Blogs, news & views

ED&I is an ongoing business-wide strategy, not full of quick fixes and boxes to tick. In 2020, data from LinkedIn found that the UK saw a 58% increase in the number of diversity and inclusion roles available. In spite of this research by CIPD shows that half of employers don’t have an EDI& strategy in place.

We know many of you in ED&I can find it a challenge to get senior leaders to understand what you do and buy-in to your ED&I work. We know ED&I should not just be seen as a “nice to have” in an organisation; it needs to be purposeful and strategic. But convincing others of the importance and impact can be difficult. That’s why we hosted a webinar on “Building a case for ED&I that senior leaders cannot ignore” to help you do just that.

What do renowned retail and hospitality companies such as Sainsbury’s, McDonald’s and IKEA all have in common? They’ve signed EHRC’s Section 23 agreement because of incidents of and failings to prevent problematic behaviour – in particular, sexual harassment. By agreeing to EHRC’s Section 23 agreement, an organisation commits to not breaching equality law, usually in a specific area where there have been previous concerns.

Whistleblowing is often seen as the act of reporting information of malpractice that could have a detrimental impact on business and one that is seen as “in the public interest”. But it doesn’t just mean a criminal offence, fraud, financial misconduct, health and safety issues, a miscarriage of justice or the covering up of the aforementioned. It could and should be used for anything an employee sees as a failure on their employer’s part to rectify or stop, including bullying, discrimination and harassment.

For the third year running the UK has fallen down the ILGA’s LGBT rights ranking, now putting us in 17th place having led the way in just 2015. The reality is, the UK is becoming increasingly less safe for LGBTQ+ people both in and out of work as hate crimes rise, social commentary continues dividing opinions and the Government remains indecisive on their actions to progress further. And employers and colleagues who are not part of the community need to do more to create and foster a safe place for them.

How clear, consistent internal communication shapes whether employees report concerns — and why a quiet inbox isn’t proof that everything is fine.

Gen Z employees are increasingly leaving employers whose values don’t match their own. We look at conscious quitting and how organisations can respond.

Maternity discrimination is illegal yet still widespread. We share the latest research on what working mothers are experiencing, and how employers can help stop it.

What the proposed OfS regulation on harassment and sexual misconduct could mean for higher education providers, students and the broader sector.

Both reports lay bare the scale of toxic culture in the UK’s emergency services. We share our response and what genuine change needs to look like from here.

ED&I leaders carry a heavy and often invisible load. We share practical ways employers can support their people teams and reduce the risk of burnout.

Practical advice for attracting, selecting and onboarding new hires - and why getting the process right is key to retaining people long term.

Bullying and harassment cases in the legal sector are mounting. We look at why so many firms still fall short — and what they need to change.

From multi-million payouts to widespread employee distress, the financial sector has a problem. Here’s what’s at stake — and how to fix it.

A look at the six pillars of workplace wellbeing - job security, financial security, health, support, protection and work-life balance - and how to embed them.

Football is one of the most diverse sports on the pitch - yet behind the scenes, bullying and discrimination remain widespread. We explore what real change requires.

A practical guide to introducing and encouraging open conversations about gender pronouns at work, helping trans and non-binary colleagues feel respected and included.

Why a downloadable app isn’t always the safest or most accessible way to offer anonymous reporting - and what to look for in a more secure alternative.

ED&I is not just a HR issue, but a strategic initiative that should be embedded across every area of an organisation. HR and ED&I leaders shouldn’t approach this work alone, but should work together on the business case for ED&I and push the business forward.

Bullying is already a hard to define term, especially since it is not considered unlawful in the workplace unless it is discriminatory or constitutes harassment. However, beyond those fine lines between bullying, discrimination and harassment, is the fine line between bullying and banter, which is often not thought to be the same as bullying but can lead to bullying behaviour, discrimination and harassment.

2 in 5 people have experienced an incident at work such as bullying, discrimination or harassment. While bullying may be a difficult term to define and discrimination easier to, harassment can take a number of forms and incorporate both bullying and discrimination.

In conversation with our partner Praetura Group on why anonymous reporting is part of how a growing investment firm champions employee voice and culture.

As a company grows, its culture gradually changes, which can in some cases mean faults in the culture easily manifest over time without realising. If the company culture is bad, you’ll start to experience various problems, like low productivity, absenteeism and poor employee retention.

How to build a workplace where colleagues of any faith feel respected and supported — going beyond simply not preventing observance to actively including it.