, allowing us to review and act on trends over time and to foster an even more inclusive environment.’
The creation of the hotline comes after the Solicitors Regulation Authority announced in March it was investigating 24 cases of alleged bullying, harassment, and inappropriate pressure within law firms.