SME bosses are putting off from adopting new working practices concerning equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) policies, out of fear of doing or saying the wrong thing, a new report from Workplace Equity Commission (WEC) has found.
The report specifically stated it is time to ‘turn down the temperature of the debate’.
“The commission found that many businesses feel the EDI debate has become too political in recent years,” explained Gill Hunter, the WEC’s co-chair and a managing partner of Square One Law.
“The report is clear that policymakers have a responsibility to ‘turn down the temperature’ of debates, so that SMEs are reassured and feel confident to take practical steps to make a difference.”
A quarter of employees in the research believed that not everyone in the workplace has equal access to opportunities. 28% believed they unfairly missed an opportunity at work in the past two years, due to diversity differences.
The report also found that less than half of the UK’s 5.5 million SMEs have introduced specific policies or programmes for under-represented groups at work.
53% of professionals have further considered leaving their positions due to EDI-related issues in their workplace.
The report encouraged businesses to “establish and promote the business case for change and invest for the long term”. It also recommended reporting diversity statistics, increasing manager training, and seeking peer support from business networks, as well as updating recruitment practices to seek out diverse talent.
This report is concerning and eye-opening research suggesting that there may be a gap in EDI training and education for workplace opportunities. Hunter emphasised that government support is key in guiding these SMEs to promote EDI. This will be crucial to retain employees and keeping them satisfied and secure in their job.