Half of all employees surveyed in the UK utilities sector have witnessed or experienced inappropriate behaviour at work that was brushed off as “banter”, and in the majority of cases, their organisations took no action.
That’s the finding of a new report based on research by professional community Women’s Utilities Network (WUN) and The Marketing Pod, a communications agency specialising in utilities and sustainability, which exposes a troubling gap between formal wellbeing policies and employees’ lived experiences.
In the 222 reported cases of inappropriate behaviour, only 19 led to a written warning and just 21 resulted in disciplinary action. In 55 cases, no steps were taken at all — raising serious concerns about psychological safety and accountability in workplaces that claim to value inclusion.
The survey, conducted in early 2025, gathered insights from 300 professionals in the utilities sector, most of whom were women in middle or senior roles. It explores workplace culture, wellbeing practices and leadership credibility — and the findings suggest a significant mismatch between intentions and outcomes.
Flexible Working Available — But Not Without Guilt
On the surface, employers appear to be making progress. A full 94% of respondents said their organisation offers work-life balance initiatives, and 69% felt leadership took culture and wellbeing seriously.
But dig deeper and the results tell a more conflicted story. While flexibility is now more important than pay for 75% of respondents, 35% said they feel guilty using flexible working, and 36% feel uncomfortable leaving work earlier than others.
Only 48% believe part-time workers enjoy the same rights as full-time colleagues. Just 53% say they always feel able to be their authentic selves at work, and more than a quarter of women (28%) feel comfortable only within a close circle.
These figures suggest that workplace culture often places silent pressure on staff to conform to outdated norms — even when progressive policies are on the books.
‘Policy Must Be More Deeply Embedded’
Jo Butlin, co-founder of WUN, said the report was a response to last year’s findings around unconscious bias in the sector and aims to reveal the realities behind formal commitments to culture and inclusion.
“While it’s encouraging to know that the majority feel that their employers take culture and wellbeing seriously, it is clear that leadership teams must ensure that company policy is more deeply embedded throughout their organisation,” she said.
“To help this become a reality, the report suggests some clear, practical actions to guide organisations and individuals towards achieving a genuinely positive working environment. These are steps that we look forward to sharing with our network.”
Her comments reflect a growing understanding that policies alone are not enough. Without visible, consistent behaviours from leadership and managers, experts say, wellbeing efforts risk being perceived as superficial or tokenistic.
A Chance to Lead Sector-Wide Change
The utilities sector employs around 1 in 25 UK workers, and its cultural direction has implications far beyond its own workforce. Jenny Hughes, co-founder and director of The Marketing Pod, said the sector has an opportunity to influence broader workplace norms — if it can match its external messaging with internal action.
“With one in 25 jobs in the UK currently supported by the energy industry alone, the utilities sector has a distinct opportunity to drive real, positive change for the UK’s entire workplace culture,” she said.
“I am not surprised to see that flexibility is rated so highly by the respondents. Our own experience of offering a hybrid working policy pays real dividends, particularly in terms of talent retention and recruitment.
“If we are to see real change in future, it is important that an organisation’s internal culture mirrors the inclusive values that are often promoted externally.”
What Employers Can Do Now
While the report outlines challenges, it also signals a way forward. Employers looking to close the gap between wellbeing promises and reality could focus on:
- Normalising flexible working: Leadership and line managers must model flexible behaviours to eliminate stigma and build trust.
- Reviewing equity for part-time staff: Ensuring fair access to training, promotions and benefits is essential to retaining diverse talent.
- Creating real psychological safety: Organisations must build reporting systems that are trusted, transparent and lead to consistent action.
- Encouraging authenticity: Fostering open, inclusive environments where people feel safe to speak freely and be themselves.
- Testing culture regularly: Pulse surveys and exit interviews can provide honest feedback on whether culture lives beyond the policy handbook.