The Invisible Effort: Identity, Belonging and Energy at Work
Thu 15 Oct
|Arup (80 Charlotte Street)
Have you ever felt the need to change how you speak, behave or present yourself to feel you fit in? For lots of us, particularly those from LGBTQ+ communities, different faiths and other underrepresented groups, that pressure is an everyday reality.
Time & Location
15 Oct 2026, 17:30 – 21:30
Arup (80 Charlotte Street), 80 Charlotte St., London W1T 4QS, UK
About the Event
Join us to explore the mental and emotional effort many people spend adapting, concealing, or moderating aspects of their identity to feel safe, accepted or understood.
In this session, we will reflect on the impact and cost that comes with trying to fit in rather than belonging, as well as what workplaces gain when people feel able to show up as themselves. We will also examine how these experiences, shaped by sexuality, culture, faith, race, and power, challenge ourselves to create workplaces where people can belong without this invisible effort.
This event is organised by Arup's Connect Out and Connect Cultures, our employee-led inclusion networks to help build a more diverse, inclusive and connected workplace.
