Cultural Safety at Work

Lately we hear a lot about Psychological Safety in the workplace. But there is another kind of safety that is just as important, especially in diverse, global teams: Cultural Safety.
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What is the key difference between the two?

• Psychological safety is about how safe people feel to SPEAK UP, share ideas, admit mistakes, and take risks without fear of negative consequences from others in the group.
• Cultural safety is about how safe people feel to bring and express their CULTURAL IDENTITY without fear of judgment, bias, exclusion, or racism.

Cultural safety was born in healthcare 

Have you ever gone to a clinic and felt you were treated differently, just because of your cultural background? Many people have.

The term Cultural Safety originated in New Zealand’s healthcare system in the 1990s, in response to significant inequities in Māori health.

Māori communities have faced serious health gaps for a long time, including shorter life expectancy, higher mortality at nearly all ages, and more chronic diseases compared to non-Māori. 

When patients face racism or discrimination in the healthcare system, it changes how they interact with it. Some avoid going to the doctor. Others don’t feel safe sharing their symptoms. And all of this leads to even worse health outcomes.

These persistent health inequities are well-documented and were a driving force behind the development of cultural safety in healthcare, where healthcare providers were encouraged not just to be “culturally competent,” but to create environments where patients feel safe to be who they are.

Cultural safety goes deeper

Cultural safety is a deeper layer of cultural understanding. It goes beyond being aware of other cultures or working well with people who are different from us.

• It’s about moving from understanding OTHER cultures to understanding how our OWN culture affects the way we see and treat others.
• It’s about taking the time to REFLECT on our own biases, attitudes, assumptions, stereotypes, and prejudices.
• It’s about recognising POWER dynamics and being willing to challenge the systems and structures that reinforce them.

In healthcare, cultural safety requires professionals and organisations to examine the impact of their own culture on clinical interactions, service delivery, and the factors that may be contributing to lower quality of care for some patients.

Applying Cultural Safety to the corporate world 

Over the years, cultural safety has expanded beyond healthcare and is now applied more broadly in fields like social work, education, and community services.

I believe these principles are also highly relevant and applicable in the corporate and business environments. So, how can companies create a more culturally safe environment globally?

We can start by asking 3 simple, yet powerful questions to assess whether our people and systems encourage cultural safety across the organisation:
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1. Do we give the same “service” to people in our organisation, no matter where they come from? Cultural safety at work means having equal access to resources and opportunities regardless of location, background, or identity.
2. Are we open to adopting local policies, or do we maintain a strong dominance of HQ practices? Cultural safety means respecting local contexts and allowing space for regional practices, instead of forcing one-size-fits-all rules from headquarters.
3. Are we creating space for multiple approaches, or do we expect everyone to adapt to one style? Cultural safety at work means people don’t feel they have to hide or worry about how their background might be perceived. They feel proud to bring their culture to work and safe to share it with others.

Final thoughts

How is cultural safety related to creating an inclusive and equitable work environment?

You can have equitable policies in place, but still lack cultural safety if people feel judged or excluded. You can also have ‘structural inclusion’, yet people may feel unsafe to be fully themselves, especially if they come from a marginalized background.

That's why Cultural safety is the GLUE that turns DEI into belonging. Because in the end, how we treat each other matters more than any policy or system.

When people feel safe to be who they are and bring their cultures to work, belonging becomes real and sustainable.

Cultural safety is not a destination or a skill to be mastered. It’s an ongoing process that requires continuous self-reflection and organisational commitment.

What do you do to encourage a more culturally safe space in the workplace?

#culturalsafety #globalmindset #inclusiveculture