In this video, FAIRER MD Dan Robertson explores the link between psychological safety, covering and wellbeing, and why the ability to be yourself at work matters for both people and performance. He considers what happens when employees feel they need to hide aspects of who they are, and the role leaders can play in creating workplaces where people feel safe to contribute, connect and belong. Watch the video or read the article below.
Organisations are increasingly thinking about diversity as part of a much bigger picture, one that encompasses inclusion, belonging and wellbeing. Within that matrix, psychological safety is fundamentally critical.
If people do not feel psychologically safe at work, they start to adapt their behaviour. One of the things employees may do is hide aspects of who they are. Psychologists call this covering.
We cover for particular reasons. We may hide parts of ourselves because we fear discrimination, exclusion or being judged negatively by others. But what happens when people come into work every day hiding aspects of who they are and unable to be their authentic selves? The impact can be profound.
When someone is continually covering, the mental trauma can have significant implications for their mental health and wellbeing. And the consequences do not stop with the individual. If people are not able to be themselves, they can also begin to disengage from their relationships with managers and team members. They are not sharing who they are, and that starts to affect the relationships and connections that are so important to effective teams.
This is why psychological safety, wellbeing and belonging cannot be considered in isolation. At FAIRER, we work with organisations to understand the barriers that can prevent people from feeling included, and to translate that understanding into practical changes in leadership, culture and everyday behaviour. This includes helping leaders recognise how bias and exclusion can show up in seemingly ordinary interactions, and what they can do differently to create more inclusive environments.
Leadership has an important role to play in creating these conditions. Our work with Lloyd’s of London is one example. We designed and delivered a bespoke Inclusive Leadership programme for its executive leadership team, aligned with Lloyd’s corporate values and focused on role-modelling inclusive behaviours, living the values of inclusion in everyday leadership, reducing leadership bias and identifying practical actions. Leaders also had the opportunity to reflect on their own understanding and attitudes towards inclusive leadership and discuss their personal goals. The programme resulted in increased understanding and confidence in discussing diversity and inclusion, greater awareness of their influence on organisational culture and personalised action plans to advance inclusion.
The end goal of diversity and inclusion should therefore be bigger than representation alone. We want organisations where people can thrive and be themselves. When people can do that, we create the conditions for high-performing teams, stronger motivation and greater engagement, all of the outcomes that sit at the heart of the business case for inclusion.
However, if people go into work every day feeling that they cannot be themselves, hiding or covering parts of their identity, those benefits become much harder to achieve. Reducing covering is therefore an important part of creating psychologically safe workplaces. It supports the wellbeing of the individual, but it also creates healthier relationships, stronger teams and better organisational performance.
Ultimately, we want workplaces where people do not have to choose between being themselves and being successful. We want organisations where people can thrive, belong and perform at their best.
Leaders have a key role to play in creating workplaces where people feel safe to be themselves. Our Inclusive Leadership training gives leaders practical tools to recognise bias, build trust and create the conditions for psychological safety and belonging. It explores the impact of covering at work and the leadership behaviours that can either support or undermine inclusion, helping leaders translate these ideas into everyday practice. Get in touch to find out how our training programmes could support your organisation.
The conversation around inclusion, leadership and wellbeing continues at the FAIRER Conference 2026, on 22 October at the Royal College of Surgeons of England in London. The day brings together senior in-house HR, DE&I, L&D and wellbeing professionals to share ideas, experiences and practical approaches to building better workplaces. Explore the FAIRER Conference to see the speakers, sessions and full programme.