A major new survey by Gi Group UK, one of the country’s leading recruitment and HR firms, has revealed that one in four employees say they have experienced discrimination or micro-aggressions at work related to their identity or background. Around one in five also reported bias linked to physical or mental health, raising concerns that too many organisations still fail to translate their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) policies into real culture change.
The research draws on feedback from hundreds of professionals across different sectors, and paints a mixed picture of UK workplace equality in 2025. While most employers now have DEI strategies or employee resource groups in place, many workers feel these initiatives are not yet shifting daily behaviour or tackling ingrained bias.
Gi Group UK’s findings show that 15% of workers believe bias directly affects recruitment or promotion decisions, while 11% have personally experienced disability-related discrimination. The report warns that DEI programmes risk being treated as “tick-box exercises” rather than as long-term cultural commitments that start with leadership accountability.
Everyday bias still widespread
Micro-aggressions — subtle or unintentional behaviours that communicate prejudice or exclusion — remain among the most common and damaging experiences in the modern workplace. Examples include making assumptions about someone’s identity, interrupting or dismissing voices from under-represented groups, or excluding colleagues from opportunities.
Experts say these behaviours, though often overlooked, can have long-lasting effects. They undermine psychological safety, reduce productivity and drive higher turnover rates among marginalised employees. For LGBTQ+ staff, ethnic minority workers and those with disabilities, micro-aggressions often compound other forms of visible or structural bias.
Inclusion beyond policy
Gi Group UK’s report calls on employers to recognise that inclusion cannot be achieved through policy statements alone. Instead, it must be built into the everyday culture of the organisation — from recruitment and training to leadership development and employee engagement.
This means training managers to identify and challenge bias, reviewing HR systems for fairness, and ensuring that all employees feel able to raise concerns without fear of retaliation. The study also highlights the role of leadership role-modelling, noting that inclusive behaviour from senior figures has a direct influence on whether employees feel they belong.
A changing workforce
With UK job vacancy levels showing signs of cooling in 2025, competition for skilled talent remains fierce. In this environment, inclusive culture has become not just a social responsibility but a business advantage. Organisations with strong DEI frameworks are more likely to attract candidates who value transparency, wellbeing, and fairness — particularly among younger and diverse jobseekers who expect employers to “walk the talk.”
The Gi Group UK report concludes that the most successful employers in the coming years will be those that combine policy with practice: embedding inclusion into every stage of the employee journey, from onboarding to leadership succession.
Moving from awareness to action
The message is clear: diversity without inclusion achieves little. To make lasting change, employers must measure inclusion outcomes, listen to lived experiences, and act on the data. The next stage of workplace progress will depend on courage, leadership, and consistency — not slogans.
Creating workplaces where everyone feels respected, safe and empowered isn’t just the right thing to do — it’s the foundation of sustainable success in a changing world of work.