Nearly half of UK adults have experienced workplace discrimination, with age, appearance and gender among the most common biases encountered, according to new research.
A survey of 4,000 UK adults, commissioned by HR software provider Ciphr, found that 45% have faced unfair discrimination at work or while job hunting. Among them, 38% reported experiencing discrimination in the workplace, while 39% believe they have been unfairly rejected for jobs due to discriminatory practices during recruitment.
Discrimination More Prevalent Among Younger Workers, Ethnic Minorities
The findings indicate that workplace discrimination is more common among individuals at the start of their careers and those from ethnic minority backgrounds. Over three-quarters (76%) of respondents from Black, Black British, Caribbean or African ethnic groups, and 65% from Asian or Asian British backgrounds, reported facing discrimination or hiring bias — far higher than the survey average of 45%.
Younger workers, particularly Gen Z and younger Millennials, are also more likely to recognise and call out workplace discrimination. Two in three (65%) 18- to 34-year-olds reported experiencing bias, compared to 45% of those aged 35 to 54 and just 31% of those over 55.
Ageism Identified as Most Common Workplace Bias
The study highlights age discrimination as the most frequently reported form of workplace bias, with 19% of respondents citing it as an issue. Among them, 17% of men and 14% of women believe their age negatively impacted their job prospects.
Appearance-based discrimination (13%) and gender discrimination (12%) followed closely behind. Women were significantly more affected by gender bias in hiring, with 10% stating they had been rejected from roles due to their gender, compared to 5.2% of men. Non-binary individuals faced even greater challenges, with 27% reporting gender-based discrimination during job applications.
Parental Responsibilities and Racial Bias Also Significant
One in nine (11%) people reported experiencing discrimination due to their parental or carer responsibilities. This figure rises sharply for “sandwich carers” — those balancing childcare with caring for elderly or disabled relatives — nearly a third (30%) of whom reported workplace discrimination.
Race and ethnicity discrimination remains a widespread issue, affecting 9.3% of respondents overall. But for people from ethnic minorities (excluding white minorities), race discrimination was the leading form of bias, with 34% of respondents affected.
Among Black, Black British, Caribbean or African people, 39% reported discrimination, while 31% of Asian or Asian British respondents had similar experiences. In comparison, only 5.2% of white respondents reported facing race-related workplace bias.
Other notable forms of discrimination include:
- Accent discrimination: 8.8%
- Disability discrimination: 8.2%
- Religion or belief discrimination: 6.1%
- Sexual orientation discrimination: 5.8%
- Non-parent discrimination at work: 5.3%
- Criminal record discrimination during recruitment: 2.8%
London Identified as UK’s Discrimination Hotspot
Regional disparities in workplace discrimination were also evident, with London having the highest reported rates. Over half (57%) of London-based adults reported experiencing discrimination in employment settings.
Claire Williams, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, emphasised the serious impact of workplace discrimination: “Any form of discrimination, harassment, bullying, intimidation and intolerance in the workplace is unacceptable and can have a huge negative impact on people’s lives,” she said.
“It can take a considerable toll on their mental and physical health, and their self-esteem, and be incredibly stressful to cope with. It can also derail careers, with unfair dismissals or people not being given equal opportunities to progress and be paid fairly.”
Williams added that the survey’s findings were a “reminder that there’s still much work to be done to tackle ageism, racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, religious bigotry and the many other harmful types of discrimination experienced in UK workplaces, and around the world, today.”
Ciphr’s head of diversity, Ann Allcock, said companies must take decisive action.
“Employers simply can’t afford to continue taking the hit from the negative consequences of discrimination, in terms of impact on employee engagement, productivity and wasted talent,” she said. “They need to fully use their people data and focus their efforts on tailored actions and training to both prevent discrimination and address it robustly where it does occur.”
Allcock said it was “not about ‘woke’. What’s needed is a recommitment to what diversity, equity and inclusion stands for — valuing difference, fairness and belonging — principles that are hard for anyone to argue against.”
With nearly half of UK workers affected, the findings show an urgent need for employers to prioritise diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) initiatives to foster fair and inclusive workplaces.
