The term “covering” comes from the general sense of the verb cover, which means to hide from view. This term was popularised in the context of a workplace by an Author Kenji Yoshino in his 2006 book Covering: The Hidden Assault on our Civil Rights. Modern usage of the term frequently implies either downplaying or concealing one’s identity, or one or more parts of it.
Covering happens in the workplace, mostly by those who want to blend in with their coworkers in order to avoid standing out as “different” from the majority group. According to The Uncovering Talent report by Deloitte, which polled 3,000 employees from a variety of backgrounds, more than 61% of workers reported having covered at least once. Additionally, the poll found that more than 83% of LGBT employees have been covering in the workplace at least once.
Types of covering include:
- Association-based covering: for example, not wanting to go to employee network groups out of concern that they will be placed in a certain category (usually one that is quite restrictive), exposed and subjected to discrimination.
- Appearance: employees may avoid wearing certain attire or religious symbols in order to fit in with the wider workforce.
- Advocacy-based covering: Employees may not "stick up for" problems or coworkers if they do not wish to represent their group at work.
- Affiliation-based covering: This relates to behaviours more in line with specific actions, such as talking about identity-related events in a way that avoids being exposed.
