“Could a Smart Device Catch Implicit Bias In the Workplace?” asks the title of a Northeastern University press release that includes this tidbit: “Employees who perceive bias are nearly three times as likely to be disengaged at work, and the cost of disengagement to employers isn’t cheap — to the tune of $450 billion to $550 billion a year.”

Now, “bias” here means sexism and other types of irrational group prejudice. And personally, when I hear that someone is the victim of sexism, my response is usually not, “Well, sure, that’s worrisome for her. But first, what is this costing the corporations on the bottom line?” It’s just not how I think about the problem.