A 380% Rise in Protected Belief Cases Tells Us Something Important About Workplace Culture

When I read that employment tribunal cases involving protected beliefs had increased by 380% over the last five years, my first reaction wasn't surprise.

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My reaction was that we're seeing the natural consequence of a workplace that is becoming more diverse, more vocal and, in many ways, more willing to tackle difficult conversations head-on.

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I don't see that as a negative. The challenge is that protected belief cases often sit in the grey areas.

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I've spent years talking to employers about workplace culture, and one thing I've learned is that people are usually looking for certainty. They want clear rules and answers. But when it comes to protected beliefs, that's often not possible.

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We're talking about deeply held convictions, personal identities and strongly felt views. In my experience, these situations are rarely resolved by a policy alone. They require judgement, empathy and a willingness to engage with complexity.

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What concerns me more than the rise in tribunal cases is what happens before a case ever reaches that stage.

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I believe most workplace issues give organisations opportunities to intervene earlier. The problem is that many employees don't always feel confident raising concerns, and many managers don't always feel equipped to handle them.

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I've seen organisations invest heavily in policies and procedures while overlooking the human conversations that sit behind them. For me, that's where the real work happens. I think employers should be asking themselves the following questions. 

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• Do people trust us enough to speak up?
• Would we know if tensions were building within a team?
• Are managers confident enough to navigate disagreement without immediately escalating it into a formal process?

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Organisations don't need to fear these conversations, they need to get better at having them.