By Sami Chan, Learning Designer
It’s 2025, and while we’ve come a long way in the fight for inclusion and equality within the workplace, there’s still a lot of room for improvement. For example, did you know that unconscious bias still has a role to play when it comes to lower rates in ethnic and minority hiring practices?
Many organisations offer inclusive training and other resources to help combat inequality – but just how robust are they? And, more importantly, are they up to date? A lot has changed since the Equality Act 2010, and with the updated Worker Protection Act 2023, some organisations might find their training doesn’t keep pace with recent changes. It’s no longer enough to say, “We’ve covered it in training”, if the training is outdated and/or irrelevant to the business.
Let’s dig a bit deeper…
The Stats
A staggering 26% of people have reported experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace, and a chilling 53% of women have reported gender discrimination. Statistics like these have prompted legislative changes – the Worker Protection Act 2023, for example, requires organisations to put preventative measures in place to reduce statistics like these.
The keyword here is ‘preventative’ – it’s no longer enough to just deal with harassment when it happens. Workplaces now have a responsibility to shape the cultural mindset of their staff to create a more respectful and inclusive space. Employers who don’t have these measures in place risk breaking the law and, if taken to a court tribunal, could face paying an additional 25% on top of any compensation payout.
The Benefits of an Inclusive Work Environment
Of course, it’s not just in employers’ financial interests to keep on top of legislation. Training as a means of prevention also has the additional benefit of upskilling the workforce. In many cases, discriminative behaviour (like unconscious bias, microaggressions and more) goes unchallenged or even unrecognised, simply because of a lack of awareness.
Combine this with a workplace culture where employees are not given space to safely share their voice, and you have the recipe for a divisive workplace.
So, What Can We do?
As we’ve touched on, training opens up the floor for honest conversations and allows employees and employers alike to reflect on existing practices. Are there support networks in place for employees that fall into marginalised groups? Are managers being trained to fully listen to their team’s concerns, even if they don’t fully understand their struggles?
These are the types of questions that drive positive change within organisations and help them to retain talented staff.
Summary
Everyone deserves to work in a safe environment – let’s all do our part to make that a reality. If you need to level up your training but don’t know where to start, get in touch – we’ll be happy to support you!