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.
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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.”
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