Two-thirds of UK workers say their workplace has no anti-discrimination or anti-harassment policies in place.
The research, collected by DEJI Digital by Green Park, a UK talent firm aimed at building diverse and equitable workplaces, also revealed that 73% of UK workers say that their management does not foster respect and inclusivity in the workplace.
The full findings of the company’s research, created in collaboration with survey provider Opinium and drawn from 1257 respondents, are as below:
- 66% of UK workers say workplace has no anti-discrimination or anti-harassment policies
- 68% have no clear and easy pathways to report discrimination of harassment
- 70% do not have supportive resources (e.g. counselling services)
- 73% say their leadership does not foster respect of others and inclusivity
- 75% report workplace has no training sessions to combat bias and teach professional conduct
The alarming figures come at a time where diversity, equity and inclusivity budgets are the subject of substantial political and corporate debate. Late last year, both the Chancellor and the Health Secretary called for the dissolution of diversity manager positions within the Government and NHS, respectively. Meanwhile, Google and Meta, among others, have announced cuts to corporate DE&I policies as companies across the globe look to trim spending budgets.
The findings also coincide with the Labour Party’s announcement this week that, if elected, it would extend the full right to equal pay that currently exists for women to black, Asian and minority ethnic workers for the first time.
In response, DEJI Digital, a Green Park company, is building an inclusive, scalable, and affordable AI coach to provide managers with the necessary tools, resources, and training to engage in effective and empathetic conversation with diverse team members, to be launched later in the year, and set to reduce spend on traditional training by 20%.
Bontle Senne, Co-Founder and CEO at DEJI Digital, commented:
Whether through unintentional bias, misunderstanding of cultural nuances, or lack of awareness about inclusion and diversity, this research shows that gaps in communication and understanding are leading to a hostile work environment and hindering UK employee’s growth and satisfaction. Unfortunately, most managers have not received adequate training in DE&I and current tools can be ineffective or inaccessible for continuous, real-time support. It is well-documented that diverse leadership leads to increased profitability and, at a time where DE&I budgets are under threat, companies must look to innovative solutions to ensure their bottom lines are not affected.
Bontle Senne, Co-Founder and CEO at DEJI Digital
Joanne is the editor for Workplace Wellbeing Professional and has a keen interest in promoting the safety and wellbeing of the global workforce. After earning a bachelor's degree in English literature and media studies, she taught English in China and Vietnam for two years. Before joining Work Well Pro, Joanne worked as a marketing coordinator for luxury property, where her responsibilities included blog writing, photography, and video creation.