Whether and How Surgeons Took Action Against Workplace Microaggression: Survey of the American College of Surgeons...

In healthcare, microaggressions contribute to an unsafe and disruptive workplace for surgeons, leading to lower job satisfaction. Previous studies identified specific traits of targeted individuals. However, no studies describe perpetrator roles, the type of microaggressions, or whether and how workplace microaggressions are addressed.

This was a cross-sectional survey study to assess surgeons' experiences with workplace microaggressions and whether and what type of action was taken to address them. Perpetrator roles included supervisors, surgeon colleagues, staff, trainees, and patients and families. Types of action included informal and formal reporting and directly confronting the perpetrator. Analyses include descriptive and chi-square statistics, t -tests, and bivariate logistic regression.

Of 377 survey respondents, 249 (66.0%) experienced workplace microaggressions, with 143 (57.4%) respondents taking action. Supervisors and surgeon colleagues were the most frequent perpetrators (74.8% and 81.5%, respectively) and committed all types of microaggressions. The types of action taken differed by perpetrator role, with informal reporting and directly confronting the perpetrator being the most common. The occurrence of microaggressions increased with each job (58.7% in first job to 74.7% in third job, p < 0.001), but surgeons were less likely to take action (50.6% in first job to 11.5% in third job, p = 0.002). Surgeons who took action were less likely to say they would choose a career in surgery again (p = 0.024).

Over half of the surgeons who experienced microaggressions took action through traditional institutional or professional mechanisms. Surgeons who took action against microaggressions endorsed career regret.