Study finds UK firms are not ditching DEI

Despite the backlash against diversity, equity and inclusion programmes in the US, UK firms are protecting DEI budgets and embedding DEI goals into their core business.

A survey by employee experience platform Culture Amp published this week found that most UK firms saw DEI schemes as a valuable investment, and have sought to embed systemic change into operations at a time when DEI budgets are under pressure.

The survey, of more than 1,000 UK organisations, found three-quarters of businesses (74%) had a DEI programme. A quarter of these firms (26%) had increased funding compared with the previous year, while one-third (33%) had a DEI programme with the budget remaining stable.

More people disagreed with the statement that their employer was “too woke” than agreed, by 41% to 28%. Employees aged over 55 were less likely to view their company as woke than employees aged under 45. The 25-34 age group was most likely to believe their employer was woke.

Four out of 10 companies had added DEI questions to their hiring processes while more than one third (36%) were adding diversity questions to engagement surveys to capture diversity demographics.

A small minority (13%) felt their organisation invested too much time and money in DEI programmes.

Other recent studies have provided a mixed picture of attitudes in the DEI arena. Channel 4 research found that nearly half of Gen Z men (45%) believed that “we have gone so far in promoting women’s equality that we are discriminating against men” and 44% said they thought women’s equal rights had gone far enough.

A study by Occupational Health Assessment found evidence, from a small sample of executives, that 69% of senior leaders felt that changes of policy in the US was bound to influence UK thinking and spending in the DEI arena, with nearly four in 10 respondents (37%) agreeing with the rollback of at least some measures on this side of the Atlantic.

This figure included 32% who feel that some aspects of DEI policies required change. A further 5% said that DEI had already gone too far in the British workplace.

However, most UK employers (53%) said they continued to support equality and diversity policies, found the Occupational Health Assessment report. More than one-fifth (22%) said they would like to see DEI initiatives strengthened further, and 31% felt current initiatives were “about right”.

Culture Amp’s equitable operations vice president, Aubrey Blanche-Sarellano, said the firm’s survey had found that “a big majority of UK companies are still committed to building workplaces where people are treated fairly and with respect.”

She added that it was striking that support for DEI in UK workplaces was strongest among older age groups. These were more likely to be senior management and line managers who recognised the benefits of more equitable workplaces and could lead systemic change in their organisation.

“While UK firms are facing pressures on DEI programme budgets, many are embedding equity into core business processes such as hiring, evaluating the employee experience and employee engagement, to drive structural change while staying within budget,” said Blanche-Sarellano.

Under the Equality Act 2010, which combined many laws on discrimination into one Act, the UK has built up protections for minorities that prevent firms from fully endorsing the new US approach, as espoused by Donald Trump. Further legislation in the pipeline will also establish ethnicity and disability pay gap reporting.

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