Fast Company Daily Why authenticity at work feels impossible
Nov 7, 2025
Jodi-Ann Burry is a writer and critic specializing in race, culture, and health equity. She discusses the challenges of authenticity at work, highlighting how marginalized voices are often overlooked. Burry points out that striving for authenticity can lead to exploitation instead of empowerment. She argues for a collective approach to accessibility and warns that many organizations are backtracking on pandemic-era gains. Additionally, she emphasizes that self-expression alone won't solve deep-seated structural issues, including pay inequity.
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Center Impacted Voices First
- Authenticity at work depends on structural realities, not just personal expression.
- Jodi-Ann Burry argues we must center workers most harmed by performative inclusion to understand authenticity.
Personal Story About Access Needs
- Jodi-Ann Burry describes her spinal cord injury and the ways employers made access difficult before COVID-19.
- The pandemic proved many accommodations were possible when organizations chose to implement them.
Pandemic Exposed What Employers Could Do
- The pandemic revealed that many access solutions were always possible but unequally applied.
- Jodi-Ann Burry warns those lessons are already being rolled back by employers.
